The High of Futbol

I missed that high. The high of outrunning your opponent and getting to the first. The high of tackling the forward right before they're about to shoot. The high of making the perfect run. There's nothing like a soccer high. Nothing else gets my blood pumping and gives me more joy. I used to collapse on the field after a soccer game drenching myself with water and laughing uncontrollably. No matter what the outcome was, I was always ecstatic. It's funny how I forgot that feeling, that high. It's now been four years since I touched a ball. Four years since I last even turned on the T.V and watched a soccer match. Four years since I remembered that feeling....

As soon as I passed by a bar in Spain and I saw the Spanish staring intently at the screen that was playing a Eurocup match, all those memories came back. And I love Spain for reminding me of my love for the game, or as they call it the love of futbol.  

I never really understood why in the US soccer was never popular. As my coaches used to say, "Soccer is the ultimate team sport." The Spanish understand that. They realize a goal isn't just scored by the forwards but that it requires effort from everyone on the team. Every touch, pass, and tackle matters. There are of course those star forwards. The flashy goals that excite everyone but there's so much more subtlety to the game. Yes, the goal's the ultimate reward but really, anyone can score a goal. It's not hard. It's much harder to get the right touch. That right pass. That right play. In the US, people don't get the subtlety. They don't have patience for soccer. They want action. They want to see shots made every couple of seconds like in Basketball. They like the instant reward and gratitude. Soccer's more of a story of patience and of working together. The Spanish get that. I feel like it's because of their lifestyle that they enjoy futbol so much. Or at least, that's what they observed. The Spanish it seems like the subtlety and enjoy little things. They like to enjoy a nice cup of coffee instead of always taking it to-go like most Americans; They love to spend time for naps in the middle of the day, siesta, while American would scoff and laugh at the idea of a nap time in the middle of their busy days; and they love to enjoy a nice meal with a glass of wine while many Americans just like to zip through their meals and most only drink to get effed up. This leisurely lifestyle must be one of the reasons why the Spanish realize the importance of soccer. They take time to observe all the subtle details of soccer: the blocks the goalie makes, the tackles the defenders make, the passes that the midfielders make, and the runs that the forwards predict and go on. Futbols a beautiful sport full of action, if watched right, and the Spanish take the time to do that. Americans are just always on the go and don't appreciate every little detail. And because the Spanish enjoy all the little intricate details, I feel as if they get more of a reward. After all, the reward of a goal in soccer is much greater than a reward of a shot made in a fast paced game of Basketball. Fans go crazy with every goal because it's a rare occasion. It may only happen maybe once in a whole entire game. And that reward is amazing.

It's funny how two cultures can be so different... And I'm glad that I came to Spain. It made me rediscover my love for soccer once again and I hope to never lose sight of that love, that high of soccer, ever again no matter how busy and fast-paced my life gets in the U.S.A.