Le foot, fútbol, fußball, calcio, soccer. The international sport.
The crowd erupts into a torrent of shouts and boos and even those damnable vuvuzelas as the teams, AC Milan and Club America, file onto the football field turn soccer pitch. They hold their heads high, both lines, as if all that mattered in the world was the match set to begin shortly. The announcements begin, welcoming the fans and the two teams to this wonderful event, and the crowd grows impossibly louder. Hand-shaking, coin toss, and settling onto the field and everyone is filled with a joyous apprehension.
The whistle blows and the sound is absolutely deafening. A pass to Inzaghi, back to Ronaldinho, then up to Flamini and lost to Club America.
The first half ends in a disappointing 0-0 tie. So many shots, so many missed opportunities. The teams head back to the locker rooms.
They return fifteen minutes later, wrapped in warm-ups, and engage in their drills before the second half begins.
Again, a whistle and the ball begins its uncertain path to expecting and greedy feet.
Now the fifty-sixth minute and the back of AC Milan's net flutters as the ball hits to left corner. The stadium explodes with cheers and shouts of disapproval as the ref whistles once to mark a goal has been scored. A mistake Onyewu will not make again.
Sixty-fifth minute. Tension is an understatement if one ever chose that to describe what's between the players on the field. A few minutes after ridiculous fights break out, Pippo Inzaghi flicks the ball into the right corner of Club America's goal. Every AC Milan fan screams and sings Pippo's name as they jump. It's a tie! Clean slate. AC Milan has a chance again.
Everyone hopes their team scores. Everyone must. It's just the sport.
The eighty-fourth minute comes on with no expected gift but Club America sends in a fluke of a goal. Once again, beer is sloshed and voices are pushed to their limits. This could be the ending sentence for AC Milan's chance.
And it is.
Ronaldinho has a penalty kick from twenty-five feet out and Armando Navarette makes an impossible, sure-handed dive to save the goal.
That's the last minute, the last piece of hope for AC Milan and when the whistle blows in its final call, the stadium is filled with noise and movement and disappointment and joy.
The international sport.
---
I wrote this after the AC Milan v. Club America friendly here in Atlanta and I neglected it for some time. (I was at that game! PIPPO!) But I like it. I feel a sort of rhythm to it that I am fond of.
The whistle blows and the sound is absolutely deafening. A pass to Inzaghi, back to Ronaldinho, then up to Flamini and lost to Club America.
The first half ends in a disappointing 0-0 tie. So many shots, so many missed opportunities. The teams head back to the locker rooms.
They return fifteen minutes later, wrapped in warm-ups, and engage in their drills before the second half begins.
Again, a whistle and the ball begins its uncertain path to expecting and greedy feet.
Now the fifty-sixth minute and the back of AC Milan's net flutters as the ball hits to left corner. The stadium explodes with cheers and shouts of disapproval as the ref whistles once to mark a goal has been scored. A mistake Onyewu will not make again.
Sixty-fifth minute. Tension is an understatement if one ever chose that to describe what's between the players on the field. A few minutes after ridiculous fights break out, Pippo Inzaghi flicks the ball into the right corner of Club America's goal. Every AC Milan fan screams and sings Pippo's name as they jump. It's a tie! Clean slate. AC Milan has a chance again.
Everyone hopes their team scores. Everyone must. It's just the sport.
The eighty-fourth minute comes on with no expected gift but Club America sends in a fluke of a goal. Once again, beer is sloshed and voices are pushed to their limits. This could be the ending sentence for AC Milan's chance.
And it is.
Ronaldinho has a penalty kick from twenty-five feet out and Armando Navarette makes an impossible, sure-handed dive to save the goal.
That's the last minute, the last piece of hope for AC Milan and when the whistle blows in its final call, the stadium is filled with noise and movement and disappointment and joy.
The international sport.
---
I wrote this after the AC Milan v. Club America friendly here in Atlanta and I neglected it for some time. (I was at that game! PIPPO!) But I like it. I feel a sort of rhythm to it that I am fond of.