“Manchester City are still alive here. Balotelli…Agueroooooooooooooooo!!!! I swear you’ll never see anything like this ever again!”
These words mark the ending of a famous league match between Manchester City and QPR which was shot down till the last minute as the to-be champions were one goal down in the 93rd minute. On the other side, the Manchester United Fans were rejoicing as their team had successfully done their job and had to just wait for the final whistle.
But, how can it end without a tiny bit of drama..
A peculiar miracle in the form of Kun Aguero nesseling the ball to the right corner of the QPR goalpost at the 94th minute took the whole world by surprise. Manchester City had regained the Premier League Title in the last minute of the game as United fans had nothing but despair.
Football, futbol, le foot, soccer - however term you call it by, it is considered to be one of the most enriching Sports . There is the beauty of the goals scored - through free-kicks, open play and out-witting several defenders single-handedly - as well as the artistry of the build-up play, the final pass, the link-up of players combining together to put it in the back of the net. The skilled mastery of football legends such as Johan Cruyff, Pele, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho and Diego Mardona only add to the sport's legacy.
This is the game of football. This is the sport where fans give up everything and turn off the world for 90 minutes. This is the sport where the stadiums are filled no matter what. This is the sport where fans from all over the world turn on their television sets even at 2’o clock in the night so as to watch their favourite team play. This is the sport which unites people and acts as the highest source of entertainment for the entire world.
Football - a game of glory, strategy and team-spirit teaches us many things and acts as a medium to be passionate about subjects that we love and that pushes us to be at our best. Here best friends fight on the pitch and are back to normal off the pitch. This passion, this zeal, this energy is the essence that makes football one of the best sports in the world. These 90 minutes keep the fans on the edge of their seats as anything can happen at anytime and the tables can turn in favour of the less favourite.
This game is run by the fans who dictate the whole match by their charisma. Many of you might have heard about the Yellow Wall of Dortmund and the craziness of Anfield which are the two most intense stadiums in the world. These stadiums are similar to entering a den to face the lion who cannot be defeated. The intensity of the game is too high for the fans to let go their hopes down so easily. Even If your team is three goals down with three minutes to go, you have the belief, you have the trust that some miracle can bring the odds back into your favour.
One of the most debatable matters in the footballing world is - Who is Better? Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. One dribbles past five defenders like it’s nothing and one hits the ball so hard that’s it impossible to stop. One amazes the world by his unbelievable magic and One rises to all the important occasions so as to take his team to the glory. These players have been the centre of attraction in the game for a period of more than 10 years, which in itself is impeccable. The sport, played by more than 70% of the world, has two supernatural players who can’t be matched. We are blessed to even witness these players play for their teams live. So, it’s better to leave the debate as it is something that can’t be decided and shouldn’t be decided. The competition between them itself acts as a source of their development and reignites the fire of the sport.
It does not matter how many goals a team has scored, or how expensive an assembled team might be, or even how much possession a side has in a match - the only statistic that truly matters in a game is the scoreline at the end of the 90 minutes.
‘The thing about football - the important thing about football - is that it is not just about football.