Thank you La Roja: Nothing lasts forever - empires, dynasties, life itself. Thats what makes the passing of one of the greatest sides in the history of any sport so poignant - and so human, because time takes its toll on the best of us. There was a certain inexorable inevitability about the end of Spains reign. Its not that we did not see it coming. Its the brutal suddenness with which it happened that has left the world in such a daze. The 1-5 humiliation by the Netherlands wasnt about just another defending champion stumbling and falling; it was as if a hammer and nail had been employed to serve eviction notice. No one expected Spain to return to its magical best in their next game, against Chile; thats what fairy tales are for. But we had hoped for at least a determined fight-back, a few flashes of the old self. What we witnessed instead was a dejected and directionless team (barring Iniesta, who stood like the boy on the burning deck), a pale shadow of the team that had won two successive European championships and a World Cup in between - and along the way, had redefined football with their tiki-taka style. Long before the final whistle was blown, the obituaries had begun to flow. An era had ended. It was a lump-in-the-throat moment, and not just for Spain. Sports fans (and the media) tend to be fickle, swinging from one extreme to another - heaping praise one moment, and ridicule, the other. But when you see true greatness finally laid to rest, the overwhelming emotion is one of sadness. So when Spains captain and once-vaunted goalkeeper, Iker Casillas - who let in seven goals in two games after having conceded none in the 10 games before - said, We are sorry, one of the countrys leading newspapers graciously responded saying, Dont be, you have given us so much. It was lovely while it lasted. We couldnt have said it better. To Xavi, Iniesta and the team, we say, thank you for the music. (Source: TOI)
Posted on: Sat, 21 Jun 2014 15:08:05 +0000
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