Mighty Cristiano Has Struck Out
Posted June 29, 2010 by james in World Cup Blog | 0 Comments
The city where I live is in mourning right now. Oh, we have felt both the agony and the ecstasy, but tonight, with Portugal’s defeat, there is very little joy in Mudville. Mighty Casey has struck out!
To paraphrase Ernest Thayer’s 1888 baseball poem, the mighty ” Cristiano Ronaldo” has struck out.
Mudville is a very multi-cultural place. I know this by all the different flags I see on cars and around town. Some cars have two flags, our national flag and their team of choice flag, or host South Africa’s flag and their team’s flag.
But the flag most prominent in Mudville the past two weeks has been the flag of Portugal.
Mudville stated out over one hundred years ago being very, very English. Not British, but English. (the Irish and the Scots were persona non grata) Then things started to change.
The Italians came by the boatload, and put their mark on this fair city with their passion and great work ethic. The Portugese were not far behind them, living in mostly peaceful harmony.
People from all over the world arrived in the years to come, so that now, during this World Cup, all thirty-two participants have their own enthusiastic fan base in Mudville.
When Italy won the World Cup in 1982, Mudville went nuts! It was very different from when England won in ‘66. Oh, there were a few, “pip pip, jolly good shows, and several Pimms Number One Cup’s sipped in refined quarters, but in “82 and again in 2006, the Azzurri’s joy was shouted from the rooftops.
But surprisingly, this year, I saw very few red, green and white flags except in a section of the city we call “Little Italy.” But elsewhere, they we almost invisible, and when the Italians faltered and went home last week, they disappeared.
So the red and green of Portugal was everywhere, with the mighty Cristiano ready to hit a bases loaded home run.
But it was not to be. Their Iberian neighbour, Spain, spoiled the party. Portugal’s gallant gate keeper, Eduardo, lept and spun and dove and twisted to keep la pellota out. But one unattainable rebound on David Villa’s foot was not to be denied.
“Oh somewhere in this favored world, the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout,
But there is no joy in Mudville, Mighty Cristiano has struck out!”
With apologies.
