Super Bowl LI; la Sur Oscura; la sub-20
Every couple of years, it’s said we’ve just witnessed the greatest Super Bowl in all of history. During my own short life, I’ve heard this said of Super Bowls XXV, XXXII, XXXIV, XXXVI, XLII, XLIII, and XLIX … and now, Super Bowl LI.
Certainly, last night’s was a great Super Bowl. But the best ever? I think not.
The first quarter, the teams spun their wheels.
The next two quarters were entertaining – but not compelling. Though we were treated to the occasional brilliant play, it seemed obvious that the Falcons would win, that it was unnecessary to really pay attention.
The contest finally became interesting when the Patriots whittled the deficit to 16. Then their comeback was tremendous – indeed, too one-sided. The Falcons hardly resisted.
The outcome was narrow and, on the whole, the foes were well-matched; but they didn’t exactly “trade punches” throughout the game. It was more like they attempted one bazooka shot apiece.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Earlier that afternoon, some people who did trade punches – literally – were the members of the Sur Oscura, Barcelona’s famous fan group, during the season’s first home game (against Macará). Due to the violence, the game was suspended by the referee.
The episode is being depicted by the foreign and domestic presses as a shameful one for Ecuadorian soccer. And I agree. It’s one thing when different teams’ supporters fight. When the conflict is within the fan base … well, it’s disgraceful.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
In the last phase of our sub-20 championship, we Ecuadorians have played to a draw against Brazil, scoring two late penalties; we’ve lost on a foggy night, 4 goals to 2, against Venezuela; and we’ve defeated the Argentinians, 3 to 0. (Clearly, these results have no correlation to how we perform at the senior level.) We’ve yet to play against Colombia and Uruguay. Our objective is to finish no worse than fourth, qualifying for this age group’s World Cup.
Certainly, last night’s was a great Super Bowl. But the best ever? I think not.
The first quarter, the teams spun their wheels.
The next two quarters were entertaining – but not compelling. Though we were treated to the occasional brilliant play, it seemed obvious that the Falcons would win, that it was unnecessary to really pay attention.
The contest finally became interesting when the Patriots whittled the deficit to 16. Then their comeback was tremendous – indeed, too one-sided. The Falcons hardly resisted.
The outcome was narrow and, on the whole, the foes were well-matched; but they didn’t exactly “trade punches” throughout the game. It was more like they attempted one bazooka shot apiece.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Earlier that afternoon, some people who did trade punches – literally – were the members of the Sur Oscura, Barcelona’s famous fan group, during the season’s first home game (against Macará). Due to the violence, the game was suspended by the referee.
The episode is being depicted by the foreign and domestic presses as a shameful one for Ecuadorian soccer. And I agree. It’s one thing when different teams’ supporters fight. When the conflict is within the fan base … well, it’s disgraceful.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
In the last phase of our sub-20 championship, we Ecuadorians have played to a draw against Brazil, scoring two late penalties; we’ve lost on a foggy night, 4 goals to 2, against Venezuela; and we’ve defeated the Argentinians, 3 to 0. (Clearly, these results have no correlation to how we perform at the senior level.) We’ve yet to play against Colombia and Uruguay. Our objective is to finish no worse than fourth, qualifying for this age group’s World Cup.