Picasso without Velasquez. Family Guy without the Simpsons. Robinho without Garrincha. Unthinkable? No. Sadly, we live in a world that obsesses over the present and increasingly pays lip service to the past. Yet not Junito. Thanks to Youtube, old soccer books, and the art of oral storytelling, I have turned his little world into a land of famous head fakes, jukes, goals, and saves. Pele’s perfect almost-goal. The shame of Terezeguet and Baggio’s penalty kick misses.The maracanazo. These moments constitute the social fabric of the game we love and Junito will one day dominate.
I want him to full understand the history of soccer for a few simple reasons.
First, I get annoyed by inarticulate players that can’t even name teammates, let alone opposing players, let alone past greats. For all his antics and theatrics, at least Cristiano knew about Pusky and Di Stefano before moving to Real. Not that he’s the perfect role model for Junito. But it’s starting point.
Second, I want Junito to appreciate his accomplishments. When he inevitably hangs up his boots at the age of 50 (new nutrition technology will assist greatly), he obviously won’t be able to recall each one of the hundreds of goals he’s scored for Madrid. Thus, realization and appreciation of his overall mark on the institution and the world of football will be crucial to resist the catcalls to play in the UAE.
Of course, when we teach history and show greatness, sometimes the novice pupil feels imaginary pressure. I am teaching Junito to study the movement and skills of the greats, not stare awestruck. What they all have in common, of course, is confidence. Despite being a game of 90 minutes, split-second reactions determine the outcome. There is no time for doubt.
The basics, the fundamentals, the body in sync with mind & spirit. Junito must learn harmony. Thus, in the spirit of slowly taking off the training wheels, I have pitted him in the most nerve-wracking of situations: the penalty kick. We regularly jugar a los penales and Junito is a very gifted arquero. However, when he takes a penalty kick, I still see a bit of squeamishness about him. With each kick, it gets a little better. And, most importantly, he always wants to take another kick.
Still, the time between setting up a spotkick and taking it can stretch into infinity. The game is reduced to a simple duel and simple task for the ultimate prize. The seconds allow the mind to wander, to lose focus, to feel doubt. The simplicity makes one feel the weight of the world on his or her own shoulders. With the game reduced to such a simplistic moment, we forget that chance plays a role in all our lives. As does fate.
Sometimes you step up and bury the penalty kick, your team wins the match, and your team advances. And other times….
Song Credit: “Somethings Coming” from West Side Story, by Barry Wordsworth
Video Credit: Dmemig (Youtube) “Blanco’s penalty kick goal vs France, 2010 World Cup Group Stages”
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That was hilarious, at least he took it all in stride. He resembled John Terry a bit in that situation, you might want to keep an eye on that, I heard he’s almost as bad as C.Ronaldo.
Zito,
Junito probably has at least five more years before he has to take a decisive kick in a Champions League Final, so hopefully he’ll have his plant-foot-balance worked out by then.
The most important thing is that Junito rubbed his pompey and smiled (unlike Terry crybaby) – some penalty kicks get saved/miss, but you gotta keep believing your next one is going in!