[In the final world cup football match held in Yokohama, Japan, in 2002, two goals from Ronaldo secured the World Cup for Brazil as they claimed victory over Germany.
German captain and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn won the Golden Ball, the first time in the World Cup's history that a goalkeeper was named the best player of the tournament, as well as the Yashin-Award for the best goalkeeper in the tournament.
This story is dedicated to Mr. Oliver Kahn.]
I saw all the World Cup Football matches on TV to get myself updated on changing hairstyles and very gradually my attention began to focus on you. But I must admit, it was a detached attention initially. Here was a man whose basic role was not that of an aggressor. But slowly I began to learn how to defend one’s post aggressively. There on the field, you defended each and every goal. You were something like a solid impenetrable defensive wall of steel. You were also the Captain of your team, which I am unable to understand even today. How can a Goal Keeper be a Captain?
I do not boast much about knowing the game. In school days I used to be a goalkeeper. Not because I liked keeping our team’s goal intact, but because it provided some comforts. My only skill was in showing off the sincerity in defending the goal whenever that opportunity came. In my big heart, and in whatever head I have, I know that I am the culprit.
For your final match against Brazil, I glued myself in front of TV. I also forced my children to see the match. For the first half, nothing much happened except for the opponents trying to judge the other team’s strengths and weaknesses.
When it happened, it was a sudden shock. A goal which you couldn't avoid. I remember, till that moment I was with Brazil. I don’t know why. Perhaps due to equatorial nearness or may be their strategy of “non-strategy” of the game. Or cohesion of each individual’s art. Or the visual effects. Or impact of their game on me. I cannot assign one particular reason. But after that goal my loyalties suddenly changed. And the change was complete. It may be that I was seeing myself in you. Your despair was mine.
There are many failures one faces in life. But some are so irrevocable that it takes years to dilute the effects of these. I began to see my own failures through which I couldn't penetrate, couldn't make it out. Even Gods fail sometimes. We are just human beings. Your aloneness in that frenzy crowd touched me so much that at that instant I wanted to be on the ground to hug you and say,
“Hey man, it’s okay, don’t worry. I am with you and your team”.
There is always a chance, no matter what. Again you will serve your country in the next World Cup Football match, defending the goal single handedly and thereby encouraging your team for forward attack. At least the team will be assured that you are there to take care of anything that happens behind their back.
The second goal immediately followed which you couldn’t stop. It was not of much surprise and shock, but a mere formality of stamping Brazil’s victory on Germany.
After the game was over, I saw just a glimpse of you sitting alone.
Tears gathered in my eyes. My children couldn’t understand. It is not their fault. They have become so blunt due to undue exposure of prestigious scams and corruption, violence in movies, sour fanatic environment and lots of silly cricket that they have almost forgotten the meaning of compassion. Compassion that generates faith and integrity. Compassion that helps in activating extraordinary results from us. Compassion that builds teams, nations.
Some day, I hope, my son and daughter will understand this. Some day they will come to Germany. And they will meet you. And shake your hands on my behalf. Hey my friend, the greatest Goal Keeper, you will have to wait till then.
[Two more Football World Cup Finals took place in 2006 and 2010. In 2006 the Final was played between Italy and France in which Italy beat France. In 2010, in the final, Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 after extra time.
Germany is yet to reach in the Finals since 2002]
