Patience

I'm a sports fan. I love the natural drama that unfolds during a match, and the little games that go on within the larger context of the game being played. There's nothing like it. Every sport has it's own tempo, rhythm and flow. Some are slow, others high motion, but all contain the drama.

Some say (especially in North America) say football, or soccer as it's called on this side on the ocean, is slow and boring - but I disagree. In fact, it has developed into one my favourite sports. You know, I would rather watch a English Premier Division Football match than any NFL or NBA game. Three years ago, I couldn't care less about soccer so I have gone through a shift, which happened while I was in Taiwan. Every Saturday night I would make my way to the big expat pub in downtown Taipei and watched English football with other expats (mostly brits). Man, my eyes were opened that year. I have learned that you need patience when watching football, as it unfolds like a good novel. There are momentum shifts and one-on-one battles going on. And here's the kicker (pardon the pun): when a goal is scored, it is an event. Why? Because it doesn't happen very often. Each team has to work hard to get a goal, have the patience to work through a stingy defense with many close calls. I remember original-six hockey used to be like this, with games ending in a 2-1 or 1-0 outcome. That's the secret in soccer, a goal is a celebration. In today's fast uptempo world, I find most North Americans would rather watch the NBA where points are scored every 20 seconds. In soccer, it takes patience, persistence and perseverance.

Yesterday, I was in a local sportsbar watching the Brazil/France match in the quarter final of the World Cup. There were quite a few Brazilian fans in the house (Toronto has a large Brazilian population) and they were all on the edge of their seats, screaming at every close call and looking very uncomfortable. There was drama. Brazil were the heavy favorites and France were deemed as an aging team who just can't keep up any longer. France won 1-nil. It was wonderful and yes, the brilliant goal by France's Henry at the 57 second mark, was a celebration. Although many of the Brazilian faithful on hand, would disagree. It was a great match!

Yep, this world cup has been very exciting and the upcoming matches presents much more drama. The aging France team plays Portugal, who is the only team left that has never won the WC before. Host country Germany, with all the pressure of their fans, plays a very skilled and opportunistic Italian team. Toronto has a rather large Portuguese population and a massive Italian community. God help my home town if these two should meet in the finals. The next three games are going to be just fantastic and I can hardly wait!

Drama.