Hotspot: Spain just after the World Cup final
On
the Top of the World
Spain shook. Spain vibrated after
120 minutes of tension. Spain jumped as it never did before. Silence became passion.
Nerves disappeared. And forty million people's eyes lit up with joy. A group of
23 young guys reached the sky and made a common dream come true. The most southern
country in Europe had won the 2010 South Africa World Cup
By ISABEL
BENITEZ (isabel.benitez@wavemagazine.net)
from Seville, SPAIN
Glory.
Pride. Victory. Effort. Happiness. Thanks.
Words and more words, repeated,
again and again, everywhere, in a whole country. No corner without a smile thanks
to sport. Just some minutes before starting the 12th of July, Spain reached
the top of the international football. And citizens took to the streets.
Every
small town, every little house, every single brain, were infected by a strange
and unbelievable cheerfulness. Fountains and squares were crammed with people,
singing, dancing, hugging each other, flying flags, waving scarves; streets were
full of noisy cars hooting its horns; balconies and windows threw whoops of joy.
An enthusiastic picture that took a night, and the day after the night, and the
night after the day.
Spain was completely stained with red and yellow lights
and shirts. And a sentence, a song: "I'm Spanish". Almost surprising
considering that Spain is a country where national symbols are not really appreciated.
Influenced by its past, its recent history - fascism and dictatorship, the flag
and the national anthem became something to be ashamed of. They are usually associated
to a concrete part of its political ideologies - right wing - which are, at the
same time, bound to a past of war and crime.
However,
for two days, and the last two weeks (even the last month), the flag was considered
a special part of Spaniards life. It meant unity and lack of differences between
North and South, nationalisms and centralisms. Maybe football is the only phenomenon
able to paralyze a country during a match and after a good result, able to make
people forget an economical crisis and its problems with unemployment. Football
gives hope, anyway, and many people had wished a Spanish team winner to have an
excuse to be proud of their country.
Good job
The last
years have been full of sports success: cycling, basketball, tennis, motorcycling...
This 2010 World Cup started with a favorite Spain, too. It continued with some
doubts and suspicion. But it finally picked up the golden trophy. "It was
hard", the footballers said; "but it was the best end this film could
have", the team captain added. As a dream, they got a picture for history;
a photograph that will probably appear in the books of the future.
Now,
it is present and many people enjoy the moment, singing in unison and remembering
the team, because it is the main feature of Spanish winners: its fair play and
its team work. They showed it during the match and also during the celebration
with their comradeship. They were humbly received by their supporters, and they
scoured the capital city, Madrid, sheltered under a Queen's song: "We are
the champions".
And they are. They became winners in Soccer City
Stadium in Johannesburg, in South Africa, on July 11th, 2010. They got it
thanks to 23 names. Now they also have a small star in their red and yellow shirt.
National
Team of Spain: Iker Casillas - team captain, Pepe Reina, Víctor Valdés, Sergio
Ramos, Carles Pujol, Gerad Piqué, Raúl Albiol, Carlos Marchena, Álvaro Arbeloa,
Joan Capdevila, Javi Martínez, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi Hernández, Cesc
Fábregas, Andrés Iniesta, David Silva, Juan Mata, Jesús Navas, Pedro Rodríguez,
David Villa, Fernando Torres, Fernando Llorente and Vicente del Bosque - Spanish
national football team trainer.
(Published: 12.07.2010.) 
