PTSD

Why Liverpool?

'I'm enjoying this triumph like a child,' said Xabi Alonso, scorer of Liverpool's equaliser.

I always thought of Alonso, one of the players signed this year by Liverpool’s new coach, as a bit of a snob. He looks good, dresses well the few times I have seen him on the television and speaks various languages. Not exactly the sort of bloke whom I could imagine hanging out with. During the match, he missed the penalty which would have tied the match and then, instead of putting his head in his hands or some such perfectly normal reaction, he waited and scored with the rebound. That, for me, pretty much defined the match. Depths of despair and then absolute magic. Perfect. Really, there is nothing more to add than what Alonso said: like a child is how I am enjoying Liverpool’s triumph too.

I think IntLaw would agree that the reason why people have supported Liverpool, who play shite most of the time, is that the players and the fans seem to have similar ways of looking at life. As the players commented, during half-time, when the score was Milan 3 Liverpool 0, all the Liverpool players, including their captain Steven Gerrard, thought they had lost. The dressing-room was filled with dejected Liverpool players. On the other hand, the Milan dressing room was apparently convinced they had already won and were celebrating. I guess the difference is right there. That is why I could never support Milan (or teams like that). A team of players who already believe they have won, despite the match only being half over (okay and with a 3-0 lead which had never been overturned before) is one I can’t identify with. A team with players who were convinced, even after they had equalised, that they would lose, yes, that is my team. One who expects the worst and yet can’t help hoping that perhaps the worst won’t happen and things will turn right after all and keeps on playing for that.

posted by Priya @ 10:48 AM