After a
month-long fiesta of football, it is all over - Germany are the 2014 FIFA World
Cup champions, lifting the Trophy for the fourth time in their history after
overcoming Argentina 1-0 courtesy of an extra-time goal by Mario Gotze at the
Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. I have been posting about Selfies – the obsession
of people to taking photo of Self and posting them on social media and the
selfie that shook the world – of Denmark's Prime Minister Helle Thorning
Schmidt holding her smart phone with US President Obama to her left and British
PM David Cameron on her right – and taken at a service honoring Nelson Mandela
in Johannesburg.
FIFA got off
to not so rousing a start with the first goal .... the first one in the Year’s
Cup put to spotlight (shame) Marcelo as fans turned silent. Marcelo Veira, known as simply “Marcelo,” is a left back, has played for Real Madrid, and
hailed as one of the most athletic players on this year’s national
team. The host Nation started as a
favourite for the Trophy and certainly for the opening match against Croatia –
but on that afternoon, the team went down 0-1 early -- and by its own doing, when
defender Marcelo kicked the ball past keeper Julio Caesar and into his own
team’s net - a low cross hit off his foot and went into his own goal. The
stadium went into stunned silence, except for the small faction of Croatia
fans, who promptly lost their mind. Brazil had not lost an opening game at the
World Cup since 1934. So, a different ‘selfie’ silenced and drowned
Brazilians.
Fans would
remember that the 1994 FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the
United States from 17 June to 17 July 1994. Brazil became the first nation to
win four World Cup titles when they beat Italy 3–2 in a penalty shootout after
the game ended 0–0 after extra time, the first World Cup final to be decided on
penalties. The victorious Brazil team
dedicated their win to triple Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna, who had
died in an accident at that year's San Marino Grand Prix. And that Cup was marred by a selfie – own
goal. An own-goal is usually accidental,
and may result from an attempt at a defensive play that either failed or was
unexpectedly intercepted by an opposing player. It is considered to be one of
the more embarrassing blunders in all of sports. An own goal is counted as a
regular goal.
Maria Ester
Escobar was in Los Angeles on that fateful day, 2 July 1994, and will never
forget the moment she found out the news. It was in the small hours of the
morning, the sort of time when the telephone ringing is often synonymous with
an emergency. She took a while to pick up and had a lump in her throat by the
time she did so. On the other end of the line was Colombia's veteran midfielder
Gabriel Barrabás Gomez and, his voice trembling, he confirmed her worst fears:
"Maria, something terrible has happened. Andres… Andres has been
killed."
Andrés
Escobar Saldarriaga was a Colombian footballer who played as a defender. His moment of infamy by that own goal
occurred in a match against the United States on June 22, in the second match
of Colombia at the 1994 World Cup. Stretching to cut out a pass from American
midfielder John Harkes, he deflected the ball into his own net. The United
States won the game 2–1. After the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Escobar decided to
return to Colombia and on the evening of July 1, 1994, five days after the
elimination of Colombia from the World Cup, Escobar with his friends, went to a bar in the El
Poblado neighborhood in Medellín. At
approximately 3 a.m. the next morning, Escobar was alone in the parking lot of
"El Indio" bar, in his car, when three men appeared, who argued, and
. Escobar was shot six times.
Wonder, what
the first picture was about !! - at
Brazil after defender Marcelo scored on his own goal in the opening game of the
World Cup, rabid Brazilian fans took to Twitter and railed against the soccer
star. But it was a London model who
shares his name with Brazilian footballer Marcelo who bore the brunt. Ignorant football fans rounded on innocent
Marcello Ferri, 29, who tweets under the username @Marcello, after his left-back namesake accidentally put
the ball in his own net. Italian-born Ferri, who lives in west London, was not
even watching the match when the barrage of abuse started.
At some point of time he had to tweet : ‘To
all those hurling abuse at me for scoring an own goal, please re-direct your
anger to @12MarceloV. Thank you—
for both that was not a moment to
cherish
With regards
– S. Sampathkumar
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