FIFA U20 World cup: Ticket to Exhilaration!

 I never thought I would ever get to watch a World Cup match. So much so, that I never ever said to anyone that I really wanted to watch one. After all, it wouldn’t be in India, and who was gonna travel half the world for it? Couldn’t afford that. So when my husband announced the tickets, I thought I was dreaming! I didn’t note the “Under Twenty” bit at first, but that didn’t dampen my spirits at all. And I ignored the stomach cramp I got on the day of the match too. Kid on my waist, I was promptly in Medellin’s soccer stadium. The stadium was packed to 80% capacity, around 38000 people, and I was part of them!

The stadium was packed

The match was between Egypt and Argentina, as usual a hot favourite. And although the team was “under twenty,” the crowd was pretty supportive. After all, these early birds might be tomorrow’s future stars. The field started filling with players in beige for Egyptians and white and blue stripes for Argentinians. As the match began, the players got to work. And these kids might be teenagers, but their grit was equal to any Ronaldo, Beckham or Zidane! 

Argentina is not that popular in Colombia, though we did see a couple of white and blue striped hats and blue wigs. After Argentina delivered two fouls, the crowd started cheering Egypt, “Ehypto” in Spanish. Our sympathies were with the underdog, although none of the players looked beat even after Argentina scored two goals. So we joined the chorus. And then there was the Mexican wave. Every five minutes, it would reach us and we would stand up and be part of it. Personally, that was my favourite part!

An Argentinian supporter

As tension mounted, we munched on chips, m&m and bhujia specially brought from India. I remembered my Dad a lot and wished he were there. He loved the World Cup. We had watched many matches on TV when I was a kid. I would cheer whichever team he would support, coz he was the last word on sports for me. I remember the times I cheered for Maradona and Pele, and other names I don’t even remember.

Meanwhile, Egypt was still struggling. In the second half, they delivered a goal which was met by much excitement. However, they lost the match when the ninety minutes ended. The highlight of the match was that there had been no field goals, only penalty shootouts! As the crowd started thinning, I realized I had lost my voice. I had been screaming my lungs out! I felt exhilarated and very sporty. At least for a week, I looked at life with a never-say-die attitude. Maybe I should keep doing this!