A Messi Affair !!

Expectations. Expectations.

A clash between Argentina and Venezuela was lying at the ditch near the bottom of the pyramid, and people were just concerned about one phenomenon (yes, he is nothing less than a phenomenon), the converging point of the sides of the pyramid, LIONEL MESSI. And boy, did he put on his charm and mesmerized Kolkata with his masterly, skillful display.

Going Back and Forth…

A transition from 4 years of my life, when high attendance was not even joked about, to a phase wherein I get confused easily between the place where I’m supposed to study and the place where I’m supposed to sleep, life has almost come a full circle. But the centre point still remains the same. Life is meant to be lived fully, taking pleasure in whatever hogs your timeline. And that is precisely what I have been trying to do with all the deadlines.

In hindsight though, whatever the case may be, you never should lose sight of ‘the real stuff’. And football does offer you that kick. Even more so, when we talk about Messi and India in the same breath.

Kolkata – The Host

Sorry for the abrupt change of tone, but it was disappointing. Shoddy stadium patch up work, and even shoddier design. And why price tickets so high when you know that you won't be able to fill the stadium to capacity, even when the magician himself is at work.

Management. What is that? We as friggin' MBA students would have done a better job. Stampedes. Bad. Seeing the fairer sex and children getting crushed in the crowd. Loathes. So much so that I took it upon myslf to form like a wall with whatever strength I had *pats his back*

Then there was this Lady, and I am not exaggerating at all but by calling her a lady I have given her respect of which even an ounce she doesn't deserve. What led to such hatred and anger was a simple case of being rude and simply put, being a shameless bitch, to the cutest of kids, from a far away land, that you'd find on the ground interested, watching football as passionately as Indians watch cricket. Details I'd rather not divulge, but to give you an estimate, my nails were literally biting into the skin of my palms as a control measure (just to avoid starting a ruckus). And here I thought, Calcuttans to be the warmest people around :|

Mes(si)merizing

Goodness Me. The vision of the wonder boy. The ability to read plays. The ability to create plays. And the pure ingenious of the way that ball seems to stick to his feet, follow his each and every command, almost as if he's playing with a remote control, was breathtaking to witness. To add to all that, and at the risk of sounding gay, his infectious smile could charm even the straightest of guys :)

Football

Better than average game. Goalkeepers excellent for both sides. Venezuela had probably the best opportunity going forward. Argentina linked up pretty well going forward and created several opportunities which they weren't able to grab until the 67- 68' with Otamindi's header. And the game had some great tackles, great through balls and even better lobs with many close misses and a solo woodwork play.

Take-Away

Couple of years ago, I would never have dreamt that this day I'd be two matches down (First One --> http://strangeramblingsofmymind.blogspot.com/2009/11/brasil-vs-england-match-day.html --> MUST READ). Truthfully, the first experience was far better for the simple reasons that people in Qatar were more passionate when it comes to football, and it had a complete carnival feel to it, whereas Calcutta was more of laid back. But still Argentina, Venezuela, and the game itself, made everything worthwhile.

Ending it with a simple observation.

It really is a MESSI WORLD !!