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the secret of my shot...
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Birth of Angel...30.10.2007

our whole life is like a play...

 

the secret of my shöt...

-by gasper crasto

Greetings!

It was the finals of our Village Inter-ward Football Tournament. I was one of the spectators witnessing the royal battle played between my ward which had huffed and puffed their way to the finals against the formidable three times champion ward which had Mykel, our village super star in their team.

The referee blew the whistle and the match started! My ward being the underdogs, obviously were pushed on the back foot right from the start. The opponents dominated the game, their think-tank Mykel being at the helm of affairs but thank God, somehow we managed to keep the ball from entering our net. Our goalkeeper too was at his best. Scoreboard at halftime: 0-0.

In the second half, the opponents just pounced on us. They were all over our territory snatching the ball away from our possession. A goal against us looked imminent any moment.

Then a 'blessing-in-disguise' disaster struck our team. One of our players got injured and had to be taken off the field. To rub salt to injury, the substitute players had a row with our captain and refused to play. With no other alternative, our captain desperately looked out for someone from our ward to replace the injured player. (There were no strict rules for fielding. Anyone from his respective ward could play.)

Time was running out...The ref was blowing to get on with the game...Just then, the poor captain spotted me. He ordered me to get on to the field at once...I was virtually dragged... Never before had I kicked a football with booted feet...In fact, a complete ignorant about the game.

I stepped into a pair of football shoes hurriedly arranged by someone which were much bigger than my actual size. I entered the field touching the ground and making the customary sign of the cross.

For nearly 15 minutes the ball eluded me. I was just a mere passerby on the ground simply running like a fool. I was expecting the ball to come and hit me atleast, but it never came. Then, I thought the best thing was to run where the ball was and so I waited for a chance.

There was a scuffle of players in the opponent's area just after the center circle and I found the ball rolling idly towards me. Without wasting a second I dashed forward and kicked the ball as hard as I could in the direction of the opponent's goal falling down flat in the process. I was sure the ball would not even pass between the flag posts leave alone the goal frame.

But to everybody's surprise, the ball zoomed off curling into the far corner of the opponent's net. Next second I realized we had scored a goal with my shot, which in football language is called a 'Banana Kick'.

Our team went into euphoria. I was hugged and kissed. I had no idea when the match got over cause the rest of the game I was just perplexed by my goal. I was mystified as to how the ball could swing so much and crash inside the goal. I had actually expected the ball to hit the coconut trees nearby.

We won the final by that lone goal. Everyone poured praises and congratulated me. I was on cloud nine. Some of the old folks said they had not seen a better goal scored since the Portuguese times. Till today, some say it was even more exceptional than the overrated Roberto Carlos' free-kick against France in the 1997 Tornoi de France... :)

Everybody wanted to know the secret behind the shot but I just smiled, as I myself was stunned and amazed. I was sorry for Mykel who had come to congratulate me. He too wanted to know the secret. Just then the player who had lent me the boots came to collect them.

As I bent down to untie the laces, everybody around saw the mystery behind the curving shot off my feet - I had the right shoe worn to the left foot and left shoe to the right!..

-gasper crasto
 gaspersWorld
 

email: gaspercrasto@hotmail.com
voice: 00965 9502 686
web: http://gaspersworld.tripod.com/

click to read: a secret of drawing attention as told by my dad

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