There are loads of reasons to watch football, most of which can be found here. Most important is its ability to create a story, an emotional journey. Perhaps not of mythical proportion, nor one worthy of moral instruction. But an emotional one. More than most stories, the narrative of football moves you.
In 1992, Barcelona played FC Kaiserslautern in the European Cup. Barcelona had won the first leg 2-0. Guardiola had only recently secured a regular first team slot, and was only 20.
FCK’s third goal was in the 76th minute, and they were leading 3-2 on aggregate, with the match finishing 3-3 after a 90th minute goal by Jose Mari Bakero. Barcelona advanced on away goals, and went on to win the cup.
A few years on, in 1999, the Barcelona youth team have made it to the final of the Nike Premier Cup (now the Manchester United Premier Cup) and were playing a team from Argentina. After more than a thousand teams from all over the world had entered, the final had been tight and was heading for penalties.
Iniesta was 16 when he scored that winner, with Guardiola handing him the trophy. Pep was, by now, a club legend, and had two more years before leaving the club around 2001. In 2001, by the way, the Messi was 14 and as short as ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74IQj_SuWNo
And finally, in 2009, Barcelona played Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League Semi-final. The first leg had, of course, finished 0-0, with Chelsea playing what can only be described as a fucking shit brand of football. And they had taken the lead in the return leg at Stamford Bridge, and looked the better team, especially after Barcelona had a man sent off.
So, with Pep as coach, Messi gets the ball and squares it to Iniesta, who bends the fabric of space and moves the world from nympholepsy to ecstasy. And the commentator, other than having a subarachnoid, can only shout ‘Kaiserslautern’, completely unable to describe the emotion in any way other than by referencing a past, and similarly indescribable, moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra4UQ01sRX8
Football is…emotional.
[Pictures from here.]