The first player that truly captivated me, made me see that football was the sport for me, was Fabio Cannavaro. If I am being honest, it was the Azzurri squad that would eventually win the 2006 World Cup, but focusing in on Cannavaro for now. I was pretty sheltered in terms of football most of my life. I had a vague knowledge of it growing up but it was never anything prominent. Even as I got older, I could name teams and players, but watching games? I had no idea where to even begin. The first real tournament would have been the 2002 World Cup, something my brother and I would drag ourselves out of bed at some crazy hour just to watch. I had become attached and there was no going back, only forward. I would occasionally see games televised but I was not aware of any channels or things of that nature.
Then 2006 came and along with it the World Cup. I was excited, it gave me something to look forward to and I spent the majority of June glued to the TV, uneducated on most of the teams, but it didn’t matter. I save anything and everything I could get my hands on (most of it I still have, tattered and in danger of ripping, but I refuse to throw them out) and would get almost angry if I had to miss a game or two. I wasn’t sure why I had become attached to Italy, the Azzurri, and I still really can’t explain it. People often say you should only cheer for the country in which your are born or where your family comes from, but I think that is nonsense. I did watch the USMNT and still do, but I never had that patriotic connection, could never see myself being a die hard fan. Perhaps it had to do with the fact my family had never really watched. Today my parents and brother watch games, most often with me, but sometimes do sit to watch the USMNT. That is who they support. Yet I can’t and probably will not ever be a fan. My heart will always lie with the Azzurri, the men in blue who just a few short years ago did not even exist and yet managed to, with a single tournament, change my entire world, change my entire football existence.
Um yes. My sort of introduction? Not very good but please do leave feedback. That would be great.
