The Golden Era: 02-18, My World Cup Memory.
2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, as usual, some hero was born, some hero was died. Round 1 and round 2 were both the history, round 3 is down the road. What is the most memorable moment for you so far? My vote goes to the goal from Team Panama yesterday.
What is the prize which beyond the winning? The answer will be different for everyone. However, there’s one thing which will never change, that is the joy of sport. Why do we like throwing and catching the baseball with our big brother in the backyard? Why do we try so hard to learn how to throw a football spiral? Why do we cheer the last-second game winning shot? For sure, we practiced all the skills to win the game, but among the win, we love the sport, we enjoy the tear and the sweat on the field, we’re chasing the moment to be a super hero. In the NBA, that’s quite easy to see fans leave the stadium early when their team is losing by 20 at 4th quarter. In the World Cup, a win means you’re a better team in the game, but a goal or a remarkable save means a lot. World Cup is one of the biggest event in the world regardless which field you’re talking about. For the traditional great power country, FIFA World Cup Trophy is their only happy ending in the World Cup journey; for the other country, the appearance of World Cup is already the pride, where the dreams come true—from the street to the stadium, from the backyard to the biggest stage. Unlike the big soccer country, it’s hard to imagine that how many efforts should the other country have to give out to be one of the 32 in the World Cup. The goal from the panama player Felipe Baloy is the very first in their country’s World Cup history, in the meantime, fans cheered for the goal just like what you’ll do when your country win the World Cup—even though they were still trailing by 5.
As a Taiwanese, I don’t really have a reason to pay much attention on World Cup since soccer is not so popular there and our national team has never qualified to the event—not even close. But the 2002 World Cup hosted by Korea and Japan is one of my best memory of sport in my life by far.
I was a 14-year-old kid when the first time the best soccer teams in the world come oversea from Europe-America to Asia to seek the supreme honor in the world. And it’s also the first time, people in Asia don’t have to keep awake in the midnight to watch the game. I and my dad were in front of the camera-tube TV cheered out the team we like, I could still remember every story that he told me about the “3R” in Brazil, Oliver “The Titan” Kahn-- the best goalie in the world, and for sure, the Beckham effect. It was the first time I realized how sports could affect a city, a country, a world.
Then I grew up, I faced to the entrance examination after middle school, I got my first girlfriend and gave out my first kiss, and I broke up with her after 2 months. I met my best friend for life in high school, I started to learn the responsibility and the cruelty of world by the day-by-day examination, and then I graduated. It was 2006, when the World Cup been hosted at Germany.
I and one of my friend watched the game in my family’s old pending sell house—where I watched the game with my dad on 2002. My most clear memory for 2006 World Cup was Zidane’s headbutt on an Italian player in the Final, and the next chapter of soccer—Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Four years later, the best soccer players gathered up at Africa chasing the trophy for the first time, and I was getting ready to graduate from college. The game time was still not friendly for us to watch in Taiwan, and the game watching place was changed from my home to a sports restaurant or a bar which would open over the night.
One of my uncle and his family were living in Brazil for about 20 years, so my family was really excited for the Brazil World Cup on 2014. And it was also the first year I started work after my late graduation and one-year military duty.
In the cutting-edge era of technology, the evolution pace of tech device is moving by minute. The camera-tube TV was an antique on 2014, watch the game in a huge screen TV was even easier than a penalty kick, and you can even in your phone with just a click.
At this time, I’m writing this article trying to record every idea that came out from my brain, and I’ve been moved from my home town Taiwan to the U.S. for one year. The round 3 of Russia World Cup is on its way since today, some hero rose, and some will only be in the memory.
The era changes too fast to imagine and follow, it’s hard to keep a thing or a concept for long. But if there’s something that would never change, it’ll be the pursuit of greatness, the wish of reach your dreams.
I’m not a soccer fan at all, I’m a World Cup fan—every four years. But in all fairness, the World Cup was notched every important and memorable chapter in my life, and it will keep going.
What is your best World Cup memory? Follow and leave your comment on my twitter @syumm7756
