On Professional Football

Saturday I went to the MetLife Stadium to watch a friendly between Brazil and Argentina, a sold out event at 81,996 attendees.

I watched as a spectator of skill rather than a loud-mouthed fan of either side, and I must say that the offensive prowess of both teams is unequaled. Even taking into account that the defensive is looser in a friendly exhibition match and the best players are often left out to rest, beautiful plays happened on both sides that the goalies could do nothing to stop. The match went back and forth, with constant goal-scoring action, until #10 Lionel Messi of Argentina, the winner of the Ballon D’Or for two consecutive seasons, scored on a powerful shot outside the box for the hat-trick. To hear about him and to see this legend hammer in three goals is a different feeling.

I would make a derogatory comment about the $25 parking, $8.75 burger, $5.00 water and $12.25 chicken fingers, but that’s to be expected in a packed arena, in fact the largest crowd ever at the MetLife Center. However, attending a huge sporting event like this lets you encounter people from all walks of life. Well, those who can afford tickets, anyway. The ticket scalpers, the casual viewers (including me), the avid photographers, the oblivious girlfriends, the rowdy die-hard fans, the proud Tomlinson-toting douchebags, the eager children and the obese, disgusting family with too much food, the old wolf wearing Maradona, the ethnic jersey-wearing crowds, everyone was at the party. It’s scary when that mass of humanity attempts to drive into the stadium, find parking and squeeze into the entrances at the same time. Happily, nothing happened to me and my large obnoxious sombrero even prompted a few friendly exchanges.

Once inside the stadium, you feel relieved to have made it through  before you realize that your seat is barely more roomy than an airplane economy class seat. You can see the players and the ball clearly on the carefully manicured grass, and you can even partake in the human waves and the chants that happen whenever a group feels like it. This environment is the perfect occasion to get drunk and yell obscenities at other strangers feeling justified and accomplished for defending the pride of your country or your team. Organized bigotry, ha!

Even on the lawn, players are tripping, fouling and, by the end of the match, punching each other, even though it is a friendly match. Four yellows and two red cards were pulled. This argument has already been made somewhere else, but the installation of video review would eliminate all attempts to fake injuries and fouls and general sneaky play that would occasionally get past the imperfect eyes of the referees. The sport is only delaying the inevitable by refusing to adopt a technology that has been welcomed in almost every other sport. The establishment of video review would make the sport less dirty, more enjoyable to watch and do this at very little cost. However, this being the most popular sport on Earth, FIFA has license to do whatever they please, I guess.

I don’t really have a team to support, since China, USA and Canada range from barely acceptable to downright woeful in the soccer scene. I watch soccer for the amazing talent that evolves in it. Lionel Messi has already established himself as a dominating forward in the game; I will be watching the Euro 2012 and looking at France very carefully. OLE!