The Beautiful Game. Part 1.

Brazil.. A land where football is not just a game. It's a part of life. Since I came here I have watched many fathers (even mothers at times) taking their 2-3 year old kids to play. Fascinating. The first gifts Brazilians receive as children include a team jersey or a football, it's that simple.

I was playing at a club for the past 4-5 months. Guarani F.C it's called. One of the two teams of my city, Campinas. The last month I got one of the best news of my life. I had been selected to play for the club in a tournament. A dream come true, really! I did not know how it happened, but it did. Copa Hipica is the name.
10th March 2012. One of the most unforgettable days of my life. The team bus (Yes, we had a team bus! All we had in India was a Rickshaw crammed with 6 people) was going to leave at 7 in the morning. My excitement woke me up at 5:30. I met a whole new bunch of people. I had never seen my team before that day. The city of Paulinia where the games was going to take place was half an hour away. When we reached the place, I was stunned. A lush green carpet of grass with two goal-posts at each end. Legendary stuff. Naturally, I was playing in the 94/95 age group. The games started with 01/02. So we had to wait 4 hours till our game got under way. I got to kid around with the team a bit, enjoy passing the ball around, laughing, enjoying ourselves. After what seemed a century, the time finally arrived. We were told to warm up with the assistant coach (Yeah, we have an assistant coach too!) I was promptly handed the No.17 jersey. Not bad, I thought. I put on my Beckham shirt underneath (for inspiration) and we were off for the team talk. The coach told us the team.. I started as a substitute. First game.. Indian guy amongst Brazilians, I was expecting that.
 Before the game began, these players pray. All together, in a huddle. I prayed with them. Shivers down my spine and having goosebumps are phrases too weak to explain what I felt that time. The game began... Both teams toe to toe, yet, the first half ended 1-0 to the other side. The coach was telling me to read the game and he explained to me that the midfield was weak. He told me to warm up 2 minutes into the second half. After about 5 minutes he sent me on. He told me what he wanted me to do, hold the midfield, mark their players, release the ball early. I was too concentrated at that time that I understood what he meant perfectly. The ball went out of play.. THIS was the moment I was waiting for. I was going on, to play. I was going to do a thing I love the most. I bent down, brushed the grass with my hand, put my hand on my heart and looked up to the heavens... I was ready. The team was still losing by a goal and I did all I could to make that change. I was running around with all force I had. The people I was playing against seemed more like twenty years old than sixteen.. All of them bulky and tall. I started getting involved in the game now. Passing the ball around, marking whichever player I saw free. My efforts were rewarded. The team scored two goals in the time I was on the pitch. We won. 2-1. Good result to start the tournament. A little party with Guarana, Fanta and sandwiches followed. On the way back, I could not stop smiling. I was sitting in the window of the bus and I just could NOT stop smiling. I was so happy about the time I had spent playing, so happy about having contributed to the team, so happy to have won! A good day. :)
17th March 2012.
Second game of the tournament. We had a team 'van' this time because only two age groups were going to play. The trip was a short one. Thirty minutes at the most. The venue left me stunned. The weather, warm and cloudy. No sun. A perfect background of trees. PERFECT GRASS. It was the stuff painters create. Everybody was so awestruck with the field that we could not wait to go on and play! We were playing the second game of the day, so there wasn't a lot of time wasted. This time, it was much more professional. We had a proper substitutes bench, a dressing room for home and away teams, which for me, was heaven! We entered the dressing rooms and got ready kidding around with each other... A whole new experience for me. I was No.18 for this game (I have no idea why) We went out and warmed up and then it was time for the team to be announced. I was starting as a substitute again but I had made notable improvement because the coach said the Jay will come on later. He was using me as an impact sub. Great news for me! He also told us that playing this team won't be easy. This was the team of the city, it was the municipal team (Not the municipality we have in India, it's good here!) Everybody was really pumped up after that talk.. The captain of the team talked to us about what he expected. Everybody respected him and that was something really amazing to see, everyone listening intently; adding their own opinions at times. The game began.. The other team was pretty strong. Stronger than our team for sure. I was sitting on the subs' bench listening to music while watching the game. Their team won a penalty but our keeper saved it!! Unfortunately, their team scored sometime later. At the end of the first half we were losing 1-0. The coach told me to warm up right away because I was going on for the second half. I warmed up, got ready. The coach told me to do the same thing I did in the last game. I agreed. Just as I was about to enter.. The assistant coach gave a pat on my back as I was walking towards the field he said, ' Jay, I believe in you' F**k, I thought. That was one of the best moments of my life. Unforgettable. That made me even more motivated to put in a good performance and I did exactly that. My duty in the game changed after a while. I was told to attack this time around because the game needed me to do that. We scored sometime later. 1-1. After Lady Luck smiled upon us thrice (the ball hit the goal-post when it should have been a sure goal for the other team) we held on and drew this game.

 Next saturday, I'm playing again. I can't wait because most probably I'm going to start that game. For me, Football is not merely a game. It's love. So emotional, sometimes so sad, so disappointing yet so fulfilling. There is a reason, it's called The Beautiful Game. Long Live Football.