And if my Auntie had balls…
Games turn on a deflection, a dropped ball, a seconds late challenge…it’s why we play on grass and not paper.
It’s why people LOVE the game! A single once-in-a-lifetime mistake by the best player in the world can completely change the history of the game…as can a piece of unbridled magnificence.
The game can drop you to your lowest lows and raise you to your highest highs, and even those can be determined by your expectations, after watching the game (and your team) for your entire life!
I mean, it was definitely not Agueroooooooo, or even Gundo popping up at the back post, or Yaya putting it between Van De Saar’s legs, or, or, or…but when that Doku cross/pass slid all the way across, past everyone except Nunes, and he slotted it in for his first League goal for City in the 94th minute, did it feel any less than ANY of those occasions in the moment???
Was it “just” a 7 on the excitement scale for you? It wasn’t for me and it wasn’t for Pep or Matheus himself!!
The game turns on moments and the moment Doku miscontrols the ball is one. The moment Desasi gets sucked in is one. The moment Doku realizes Desasi’s mistake and pokes it down the line is one. The moment he cuts in front of Desasi so he can’t get to the ball is one. The moment Nunes chooses to raise his arm for the ball from way beyond the back post is one. The same second when Doku looks us and sees no-one really free but chooses to slide it across the goal with the outside of his right foot, right across the 6 yard line, is one. The moment the Villa defenders decide not to lunge towards their own goal for the ball is one. The moment Nunes sees the ball get through to him and hits it is one. The moment it hits the back of the net is one.
ALL of those individual moments, that happened within about 5 seconds of our lives, created a moment that created the same kind of rush of ecstasy that those other massive moments created in their day, and it will live long in the memory if it really does give us the extra 2 points we needed to get into the Champions League!
But, then life is a long series of “Sliding Doors” moments that helps make it the experience it is, with something new, exciting, and fun…or life-changingly devastating… just a second away.
Carpe diem and enjoy the ride, because when the Carnie pulls the lever and it’s time to get off, you won’t find another sixpence in your pocket to have another go!
It’s certainly been a waltzer ride watching City for the past half century and more, but this last decade has felt like he shouted “The louder you scream, the faster you’ll go!” and we all screamed together!
Let’s enjoy each moment, enjoy the ride, and scream as loud as we can when we want to go faster, because we only get one ride on The Waltzer of Life and these Fair doesn’t come around too often, and for some, it will never come around!
I, for one, am loving the ride! I’m glad I saved my sixpences for 44 years, because it has been made all the sweeter by waiting so long for the Fair to come to town!