Friday, June 30, 2006

Ésta es inmotalidad


Maradona thinks about playing the long ball and goes "Naaa..."

"Harimau mati meninggalkan belang..."

As was the case with this small, stout senor. Exactly at this stage of the competition 20 years ago. And this was against a respectable, decent enough England team!

I'm sure as hell hoping for more of the same as we move into the quarter-finals tonight. If that is too much to ask for - and I think it probably is - then something really memorable would suffice.

20 years ago the world was at the tip of Maradona's toes; he receives the ball in his own half and with the poise of a ballet dancer (and seemingly without needing to move more than a few feet) he turns to lose two Englishmen (and a lethargic third giving chase), accelerates past another two, rounds off the on-rushing Peter Shilton, shrugs off a last-ditch chop-down by Terry Butcher and one man in the near post, and with the flick of a boot writes himself into the annals of football immortality.

Whose name do the Gods of football call this year?

26 comments:

waffles said...

that's brilliant. god of football aint he?
can lose the tight shorts tho.

Gallivanter said...

Christiano Ronaldo will slalom past all 11 players and score with his butt. GO PORTUGAL!!

Vageliser said...

Still it was at this game that he was known as one of the biggest cheats in the world with the hand of god. Still how can the referee not see it. Must be a relative of the one who reffed Oz vs Spaghetti boys.

A flawed genius, but a reason why I rate Pele as the greatest.

Visithra said...

ah beautifully written

Keropok said...

!princesswaffzonkle: Those were the days when footbalers looked like footballers, don't you think.

I don't quite get these modern "skorts" (skirt shorts).

!Daniel: I wait in hope. I wait in hope.

In fact, no need slaloms la. Just ayone score 3 or 4 past Robinson and I'm happy.

!Mr D: Sigh, makes me sad when people label him a cheater. Far more heinous tactics have been deployed... and he actually completed a super dribble and run before 'punching' the ball in.

He got away with it. And recently he said that if the ref or linesman had called a foul he would have laughed and accepted it.

But when the whistle went he ran to the corner flag and called to his teammates to hug him... his reasoning would be that if they all believed he scored it would stand.

Brilliant.

He will always remain number 1 on my list. Pele and recently Ronaldinho are 2nd and 3rd.

But let's not forget other greats like Platini, Zidane, Matthaus, Butragueno, or Uruguay's Enzo Francescoli. All of them in my top 10.

But Maradona was far and away number 1. Which is why it was sad seeing him in those wasted years where he was gawked at and vilified.. the world's greatest player reduced to a freak of nature.

Glad to see him back to life.

Keropok said...

!visithra: Thank you, ma'am!

Vageliser said...

What about Johan Cruff and George Best. One did not take his team to a pinnacle and one never played in the WC finals but must be seen as great individual talents

Keropok said...

!Mr D: Cryuff, van Basten, Best all among my favourites too. The list is not that long... but perhaps warrants a different blog entry.

Maybe after the Wulkap!

spiller said...

And he was wearing dark blue (the away jersey), just as tonight's Argentina team will be.

Deja Vu, no? ;)

Keropok said...

!Spiller: Right about that, but Arges have had mixed results with that jersey dude.

Witness 1-0 loss in '90 final. Bloody penalty.

Or 1-0 loss in '02 group match against barking England. Again another bloody penalty. To add insult to injury it was Beckham loser who scored.

But I take heed that the last time they wore dark blue they trumped 6 past the Serbians and won the affections of the whole of Bosnia and the rest of the world!

Anonymous said...

you and your 'small senor'...

Keropok said...

!Mong: Small senor or big senor is not the question. All depends how you move in and around the box, brudder!

Anonymous said...

Agree with Keropok. The senor's size wasnt the big thing. He had deep penetrative abilities, sublime skills, and above all, he knew how to use his hands well!

Keropok, you're a big Maradona fan aren't you. I have a theory about Pele fans and Maradona fans......... must test it out on you and your posse one day.

Anonymous said...

good video. one of the greatest goals ever....... this is the benchmark for great goals...........

it is telling that the two best goals in this world cup have also been scored by argentina.......

i think they will beat germany, italy or ukraine to go to the finals.......

Anonymous said...

Hace 20 años el mundo estaba en la extremidad de los dedos del pie de Maradona

El recibe la bola por la mitad su propio y con el equilibrio de un bailarín de ballet clásico (y aparentemente sin necesitar moverse más que algunos pies) él da vuelta para perder dos ingleses (y una tercera persecución que da lethar), acelera más allá de otros dos, redondea del en-que acomete Peter Shilton, encoge de una pasado-zanja taja-abajo por Terry Butcher y un hombre en el poste cercano, y con la película de un cargador se escribe en los anales de la inmotalidad del balompié.

Fantástico! Magnífico! Maradona maravilloso!

Gallivanter said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Vageliser said...

Take it easy my friend. I understand your disappointment but in a few days all will be right. Plenty of good matches to come

Sangeeta said...

Ha ha! I win yet again.

Keropok, I can sense the intense frustration you're experiencing right now. But that's nothing, wait till England beat Portugal!

Dian said...

Hi Keropok,
Reached your blog through Stingray's. Really enjoy your writing, since it's not pro-England!
Am pretty disappointed too that Holland and now Argentina are out. Hoping that France can pull it together and beat Brazil. And of course for Portugal to go through.

Lily G said...

don't like maradona. only like cute players. oopsss..sorry..this is a serious footie blog :P

Gallivanter said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Sangeeta said...

Aiyo!! What shock results!

Keropok said...

!mamabola: I'd love to hear your theory someday. On Pele and Maradona fans

!phang, mr d, daniel, kickciggys: que sera2... bloody miserable weekend - thank god for ricardo (don't care much for his beckham-esque voice tho...)

and f**k-off, sven! thanks for the memories...

!anonymous: muchas gracias, mis amigo...

!dian, lily: thanks for stopping by. i'm slowly healing...

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