Thursday 10 June 2010

ONE!


photo by Carol

The 1994 Football World Cup was decided when Roberto Baggio, an Italian Buddhist, missed a penalty kick and handed the trophy to Brazil.

I hope his religion helped him deal with the disappointment quite a few people dropped on his shoulders.

Andi Rogenhagen, on the other hand, is German, I think.

In 1994 he collected film of the finals from the TV companies of different nations and edited it together to make one of the best football documentaries ever – The Final Kick.

The film shows very little of the game itself – sequences that are used are supported by a multitude of linguistic commentary – and instead concentrates on the people watching, ranging from a few Bolivian peasants in/on the altiplano to thousands of Chinese in a square in Beijing, taking in a harem in Africa and monks in a monastery somewhere else along the way.

The film finally settles on the unsettled emotions among the patrons of an Italian bar and those watching on a beach in Brazil.

But the abiding memory for me is that of a young Italian boy watching with his family at home. We see him pray, we see the family get up as one as the penalty is missed and go to make tea (or spaghetti), and we see him abandoned, alone and suddenly a faithless Catholic in a godless world.

In 1998 I sat down in front of my own television, with my own son (aged 7) to watch the final between Brazil and France.

We were living in France, still are in fact, and before the competition had begun knew very little about French football and the French team.

As the competition had unfolded it became clear to my eyes that France was a team that wanted to win this more than anyone, that played with a passionate determination allied to a collective will and with a fair degree of exceptional talent.

However, they played in blue and white.

Brazil played, still do actually, in yellow and green and their flag is so much more beautiful to look at.

And ever since I was a son, myself, of about 7 I had been hypnotized by PelĂ©- the only man to win three World Cup Winner medals – even though he only played one game in 1962.

So it doesn’t matter what my head says I always want Brazil to win the World Cup.

My son, being seven, didn’t really have an opinion so joined me in cheering Ronaldo.

When Zidane scored the first goal we were a little disappointed but it’s only a game eh?

Come on Brazil!

When Zidane scored his second goal there was a moment of silence in Copacabana that reached our living room.

My son turned to me, big blue eyes questioning.

“Is it OK if I support France now?”

I’m glad I hadn’t brought him up to believe in God.

4 comments:

Mary said...

It is very hard to break free of the teams (and players) you admired as a child. Not sure why --they must have seemed so much bigger than life and the happiness we felt for their wins or sadness for their losses was somehow important to our own identity. Even today, I follow 4-5 professional baseball teams at a time. They were like gods.

Pre-Cup note: Newspapers here are predicting that Mexico will lose to South Africa and France will lose to Uruguay!

Mx

popps said...

I hope not Mary, i've got two Mexicans in my fantasy league team and i'm hoping for at least a goal a-piece.

Mary said...

Did your fantasy league team Mexican play get the goal?

Side note - Canadian connection -- Watched part of opening ceremonies -- K'naan is a Somali-Canadian who immigrated to Canada at 13 to escape that horrible civil war and grew up in Toronto (Rexdale area is sprawling, low to middle class area plagued with gang violence). He accompanied the Cup to Toronto a few weeks ago as part of the Cup's trip around the world. He spoke movingly about his not being able to take the Cup to Somalia.

Love his World Cup anthem song - Waving Flag --


So many wars, settling scores,
Bringing us promises, leaving us poor,
I heard them say, love is the way,
Love is the answer, that's what they say,
But look how they treat us, Make us believers,
We fight their battles, then they deceive us,
Try to control us, they couldn't hold us,
Cause we just move forward like Buffalo Soldiers.

But we struggling, fighting to eat,
And we wondering, when we'll be free
So we patiently wait, for that faithful day,
It's not far away, but for now we say,

When I get older I will grow stronger,
They'll call me freedom, just like a Waving Flag.

No one is at work today except me -- Bars are allowed to serve alcohol an hour earlier (10 a.m.) so the party is fully underway.

Mx

popps said...

No - a big let down, they netted me a total of 4 points. One of them will definitely be substituted when the transfer window opens at midnight!
The other looked good enough to risk another game - Santos.
I didn't know the cup toured the world - beautiful cup isn't it?
Nice song too.
Krissie is on stage in Paris somewhere tonight and they moved the show two hours earlier so everyone can get back to watch the game.
I love the madness.