Xabi Alonso, you're my hero!
I'm enrolled in an MA program that originally was summers only, but which I am now working on during the '09-'10 school year. The first summer that I started the program was summer '08. That was the summer I fell in love with the Selección española in general, and more specifically, Iker Casillas. I will always remember watching that final game in a bar in Sol with classmates from my program, and the way Madrid just exploded when that game was over. Red and yellow everywhere. I returned to Madrid for the summer '09 session and then decided to speed up this program and do the current school year. I went home for the month of August and returned just as September began. In the weeks since then, my roommate and I have been obsessively looking for information on these boys. We've become Real Madrid fans, and have managed to attend a few games. Last weekend we saw Real Madrid play Atlético de Madrid (Fernando Torres' old team) in the Vicente Calderón. We felt as though we couldn't root for our boys though, as we were surrounded by Atlético fans. It was, nevertheless, an amazing experience. My first live experience of Spanish football. When we found out that the Selección would be playing in that same stadium (which, by the way, is about a 15-20 min walk away from my apt), we bought tickets right away. Aside from my disappointment at not getting to see Torres play, I was more than pleased with the game. It was loud and rowdy, many Argentina supporters turned out along with everyone else. My seat was a few sections up, but it was right above the corner, so the entire first half, I had a lovely, if too far for my liking, view of Casillas in his castle. If only he could feel my eyes beaming down on him. I also got to experience on a closer level the amazing defensive abilities of one Sergio Ramos, who I will always love, because he fights so hard every game. he never half-asses it. In the second half, I got to see Cesc Fábregas, who was subbed in sometime through that half, take a few delicious corner kicks, one of which almost resulted in a goal by Sergio Ramos. It was sooo close to being in, but hit the post. A lovely header, nonetheless. He kept taking the ball out right on the line closest to me. David Villa and little David Silva put in fabulous performances. Silva was everywhere at once. My hero of the evening, however, was Xabi Alonso who exhibited the class he is known for, covering that midfield like the pro he is, and being exactly where he was needed at all times, which resulted in his finishing off of David Silva's goal attempt to score one for España. Then in the second half, after things looked liked they'd end in a draw, due to Leo Messi's penalty, Xabi stepped up again and took a beautiful penalty shot to change the score to 2-1. My current userpic is the boy' celebration of that penalty. Definitely a high point for me. Made my weekend. Oh how I wish my seat was just a few sections down in that very same corner.