various rambling thoughts: History witnessed

There are some sporting moments that become marked in the collective memory of the world and which become iconic events, burnt deep into the history of the game. They are talked long after the shock, bewilderment and the euphoria has died down.

And decades down the line, people will talk in wonder about the spectacle that was. They will wonder whether they would be able to watch anything like it themselves – watch it as it unfolds, live or being physically present, not necessarily knowing at the start that they are living in a historic sporting moment but knowing fully by the end of it…

Then there will be people who would have seen it live, as it unfolded before their eyes, as history was created in their lifetime, people who were privileged to have been there, in the right place and the right time. These people would remember the moments vividly, moments when their blood would be throbbing and they would be on their feet, all aches and worries of this world forgotten…

Yesterday, I was one of the lucky millions who was a part of such a moment. And the magic was provided by one of the most extraordinary game of football that I have ever seen.

Slovakia, World Cup debutantes, with no victory in their first two matches, against all odds, defeated the defending champions Italy 3-2 in a pulsating match that had one of the most intense last 10 minutes of football ever seen. Italy ended up at the end of the group, below New Zealand!!! Who would have thought that when the world cup started? Italy and France, the finalists in 2006 WC are both out (both defeated by so called minnows – France eliminated by South Africa)

It may be a pivotal moment in world football, which in a world cup marked by many upsets (and we are still in group stages), a moment which may herald the coming of age of footballing nations which played second fiddle to the great footballing nations (Later, in the night, Japan defeated Denmark 3-1, crashing them out, first time the Danes had gone out of group stages).

It was a game that Italy had to win or atleast draw to get a safe passage into the round of 16. And everyone gave the Italians thumbs up. After all, that's how the Azzuris have their history – they are slow starters but they eventually come good. This time, the law of averages caught up with them.

For the game review, read this from the Fifa site (if the link does not work, click here)

And see the goals and the highlights of this game which along with being a historical landmark also had its more than fair share of drama and controversy (can the two be ever separate, I wonder)

The snippets and the highlights can only capture a small part of the drama of the live action when every second seemed heavily pregnant with possibilities of the game swinging any which way. The late surge by the Italians was wonderful to watch and your heart went out to the Italians as they realized the nightmare that they are living through and the nightmare that most of them would carry all their lives, this being the last world cup for the majority of the ageing Italian team.

And what better way to capture the moments than by posting some of the pivotal moments of the game, a game that would live long in the memory of those lucky to witness it…

Slovakia vs. italy 2010 WC from protik basu on Vimeo.

Perhaps the most poignant photo of all is of Cannavaro, walking back in the proverbial sunset but with no happy ending, an end that no-one would have wanted but that's the way the game goes…