The Sports Lisperer #Episode 1

Today my plan was to intimate the first article of my blog, soon to be podcast, The Sports Lisperer. I worked hours, if not minutes, constructing a work on the minutiae of a certain aspect of a certain sport and then yesterday, the World Cup Final happened. How can one not start their first sports blog and not talk about one of the greatest sports contests of all-time? How could one not NOT write about something as gripping and as exciting as what occurred in a small corner of the world in the face of the biggest event in the world?

The storylines heading into this epic match were striking and covered within an inch of itself. Argentina with, perhaps the greatest futbol player of all-time (Lionel Messi, of course) attempted to regain the title it hasn’t won since 1986. Lionel Messi attempting to stamp the greatest of this generation (versus the pouty yet great Ronaldo) while chasing the visage of Diego Maradona. France striving to win a back-to-back championship to which only the great Pele and Brazil may lay claim. Not exactly a country blessed with massive victories is France (yea I get it, Napoleon had a nice run, but the French are responsible for Cinco de Mayo. They lost a battle to Mexico and as a Mexican, I can tell ya… we don’t win a lot of those things) but France is living through a golden age of sports.

For a game to be considered one of the greatest, there are certain parameters. The Stakes. Well, it was a World Cup Final, the biggest sporting event in the world. The Match-Up Intrigue. Defending champs versus long suffering, Argentina. Drama. Lonel Messi, arguably the greatest of all-time, playing in his final World Cup hoping to end his cul-de-sac of disappointments with a moment of glory and joy. Antagonists. The great Mbappe who feels a little like Novak Djokovic, horning in on the greatest (Messi and Ronaldo) just as they retire, much in the way Novak is surpassing Nadal and Federer.

And, of course and most of all, the game must be amazing. And it was. Argentina dominated the first half with a deft passing precision that is rarely, if ever, seen in a game of this level. It was a display of soccer brilliance on the pitch and granted Argentina a two-nil lead. But as the game started to take on the whiff of a coronation, that Mbappe fella exploded. In scoring two goals in quick succession, Mbappe and France took much of the air from the Argentina fans. Tears flowed befitting a funeral, fans were bereft, and all seemed lost. I’m sure the amount of indigestion in Buenos Aires was staggering.

Yet, somehow, the great Messi pulled his team from the depths and scored a terrific goal. He would finally win the one event that has eluded him; he would strike a victory for his country and for himself and place his name in the pantheon of Pele, Maradona, Zidane, Rossi and…… but wait… Mbappe scored another goal.

Yes yes, penalty kicks were taken, and saves were made, and the great Andres Cantor screamed ‘GOOOOOOL’ as his beloved Argentina won the championship. The drama of the penalty kicks, to me, paled in comparison to the game but it was a fitting end to a tremendous game.

Is this the greatest game ever? It’s certainly the greatest World Cup Final ever. The whole world was watching as opposed to a Super Bowl or World Series. Nobody in Botswana cares that Atlanta choked against Tom Brady or that Jack Morris threw 10 scoreless innings in Game Seven versus the Braves. But they know the names Messi and De Maria. So perhaps it is the greatest worldwide sports event of all-time. I still think Duke versus Kentucky in the 1992 Regional Final in Philadelphia is the greatest game. But in the end, who cares about the label. It was a wonderful moment in time, a glimpse of magnificence as the world (as it so often does) appears to spin from its apex because on a planet of absolute chaos, sometimes the speed and exuberance of one event can be enough to make it all seem to make sense.

My name is Kevin Rolando Andrade, and I am The Sports Lisperer. In the months ahead, I will be sharing with you, twice a week, my thoughts. On Monday’s, I will break down a game or event and provide a glimpse to the week ahead. Friday’s will be a little more philosophical with an eye toward history with a final touch on the weekend. Thank you all for reading, and please pass my words to your friends and neighbors. And, above all, remember to take my advice: Pull down your pants and slide on the ice.