Liverpool FC

This was supposed to be a school assignment, but I just can’t help but share it. 

Since I was 3, I have always loved football. Kicking a ball made me feel free. It brought about a certain serenity that I could not explain. I might not be that good a football player now, but I love the game no matter what. When I was young, I admired the way my older cousins played the game, their effortless passing, the way they dribbled the ball, and the way they scored.

When I was 5, my dad introduced me to the game properly. He thought me the rules, the laws of the game, and the most difficult concept of football to understand, the offside rule. Honestly, I thought I was the only 5 year old kid who understood the rule. After that, he sat me down in front of the television after dinner to watch a live English Premier League (now the Barclays Premier League) match.

The match was between the team he supported, Manchester United, and Liverpool FC. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, and it was on that day, I started supporting Liverpool. The way they passed the ball, the way the players seemed to know what each other was thinking, I fell in love with the team straight away. I told my dad about it and he jokingly told me off. United and Liverpool fans have this natural rivalry between them because of the success of their 2 clubs.

Liverpool has always been a good team. They were dominant during the 70s and 80s, making them the most feared team in Europe. Some of their best players includes, Ian rush, Kenny Dalglish, (our current manager) Steven Gerrard, and Jamie Carragher. However, in recent years, the team has fallen in terms of standards, but still remains one of the most successful clubs in the history of the game.

 

Now, I would like to talk about one defining moment in my Liverpool supporting history. It happened on the 25^th of May 2005. I was 11, and I was extremely excited. It was the final of the UEFA Champions League and by some grace of god, Liverpool managed to make it there. They were up against AC Milan, one of the best teams in Europe at that point of time. At 2:45 am I was awake and watching the game with my father. In all honesty, the first half of the game was nightmare. Liverpool was down 3 goals to none. We were losing and our players were demoralised. I was inconsolable. I wanted nothing else than to go to bed, but my dad encouraged me to see my team through. So I did. And I was rewarded almost instantly. After the break, at the 54^th minute, Liverpool scored. Two minutes later, we scored again, and on the 60^th mark, we equalised and made it 3-3. After regulation time, it was still tied, so the match was decided by a penalty shoot-out. Liverpool managed to pull through and they won on penalties. I was crying in front of the television after that match.

This match is considered one of the greatest comebacks in football history. Journalists have nicknamed it the “Miracle of Istanbul” (the match was played at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey) and indeed, it was truly a miracle. It also thought me that no matter what, if we believe in ourselves, we can achieve anything.