“Football is life!”
The call to punctuality issued by President Hossam worked well. Players were on the Pond at 10am sharp, ready for kick-off under a nice October sun. There was just a minor problem to deal with: a man was sleeping in the middle of the pitch, apparently unaware of what was happening. Luckily (for him), he wasn’t hit by any ball during warm-up. He woke up just before kick-off, collected his belongings and left, whispering the phrase “football is life”.
We will never know the life story of this man (was he a homeless refugee, a financier in distress, a traveller that lost his last train home?) but if you have watched Ted Lasso you will recognise the three words that Dani Rojas, the enthusiastic mexican player, says in every occasion, mostly with a contagious smile. What a pearl of wisdom. Three simple words that says it all. “Football is life” is more than a mantra. It tells us that with its up and downs, good and bed results, sadness and joy, football is the best metaphor of life, or perhaps it’s life itself. A philosophy that all Football Dads and Kids recognise and endorse (and by the way, if you haven’t watched Ted Lasso, you should).
Today there were indeed up and downs, success and disappointment. The team selection didn’t work well as last week. The Yellow team appeared immediately superior, with Hannes in total control of defence and Yassin in stellar form upfront. The Colours team enjoyed good ball possession and had some fine movements, but lacked precision in the final touch. Andrea, Francesco and Johannes, usually clinical with their finish, were not able to create serious chances, while the Yellows found the net as easily as spotting a fox in a London street at night.
Within fifteen minutes, the Yellows were ahead 3-0. Was it unfair? Yes, but we know that life is not fair, so the Lasso metaphor holds.
On the 4-1, Hannes sportingly suggested a player swap to rebalance the teams: he loaned Hossam to the Colours and took Francesco on the Yellows. The change gave the Colours more needed stability in the back, where they had been struggling, but at the some time deprived them of one of their most dangerous player, further reducing their limited offensive potential. In fact, in one of his first play for the Yellow, Francesco received the ball on the right side and sent in goal with a powerful shot that Alessandro could not stop. So much for the rebalancing.
The match didn’t really change direction after the swap. The two teams battled for another good hour, few more goals were scored. The Yellow remained comfortably ahead, scored the Golden Goal and sealed the victory for 7-3.
Yassin brought home the Man of the Match Award. The injury that prevented him to play at the last Master Game is now a distant memory, and the upcoming MG (date and location yet to be set) promises to be more balanced affair.
After the match, Thomas and Hannes, both wearing a red Arsenal shirt, shared some thoughts on the coming north London derby, later won with brio by the Gunners. Talk about two people that know what side to choose.
The two Germans smiled for the camera, happy for their well deserved win. These are two players that might be overlooked or taken for granted. True, they lack the ability to perform Brazilian tricks with the ball (imagine Hannes doing a rabona or Thomas a bicycle kick), but they are incredibly reliable and effective. They work hard and play hard, and ultimately win the match.
Perhaps worth closing with another Ted Lasso quote, this time from the coach himself: “As the man once said, the harder you work, the luckier you get.”. Boy, if he is right. Should we invite him to the next MG?