The dreams of God

Children grow up acquiring heroes in which they idolise and sometimes hope to emulate. Football has always been my passion and Diego Armando Maradona was my very first Football idol. Running around in a suburban park in Melbourne many years ago, I would knock the ball past the monkey bars, weave past the swings, play a quick one-two with my Grandfather as he willed me toward goal. Once there, I would hit the ball as hard as I could and then run off as I celebrated a pretend last minute winner. I would then at the top of my lungs shout, Goalllllll Diego Armandoooooooo Maradona goal goal goal goal GOALLLLL!

My adoration for the greatest player to ever set foot on a Football field has never waned. In fact, it has grown stronger as the years have passed as I have become more technically aware with the mechanics of the game. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that his abilities as a coach are directly opposite to the feats he managed as a player. its fair to say that he is well below the likes of the current crop of Football masterminds like Capello, Mourinho and Hiddink. That’s ok though, not all Champions make great managers. What Maradona does bring is his passion and ability to rally his troops to give everything they have for the national shirt. He seems more of a motivator than a manager. I would argue that he does have some technical nous and a bucket load of inspiration to match. One thing about Diego that all would agree on is that he can be erratic and often makes decisions that leaves us all a little perplexed. One on those which has left Argentineans shaking their heads was the selection of Ariel Garce in the 2010 World Cup squad. The story goes that a month ago, Diego had a dream that Argentina won the World Cup. In his dream he remembers running onto the ground and in the insuring melee and mass celebration he can only recall rejoicing with one player, Garce. Garce has become a symbol of Maradona’s unconventional approach. For a thirty year old who has only played for the ‘albiceleste’ four times and plies his trade with lowly Colon, the selection for the World Cup seems ludicrous, especially when you consider that Zanetti was left out. We will know in the next few weeks if fate plays a part in helping Argentina claim their third World crown.

The closest I got to my boyhood idol at the Argentina vs. Nigeria match