Eyeball Not Football From Argentina

It was June 11 of 2010 in South Africa. The first meaningful game of World Cup featured a hot Nigerian team pitted against the pit bulls Argentines. Both teams play with a lot of flair. But who knew these South American superstars would start playing eyeball and not just football?! Four games had preceded this game. Ardent African spectators had drowned the atmosphere in those games by ‘vuvuzelas’, which soon took the name of “Roo-boo-zelas” when Rooney led Brits had been booed by their fans for failing to get past the most moribund Algerians in the first game.
Being rich in knowledge of history, I was smiling at the development of such events. This is because English had beaten Argentines in the Battle of Falkland. This war had resulted in their bullying the spirits of the Argentines. No wonder they had made a huge hue and cry over the famous “Hand of God” goal scored by Maradona against them in 1986 World Cup that Argentina had won.
But, the first eyeball had started much before the World Cup had begun. For the first time in their hundred year pedigree, Argentina had failed to qualify with aplomb. They were thrashed by Bolivians by a five goal margin. This disappointment definitely raised many eyeballs. The new captain’s name itself raised my eyebrows and that of the best footballer in world, Pele. With nothing going in this coach’s favor, he then annoyingly told, “Pele should be sent to museum”. He had earned so much disrepute that even the tabloids were running out of any more sensational story. Yes, the volatile Maradona had taken the mantle of coaching. This team was filled with superstars like Messi, Tevez and Rodriguez, the man who had scored the best ever goal. How can one forget Rodriguez’s goal in the game with Mexico in 2006 World Cup? He had received a pass from forty meters away. Then he chested the ball, and kicked it with ferocity to find the ball meet the goal from fifty five yards – all in a flash! Also, the goal involving nine men who doused the spirits of Serbia with crafty and crisp passes to score a goal with my eyeballs rolling all over. But, to mould them under Maradona was becoming increasingly tough. However, this team regrouped exactly when the World Cup event knocked at their door.
The first glimpse of their peaking at the right time came in their game against Nigeria. Nigerians knew they had their task cut out after Argentines had scampered to Olympic Gold Medal at their expense a couple of years ago. Their supporters had brought ear-deafening vuvuzelas. But, they were soon shocked to see the Argentine supporters stifling the sound of vuvuzelas with drums even before the game had kicked off. Soon after, Messi, Tevez and Higuain stamped their authority with Heinze scoring with his head. “They play with foot, hand, head, and also with my eyes. They are mesmerizing!” I summoned.
Their second game in World Cup 2010 showed what eyeballing really means. Messi had got a pass from Veron. Soon, Messi, the little lion, literally raced away towards the Korean goal. But he found six larger-sized defenders surround him. In a flash, he created space for himself and struck from thirty yards. The goalkeeper’s eyeballs got transfixed at the ball which had found the net. He had just now seen something illogical. Soon, Argentina would reach the final game against Germans.
Before the final beckoned, Maradona told the media that he had an announcement to make. “This team becomes unruly when they are defeated”, he said. “So, from now, we will respect our opposition. World Cup should be remembered as a giant ball with many different colored candies around it. Without the wisdom candy, it would be incomplete”, he concluded. They went down to the tireless Germans, but they had already established themselves as the real champions even before this game.