Post World Cup

This week will be a bad week for me.

I am experiencing a kind of misery that one acquires after watching a Darren Aronofsky film, or upon losing a beloved family pet. They may not be as harrowing as other griefs, but they are still devastating in their own ways.

Trying to get my mind off of Argentina’s loss is not as easy as it’s supposed to be. I myself am shocked by how the finals has affected me. Could be a combination of multiple factors: my favorite team being so close to winning, this year being the last big chance for Mascherano et al, and my having no friends with whom I could talk about other stuff.

And of course there’s also me feeling bad for Messi.

Reading articles about him triggers a deep longing to console the guy. This compelling read from NY Times traces Messi’s roots in Argentina and his nation’s perception of him. “He didn’t come from the slums,” the article said, “But to say that he hasn’t suffered isn’t true.”

There’s also this article from Inside Spanish Football. It discusses the myth of Diego Maradona’s greatness that Messi will forever be burdened to surpass (as if he hasn’t already, jusko). Also interesting is the article’s argument on the paradox of football’s “accessibility” in this generation. “[It’s] been easier to get bored of Messi’s brilliance because it’s fed to us in larger doses,” writes the author. We can also witness Messi’s bad games, but we will never relive the bad plays of legends like Maradona and Pelé.

Then there are photodumps like this from Slate. I don’t even know why I clicked it. If anything, at least the sadness evoked by these photos does not compare to the heartache-slash-anger triggered by the photos of children dying in Gaza. Not at all comparable, I know.

But anyway, I guess I just have to move on. I wish Barça dominates this coming season. I wish Messi meshes well with both Suarez (!!!) and Neymar. I know nothing about the new coach Luis Enrique, but I hope he figures out what to do with such powerful forwards.

And lastly, I hope Messi recovers and regains his calm and collected mindset. Injuries, big losses, deaths of people close to him—I don’t know how he’ll move on from those, but I sure hope he does. Sounds cheesy but seriously, the guy deserves some peace of mind.

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Feature image from GIPHY