Soccer and Fútbol, or the Game of All

My heartbeat outraged, my sweaty hands, and my emotions out on my sleeve don´t allow my body to be stationed in my chair! It is the first time I am watching a complete game of the World Cup in South Africa. It is Paraguay against Slovakia. I don´t like Paraguay very much, but they are from South America so I am cheering for them. I saw the first goal, and imagined how the second would come… and it just came! Yes! It came the way I saw it on my mind! I am a genius or what!

The game is about to finish, but I am just beginning to write this note to my friends around the world. This is the first time I have more than one team to cheer for. My friend Mauri from Italy knows that I will be cheering for Italy today. They are the last champions, and although I know Brazil will win the Cup, don´t worry honey, I will cheer for Italy today. Later on, when Brazil plays, I will cheer for Brazil! Go for it Verde Amarela! Go for it!

I am also following Ghana. My friend Gifty knows I will be cheering for Ghana when they play. Yes Gifty, I wish Ghana the best luck! Ghana in Spanish means “Win”, and they have the same colors of my flag! And I love my friend Gifty! So… I will cheer really hard!

The same happens with the rest of the world cup teams, which represent many of my newly acquired friendships: Nigeria, with my friends Olutosin and Busayo (love both of you sisters!), the United States, represented by my dear friends Jensine, Jennifer, Jade, Scott… all the World Pulse team! How could I not cheer for the States? And although I am really, really busy, I try to keep up with the results and the games the best I can. If I am forgetting anyone, please forgive me, but know that I will be cheering for your team too, my dear sisters.

All of us know that here in South America, we don´t play soccer. We play fútbol! We feel the rising of our heartbeats with every run and every goal, we live the heat of the game… and we are loving every minute of the World Cup!

If any of our teams lose, blame it on the new ball, on the weather, on the bad strategy… But know that this my friends, is the game of the heart and soul. Congratulations to the winning teams! We are all following your deeds! And as of me, I am thinking ahead, four years from now, when the World Cup will be in Brazil. I promise I will be there in person, and will report wholeheartedly, living the emotion directly, making a better world through the love for the game… and for the increased number of my friends and sisters over the whole wide world!