Tuesday, February 15, 2011

WakeUp 98 - Hang on; minutes can change emotions wildly!

The soccer world cup last year had some moments that linger in memory. It's not the goals that were scored but the emotions displayed on the field that linger.

Japan Vs Paraguay - round of 16 (pre-quarterfinal) match goes into penalties for the decider. Paraguay leads 3-2 and the next Japanese player steps up to take the penalty. He strikes the ball well, but it hits the top crossbar and the ball flies out. Every Japanese fan and follower groaned in disappointment - the Japanese faces we usually see on television do not express any emotion but this time was different; everyone had a sigh of disappointment... everyone except the coach. He stood stoic as a statue with not even a single facial muscle moving after the miss; he stood as if thinking 'this is just a game' - even the support staff standing beside him showed their disappointment. I was amazed because even a person who wasn't supporting Japan would have at least uttered an, "Oh, unlucky."

Ghana Vs Uruguay - quarter finals. Everyone would have read about the Hand of God in this match; but the interesting part was before and after the incident. The match was in the final couple of minutes of extra time with Ghana attacking. In the scuffle within the Uruguay "D" (penalty) area, the ball was headed towards the goal - keeper was beaten and it didn't seem like any defender could block the trajectory of the ball. But Suarez, an Uruguay striker, raised his hand, stopped the ball and prevented the goal. Handling the ball got him a red card but most importantly it wasn't a goal - Ghana was awarded a penalty shot. Suarez was sobbing uncontrollably as he left the field after Ghana was awarded the penalty. Quite a poignant scene. The next minute, Ghana's best striker stepped up to take the penalty shot; he was their best player - a goal would take them to the semis. When he missed it, Suarez was in extreme joy - one moment he seemed a villain but in the record books would probably go down as a hero. In the span of 3 minutes you witnessed extreme emotions in one person.

How about something light to wrap up - it is rare winning a million dollar lottery once; how about winning it a second time within a few months? A person in the US did it recently. Ok, twice is great - how about four times! An American lady won more than a million dollars in 4 different lotteries - 1993, 2006, 2008 and in 2010.

Things can change wildly in a matter of a few seconds. So if you feel desperate without any signs of light, just hang on to hope - fortunes could reverse wildly in your favour in a short time. Who knows - maybe it's your lucky number next!

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