Football World Cup - Old Guys Rule!!

June 28, 2006

I love it when old guys like me do well in sport.

Last night's game between France and Spain showed why football (soccer) is called the beautiful game.

Frenchman Frank Ribery's equaliser after Spain had scored was a thing of joy. From thirty yards out, Patrick Viera passed the ball out into what looked like acres of open space in the Spanish half of the field. Not a Frenchman in sight. Suddenly, out from the right, runs in Franck Ribery, at pace. He leaves both his markers for dead out on the right wing, runs diagonally across the face of the goal, runs coolly around Spanish goalkeeper Casillas, and puts the ball into the net.

Ribery would not win any prizes in a beauty contest. He looks like one of Johnny Depp's more disreputable pirate side-kicks in "Pirates of the Caribbean". But like the Americans say - he got game!!!! No wonder he is being touted as the next Zinedine Zidane. He has speed, tremendous ball control, dribbling skills, and like most great strikers, an unerring instinct to head for the opposition's goal and to create open spaces in free play.

After struggling for most of the game, the old boy himself scored. In injury time, 34 year old Zinedine Zidane ran down the Spanish left flank, wrongfooted Spanish defender Carlos Puyol, and swivelled. Spanish goalkeeper Casillas expected him to swivel half-way across, and instinctively dove to his left. Zidane swivelled 90 degrees and slotted the ball into the top right hand corner of the net. Great goal from a great old player. For a moment, you saw all the grace, touch, control and artistry that Zidane is known for.

The old guy still rules!!