I am certain you are not going to believe this, but today’s blog post is one of those entries that has been in the making for a long while. Yes, indeed, for nearly 40 years! (Yes, you are reading it right… nearly 40 years!!!). It won’t have anything to do with the topics I usually get to talk about over here in this blog, so you would have to bear with me for a couple of paragraphs, just like it happened back in 2008. It’d be one of those blog posts that will surely help me recover from one of the most intense, exhilarating, nerve-wrecking, mind-blowing, remarkable, unforgettable, incommensurable, touching moments that will remain with me as some of my fondest memories. Ever. Right after Andrés Iniesta scored I cried my heart out, I tell you; I cried like that little boy who was just given the gift of his lifetime and didn’t know what to say nor couldn’t find the right words to say "Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!" I cried like I have never done it before. Tears of joy; perhaps, tears of sheer excitement. Tears of pride. Maybe. Either way, they were finally, after all of these years, my own!
Yes, Spain won the World Cup 2010 Final against The Netherlands (0-1) held in South Africa just a couple of days ago! July 11th, to be more precise, would be one of those days difficult to forget. In fact, I’m still recovering myself from the emotional roller-coaster suffered not only during the course of the match itself (What a Final!), but also the couple of days that followed afterwards. Ha! And all of that due to witnessing the glory of one of those sports I don’t even watch regularly anymore. But when you have a whole country about to experience a standstill followed by a massive meltdown, it’s kind of difficult to neglect, or ignore, getting involved and savour the adrenaline rush, along with the excitement and buzz shared by everyone! And not even taking into account those vuvuzelas!
That’s right! Most of us, Spaniards, have been waiting for something like this for an entire lifetime; most of us, specially those from my generation, grew up witnessing how time and time again the Spanish football team, for whatever the reason, couldn’t make it to the final stages of major football tournaments. The Europe Cup Championship from 2008 was probably one of the exceptions. And deep down we all began to understand how it wasn’t going to be the first and last time. Quite the opposite!
They did it again! These guys, once more, have demonstrated how playing as part of a single team does make a difference. No individual stardom, no ego fights wanting to cause trouble, nor a lack of harmony could destroy the spirit that built that team into a successful one many years ago. They have demonstrated the kind of leadership (Specially through their coach) groups bring about; the hard work, the commitment, the involvement, the camaraderie, the sacrifice for the other, the extreme effort to make things right, the looking after one another, the being proud of representing a country knowing that this time was the time and still put up with all of that responsibility to bring the World Cup home for the first time in their, and our, history!
Yes, this is a special generation of amazingly talented football players (With their now famous tiki-taka style); it’s a special generation that made us all experience one of those unforgettable days (And nights!!) we can remember. They are World Champions!! We are World Champions!! They surely managed to fight for what was their right to bring back home a dream we all wanted to fight for and they eventually made it come true, an undeniable reality we would want to live with for many many moons to come, and I guess I’m starting to fall short finding the right words to try to explain what Sunday evening has meant for over 45 million people from one country who has been pursuing such dream for decades and, finally, I suppose patience, perseverance and resilience pay off eventually to make it happen. We trusted this was the generation that could make it happen. And they didn’t fail us; quite the opposite; they made us all feel proud throughout the entire journey breaking a whole bunch of mind-boggling achievements and records rather difficult to top!
Because from that date and for the next four years Spain, my home mother country, is the 2010 World Cup Champion! And that’s something we’re all going to celebrate not just for one or two days, but for the entire 4 years, till Brazil 2014!!
These guys, this team, has managed to win for us all more than just one Cup and, as such, I’m one of those folks who is savouring and enjoying one of those beautiful and wonderful moments, difficult to forget for the next few years! It took us a long log while to get over here, so guess it’s time for us to slow down, enjoy the moment, savour the victory … and get ready for the next one!
¡¡Campeones y Punto!!
Thanks ever so much for making us all feel special; it’s going to be hard to forget you all… and somehow it feels like this may not be the first and last one… You made us all proud!
(Now that I got that out of my chest and I am fully recovered from the emotional hangover, regular blogging will resume once more, but this time around, with one of the biggest smiles. Ever. And always!)
Tags: World Cup, #worldcup, South Africa, Championship, Football, Soccer, Final, Spain, Netherlands, Campeones, History, Celebrations, FIFA, UEFA, Tiki-taka, Europe Cup Final, 2010, 2008, España, Orgullo, Pride, Leadership, Dream, Dream Come True, Special Moments, Things That Matter, The Smallest Things, Life
Congratulations to the new World Champions. As a neutral the game was actually quite boring, but I can only imagine how exciting it was for the Spanish and Dutch fans.
It must have been such a relief to have avoided the dreaded lottery of penalties. The only team in recent memory that I can recall Spain beating in penalties was us (Ireland) in 2002.
I don’t think the Dutch record is much better, so maybe we would have had a hatful of missed penalties, and the winner by sudden death!!! Imagine the tension.
Well done again.
Hi Frank! Many thanks for dropping by and for the kind wishes! Yes, indeed, it does feel rather good! Even now, still savouring the adrenaline rush and the many emotions from being World Champions on something so relevant to our Spanish culture 😉 hehe
Yes, I agree with you on how boring it was, but I guess that’s partly due because there was just one team attempting to play football whereas the other one was trying to play some other sport 😉
I agree with you on the penalties, that would have been extenuating and rather nerve-wrecking and I just can’t think what it would have been like for the team who would have lost at them! I bet it wouldn’t have been pretty!
Either way, really glad we eventually managed to make it when no-one gave us that credit after losing the first match and already looking forward to the next one! 😀
Speak soon!
Yes, I must agree with Frank on this that the game was quite boring, but congratulations for Spain team, they show that Spain remains Spain when is about Football, I am not a big fan myself, but I can see a few games from World Cup at the time it happens, while drinking with colleagues and friends some beers after work. Great post, and again CONGRATS SPAIN! I knew they will win, before it even started. 🙂
Hi Viorel-Cosmin! Thanks for dropping by and for the comments! Appreciated the kind wishes! Yeah, we, too, wished the final would have been something else… Alas, it wasn’t. But rather happy we made it after all! hehe
On to the next Euro Cup now though! 😀