The Memorable Header Goal⚽!
July, 2021
A usual Saturday in my life that resulted in one of the most memorable days, all thanks to The Memorable Header Goal!
Namaste, I don’t really know what brought you here & why you should read all of this, but one thing I promise is that you’ll definitely have some fun reading this sports eccentric rollercoaster of mine.
Hold up, hold up let me first give you some brief about what this is all about.
Although I call Saturdays & Sundays usual but recently (about a month), I’ve been into playing football at a ground in my vicinity. There’s me(AMF), two cousins of mine(GK & RB), four of my friends(2 STs, 2 CBs).
LOL, not disclosing any of their names, hope they start writing their own blogs (whatever you call this thing) soon.
Adding some details, we woke at a very impossible hour i.e. 6 AM, kinda drowsy, kinda half-dead, kinda IDK, and
somehow manage to reach the field at around 7 AM. Clock’s at 7:30 AM is when the play starts.
It’s the TIGERS vs CUBS match. Okay, let me give you some more context. CUBS👶 are the lazy
bums(JK): me(AMF), two cousins of mine(GK & RB), four of my friends(2 STs, 2 CBs).
TIGERS🐯are the kind-hearted, amazing people I’ve met so far. I guess you must be presuming them to be someone of
our age(20yrs) (I assume only my friends reading this, so our ages +/- 2).
Might come as a surprise for you but the TIGERS are averaging around 32 years in age😲. Shocked? So was I when I
first met the TIGERS.
Today’s brief — ⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽ The 6 CR tigers🐯🐯 hounded Parel stadium amidst intermittent showers today 🌆🌆 . The 9 cubs 🐭🐭 followed suit. Two teams were formed (tigers choosing 2 cubs) … Cool passing and adept dribbling left the cubs baffled. However, a water pool💧💧 near the cubs’ den (goal) played spoilsport, and ironically though the tigers at times created gaps amongst the cubs .. conceded 4 goals .. Panting for breath🙊 in around 25 mins of hectic play.⚽⚽. the interval was utilized for strategic deliberations over cups of hot tea served by the Om brigade. ☕☕ In the eventful 2nd half, the tigers realizing that the leather sphere⚽ needs to be pushed inside the cubs’ den … saw them scoring 2 scintillating goals.. 🧐🧐 In the end, the cub’s team won by 4–2 with the vicious promise🤨 that the tigers will come back strong tomorrow… It’s a different issue that the tongues of the tigers were found protruding out of their mouth spouts…while vying for revenge.. 🥴
FYI:
Team names credit solely belongs to Sir. I didn’t like it tbh but now I’m getting quite used to it.
My first day of playing on that field.
So now you must have got a better context of who the mighty TIGERS & the brave CUBS are. By the way, the piece
above was written by Sir and he writes such must-read pieces after every match & shares it on the WhatsApp group.
I strongly believe he inspired me to write this.
I truly appreciate Sir (TIGERS’ captain), also the most senior player in their team. A total football enthusiast. I can’t imagine a person aging 49 years, yet plays classic soccer amongst us. I’ll give him all the credit and won’t deny that he plays better than my future 49. Just kidding, I play better. Kidding again LOL.
Oof! I understand this must’ve been a lot to take in, but I feel the context was necessary. Let’s get back to what was the main intent behind writing this piece, “The Memorable Header Goal⚽!”
Plot twist🔀: Just before the match begins, one of my ST friends were added to the TIGERS as they fell 1 short in the number of players in a team. His joining the opponents made the CUBS link-up passing in the opposition-third a bit difficult as there was his void to fill😢.
MATCH BEGINS!!! 📢
3 minutes into the game and the TIGERS score⚽!A beautiful long-range goal exactly 20 yards from the goal-post. God that was an absolute beauty.
TIGERS🐯 1–0 👶CUBS
5 minutes it was when my man, the only ST on my team(one of my ST friends) fired another stunner🚀 of the match. A shot, taken from about 25 yards. The game was all leveled now.
TIGERS🐯 1–1 👶CUBS
7 minutes it was when the CUBS were leading the game now, all thanks to the same ST on the goal sheet. My friend was having one of the most memorable matches he’s been into. CUBS leading!!! Woohoo🎉🎉🎉
TIGERS🐯 1–2 👶CUBS
I know you must be thinking where’s my presence in the game so far. If I were you reading this, I would’ve already judged the person writing this to be the one maintaining scoresheets 📃 or another Google match commentary🎤 API (technical, don’t overthink). Give me some time, I’ve done wonders ahead LMAO.
Time to speed run the match commentary🌪.
20 & 25 minutes brought the TIGERS back into the game as the CUBS defense was dangling as the TIGERS’ strikers fired rockets🚀 into the goal, all from a range of 20–30 yards. LOL, I now feel like adding my presence in the game.
My confession: FYI, I play as an AMF on my team. Not a defender (if you know, you know. I’d be really pleased if you got the context). To add, I played some masterclass passes in the opposition’s third but the stranger ST missed all of those. A bad day for him😔.
📢HALF-TIME (30 minutes)
(30 minutes) of non-stop hustle and the CUBS were trailing.TIGERS🐯 3–2 👶CUBS
A few more commentary lines and we’ll get back to something really incredible, something we didn’t expect we would ever witness on that pitch. I’d like to add that right before Half Time, I engaged in a shoulder barge wherein the opponent (a very hefty guy) blocking my path on the ball. Him attempting to pass in our defensive half, I intercepted that pass and as we were standing right at the edge of the outside line the ball went out of gameplay.Outside throw for TIGERS and I being completely into the shoulder barge with him didn’t know it was my last touch before the ball went out. The point of mentioning all of this was to just enjoy the moment (Ramos & Messi’s moment on the outside line) where I just like Ramos tossed the ball over that guy (Messi here). Damn his looks after that moment! I thought I won that fuzzy fight!🕺 It was really funny LOL.
SECOND-HALF STARTS!!!📢📢📢
TIGERS really had a hold of the game by now as they now pushed the lead further.TIGERS🐯 4–2 👶CUBS
40 minutes, the Game getting intense, and then came a moment of relief to the CUBS when their Captain stood up when the team needed him the most🙌. It’s really sweet of you to imagine me as the CUBS Captain. I’ll be glad to be his successor. Ugh!!! Enough Off-topic.
TIGERS🐯 4–3 👶CUBS
50 minutes and the TIGERS about to seal the game as their front three(attackers) were doing wonders in the CUBS defensive third. TIGERS stormed the next two incredible goals⚽⚽.
TIGERS🐯 6–3 👶CUBS
I understand it’s getting too long, kindly bear with me. Here’s the plot twist again… 52 minutes and the CUBS tiring legs now felt very much in the game. This goal now meant my Striker buddy scored his powerful hattrick⚽⚽⚽ of goals.
FYI:
Just 8 minutes left into the game.
TIGERS🐯 6–4 👶CUBS
Means a lot if you’ve stuck with my monologue till this moment, I promise I won’t disappoint
you hereafter.
55 minutes, the CUBS playing hard, pushing all their way, as they were 2 goals behind.
“I will not quit.”
- Cristiano Ronaldo
A pin-point cross into the box and flying in, dodging the TIGERS defenders comes the BEST of me on that
memorable day. What an astonishing header goal it was! I remember not sleeping that whole night. (P.S.: Copa
America Finals night it was, so,…)💯
TIGERS🐯 6–5 👶CUBS
59 minutes, just a minute left into the game and the scoreboard read TIGERS 6–5 CUBS. The CUBS pushing their life for that one goal, that if not scored may result in the most disappointing moment of our playing career. GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!! Who’s it! Who’s it! Who’s it? It’s me again!!!. A brilliant pass played by my Captain followed by my subtle dribble past the TIGERS Goalkeeper to fetch my brace. All squared now!!!!!! 6–6 it is.
TIGERS🐯 6–6 CUBS👶
The final minute💀of the game. Both TIGERS & CUBS making every effort to get past that 6–6 deadlock. Now comes our FALSE 9 (who had a bad game so far) to step up on big times and shooting a long-range screamer🚀 right from 30 yards.
FULL-TIME📢📢📢
TIGERS🐯 6–7 CUBS👶
The session ended with CUBS flexing (i mean stretching) & having their victory drink (I mean chai!), after all, it had been the CUBS’ day. (iykyk) Thank you so much for your time 🙏