Hmmm.. well, for the lesser contra-brawned ones, a full feldged soccer season is what you can expect.Ok.. you didnt believe that !! Well, if not a season, a soccer evening is what we had. It all starts with a mail sent to the serious soccer fans(entire staff !!), which forms a thread for the soccer forum with the soccer enthusiasts shooting all sorts of questions. The tournament eve is the most interesting of all events that happen. The various teams conduct clandestine conferences and conspire to draw up a strategm against their opponents. Then, there are the professional photographers who pick up snapshots of such pics and post them in the same thread(mail .. remember ??). Aftera brawl over such controversies (We are professional footballers for heavens' sake !!), the D-Day finally arrives.
Oh ! I forgot to tell you about another important aspect of soccer. Jerseys.. Deciding what jersey a team should wear is of extreme importance and is often a topic of great contemplation within and outside the team. After all, your dress is what makes half of your personality. ok.. so where were we ??.. oh yeah ! The D-Day .....
The entire fan club becomes vibrant since the start of the day, the soccer fever fast catches on, and soon the fans become obsessed with soccer-o-mania. The fans start giving suggestions/ advice/ opinions/ hints/ pointers/ tips/ expostulations/ instructions/ priming/ tutoring/ kibitzing/ coaching/ briefing/ sermons/ recommendations/ counsel/ assistance (the last one is paradoxical though !!) to the players. The games are scheduled in the evening, to be under the floodlights, which is yet another example of our professionalism :D. Of course, the minor motive being the fact that we also have a scumptuous dinner following the games :P.
The teams arrive at the Grounds quite early and start their warm up sessions. We do a number of exercises like stretching, snacking, bending, snacking, jogging, snacking and so on...By the time we are done with our warm ups, the soccer fans would arrive to watch the action. Then begins the limelight of the day... Nope.. If you thought it was the match, then you are pathetic !! The photograph session is what follows next. The forwards, bend it like Beckham, giving our official photographers some cracking pics. The goalkeepers dive around in all directions in a 'Sportstar centre page' fashion. After the clicks have abated, the captains go out to "fix" certain important issues, so that the games go peacefully without a glitch.
The lining up of the team is another important ritual that is considered to be the pride of the day for the players. The ref's call up the captains and brief them about the rules of the game. Then begins the game with the ref-blowing up the whistle. A huge roar comes up from the supporters who often rejuventate themselves with the aromatic nutriments served. The players keep themselves busy running, marking other players and chasing the ball. As the quarter time nears,energy sapped out of the players, we often find the frequency of substitutions increasing in geometric proportions(That's how Engineers are supposed to say things :D). Man, this is when one finds the utility of having cheer-leaders !!
Half time discussions are real fun to watch, with lots of discussions going on as to how one should proceed with the game. The second half witnesses more fans and players bustling around the corner.. Oh! And I am referring to the food corner... Well, the match goes on with the usual pace set by the players and by now the ref would have lost count of the number of substitutions made. Then there comes this hero, who somehow manages to put the ball into the net. Then begins the celebration, with all the players making sure that the scorer goes to the bench (That's coz there are no cards given during a goal celebration !! ). The match ends and the winners go around for another photo session and planning the strategy for the next game(as usual :-)). The losers arent yet out of the action. They begin discussing about the schedules for the next tournament (Thats professionalism !!) scheduled next year.
After such hectic activities it is but natural for one to get tired, and ravaged by the vagaries of the match, hunger gets into the top priority slot. Dinner time are strictly meant for small-talk and not serious issues like soccer.. especially after losing a game. Since the winners are always outnumbered by the losers, they naturally have to button up (that's why we say that Mother Nature's fair to one and all !!). Now i ain't gonna tell you about what follows next, thats classified information. Oh ! and by the way if you thought that i am on the winning side, then i would strongly suggest you to read my previous blogs !!
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