HEAVENLY FOOTBALLERS
Thank God For Them
A couple of days back, I was giving Mom her dinner when my mind flashed back to this same room... back in 1986.
It was in the middle of the night.
Around 2:30 AM.
Our TV stood in the corner of this room.
Just in front of it, Dad sat watching the game.
Across the hall in the opposite corner, I was on a straight-back chair with a pharmacology textbook on my lap. My exams were due shortly. So I pretended to study, while watching Argentina play England in the World Cup semi-finals.
The action replays of an infamous 'Hand of God' goal had just ended, when another roar went up from the crowd.
A squat and stocky little magician had got hold of the soccer ball.
Diego Armando Maradona was close to the half-way line.
He swivelled, twisted and weaved.
With a quick series of deft steps, he beat one... then another... and then a third defender. A little leap over the last one, and suddenly he was inside the box.
A feint, a gentle tap, and then a marvellous flick with the outside of his boot -
And the ball broke past a hapless, sprawling Peter Shilton into the net!
The crowd's roar was deafening.
Even at the time, watching it in real time, it was clear that this was historic.
A 'Goal of the Century', people would call it later on.
🥳
Years later, I watched the final between France and Argentina.
And Di Maria showed traces of the Maradona magic.
He created space along the flank, magically appearing inside the box and within striking range as he won a penalty - and then scored a field goal in quick succession.
But the magic that had been uniquely Maradona's now belonged to another man.
A man who shared his jersey number - '10'.
And first letter of his name - 'M'.
And no, it's not whom you think!
😜
I mean Mbappe.
The top France striker who created football magic all through that tournament.
It was a delight to see him break through a tight defence on the edge of the box, and defeat two or three players to take a crack at goal.
Or the breathtaking bursts of speed he displayed so unexpectedly to beat his markers and score.
The Golden Boot was deservedly his.
And just to remind myself that he's Diego Maradona's worthy successor, I went back to YouTube to watch my all-time favorite goal ever (along with Victor Hugo Morales' commentary!)... a few dozen more times.
You might enjoy it too... and even agree that the Maradona magic lives on in Kylian Mbappe.
Just imagine - he's only 24 years old!
We've got at least another decade of enjoyable football to watch him play.
🙏