[photo from ESPN]
And so, the FIFA 2010 World Cup came to a close yesterday, with Spain making history and winning their first ever World Cup title. The champions beat a rough-and-tough Netherlands side 1-0, thanks to an Andres Iniesta goal. From disappointing underdogs to world champions, La Furia Roja has grown significantly in the last couple of years. Players such as Xavi Hernandez, the aforementioned Andres Iniesta, David Villa, Carles Puyol, and Iker Casillas helped personify a Spanish side with flair, strength, and heart.
Although they did not win with their usual goal extravaganzas (most of their wins being 1-0), Spain carried on without ever backing down. Despite their first loss in the tournament against Switzerland, they never let that match get them down and were able to continue on in their journey to the cup final.
To be honest, it still feels surreal. It feels like it was only yesterday that they had just won Euro 08. Is this a dream? The "let's at least make it to the quarterfinals" Spaniards actually won?? After years and years of history working against them, La Selección finally won the highest accolade in international soccer.
Many tears of joy and jumps of happiness later, I'm left very proud, ecstatic, and...exhausted. This World Cup has been a whirlwind of drama, controversy, suspense, surprises....everything that makes soccer interesting. And although there are some problems within the soccer-sphere, it's still one of the greatest sports of all time. They don't call it "the beautiful game" just for kicks (no pun intended). It's hard to believe that South Africa vs. Mexico was just a month ago. So much has happened since then, both on and off the pitch in my life. To a certain point, it feels like a blur. That all my joy and agony endured as a USMNT fan was a thing of years past. When in fact, it was just a couple of weeks ago. Even as a USMNT fan, my emotions have run amok, perhaps more so than my Spain-rooting side. But I wouldn't have it any other way. My heart still mourns for the USMNT while celebrating the accomplishments of my Spain team. And the France NT drama? Perhaps I like schadenfreude, but it still interests me as it did in the beginning of the tournament. Questions still left unanswered, and who knows for how long! There's always going to be the controversy over goal-line technology, but of course that is a debate that will live on for what feels like forever. Even though some of the big soccer superstars have been disappointments (Messi, Rooney, Kaká, and Ronaldo to name a few...), I have fallen in love with new players and have been exposed to their talent and sportsmanship, like Thomas Müller and Mesut Özil. It's the beauty of the world cup, you always find the most unexpected gems. And they could be the ones who will shine for many years to come.
I don't know what the point of that rant was. Honestly. It might be the music blasting on my earphones, the blazing heat, or the fact that it's past two in the morning. But I think that what you could gather from my little ramble was that...I love this sport. So much. And say what you want about it, soccer is one of the few constants in my life that just seems so right. And it is my escape, whether it involves heartbreak or happiness. That may seem counterintuitive, but that's just the rules of my life. That at the end of the day, soccer is what my happiness is. It's more than just my team winning. And the world cup can't be a better way to epitomize this happiness.
So what's next? As I wait
After four years of anticipating this month-long tournament, I'm back to square one, waiting another four years for Brazil 2014. Who knows how different things will be then, but I have an inkling that things will probably be very, very interesting.
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