The Beauty of the Game

Today the topic is soccer. The beautiful game. And anyone that can sit and watch it will agree when I say that the game is absolutely beautiful. It is so fluid, yet hard around the edges. So gentlemanly, yet so feisty. If one were to say that soccer can explain the world and different interactions and attitudes with people, I have to say that I agree.

Let's take Barcelona for instance. They are a wonderful squad to watch. Every position is better than their oppositions. Even some of their backups are better. But this is not because they go out and buy the best players. Their players are home grown, straight from their own system. They are coached to play their position and play it well. They are like a well oiled machine when they play. They have no care for what the other team is doing, they just play their game. They possess the ball like no other team I have seen and they connect with one another. Everyone gets a touch on the ball and everyone gets involved. There are so many threats but they all defer to one another. There is no overpowering star personality that brings the team down. They know who is good at what and they trust each other. It is so beautiful to watch them because they don't batter opponents. They don't shove it in their face that they are better. They simply play the game and they get in positions to put the ball in the net. There is so much effort involved but it seems so easy to them. It's the beauty of the game. To put the work in and go out and perform.

Watching the US Women yesterday hit me with a different kind of beauty. The Brazilian squad was obviously the better team. Those women, just like their male counterparts, are the ball. The ball is connected to their feet. But the US Women had something else. A certain spirit, that never say die type of thing. It was wonderful to see them never give up and go out winners. This was no final but it was like a huge hump. They triumphed when they should have failed. That says something about the Americans. How we keep going and never give up. How we think everything is possible. It is a beautiful thing.

That is all