Beyond the ball

Last update 6 April, 2024 por Alberto Llopis

The earthquake of magnitude 7.1 the center slammed Mexico, and affected neighboring states of Morelos, Mexico and Puebla, but especially the capital, y además, He forced the cancellation of all public spectacle -deportivo, artistic or political in this city, and the suspension of local soccer tournament for space of a week, He had consequences beyond the physical damage and human.

For a few days, in the immediate hours catastrophe, It was encouraging to see the reaction of the family Balompédica, in one spirit joined forces in favor of the affected population, forgetting shirts, rivalries and antagonisms.

There were many voices polemicized on the appropriateness of rolling the ball back in our court, when authorities and volunteers are still trying to rescue humans or dead- -vivos under the rubble of dozens of buildings that collapsed from the force of the earthquake, which happened just 32 years after that another quake that threatened the celebration of World Mexico '86, el 19 de septiembre de 1985.

On the one hand, it was considered that, taking into account the effect of catalyst football, which matches will be played the day 10 It serves as a balm and also as a distractor for the population, Tired of bad news in September black, hurricane, earthquakes, violence and death everywhere.

And on the other, many voices the opinion that it was inconceivable that there was activity on the courts, when authorities and volunteers are still trying to rescue humans or dead- -vivos under the rubble of dozens of buildings that fell by the force of the quake, and the national mood is mourning.

Finally, the suspension of scheduled meetings decreed that week, but no matter how healthy or not it was the resumption of the championship, there were statements of players that suggest that the main protagonist of this sport in our country has acquired, and hopefully it was not only temporarily by the shock of this tragedy awareness and social commitment as he had never seen.

Among the typical verbiage (hypocritical and useless) of the government, side soccer players there were authentic declaratory pearls worth rescuing: por ejemplo, Edwin Hernandez, defending champion midfielder Guadalajara, He questioned at a press conference: "If you can divert the money to governors 'disappear' and nobody knows, Why would not I be able to help earthquake victims?”

And I add: "It would go too things not for me to say ... As Mexican, beyond being a player, I think it would be an excellent idea that political parties provide those affected with economic resources for their campaigns of proselytism, and nothing happened so (quake)... If you always do that, together to help those in need, in Mexico there would be so much poverty, everyone would have decent housing, better wages ... Instead of spending money on garbage, because campaigns in the end only leave garbage on the streets, we would be a better country. Speaking as Mexican, It would be an excellent idea to do all that ".

He noted: "Do not come to us with tales that say you can not (donate resources to political campaigns). Because if you can for other things as happened with a governor who took so much money and nobody noticed, How not going to help people?”.

Unlike their colleagues, the "Aris" went beyond, by stating that the footballing break out more: "It is difficult to act as if nothing had happened, return to the playing field and give the best of themselves .... Maybe it would stop until a month to heal the wounds "of what happened.

But without doubt, who took the plaudits was the Paraguayan defense of Pumas UNAM, Gerardo Alcoba: "Sometimes the player is in a bubble that does not really see the problems that happen in society and when such things happen, we see it and it's a slap say, 'You have to compromise a little more' (with citizens), but I have a lot of faith, much hope that we will emerge from this ".

The captain added auriazul: "This gave us a strong slap in the face; We do not know whether sleep to play on Wednesday, not rest and continue helping people, we do not know what to do. You go home and want to take a nap, but there are many things to do. We are not focused on date resume on Wednesday, we are going to do it, It is our job, but we will not look to one side ".Nothing more certain, in a sport in Mexico reaches insane levels of religion and that make living away from their reality footballer, in a niche of false popularity, "Inflated" by the media, in another dimension, outside the hobby, to "dribble" for not attending concentrations, in stadiums and public places, knowing that it, precisamente, He leaves his generous salary, your rewards and privileges.

Apart from the "shrapnel" launched by the Guarani fullback, also it highlights the gesture of Javier Hernandez and Miguel Layún, national teams playing in Europe and joined forces to raise money and food in an initiative that, desde el 20 de septiembre, They called it "# YoXMéxico", In addition to supporting their own organizations were supporting the victims of the earthquake. The initial goal was to gather 200 one thousand dollars, But as the figure reached in a few days, they rose to 500 thousand.

Another foreign player nationalized albeit Mexican-, Argentine Mauro Boselli, showed its commitment to the country that adopted him and although he had already collaborated in the collection of food organized by his club, the lion, which in three days raised more than 200 tons of products to help, sell, in collaboration with the German company Puma, t equal to which showed the day he scored his goal 100 in Liga Mx, Pachuca at last 16 de septiembre, which will cost 250 pesos, and whose funds they will also be delivered on behalf of those affected by the earthquake.

It caught my attention that one of the fiercest opponents of the Aztec football, Atlas of Guadalajara and, in the west of the Republic, stay behind for a few hours, since Thursday 21 members of both teams gathered at a shopping mall in the capital of Jalisco to raise needed for those affected after the earthquake, from food to tools, through medicines and even kibble for dogs and cats.

Although we know that these actions are temporary and that sooner than later the national football will return to its normal gait, with chicanery and nonsense directives, irresponsibility players, pettiness tactics in coaches, refereeing errors, violence in the stands and little objectivity and analysis in the journalism-, for today well worth recognizing that, before-not only impact on the earth's crust, but in the minds of each of us the day of the earthquake 19 (to which it should be added that rocked on Thursday 7 at South of that country, with an intensity of 8.2, that devastated especially the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca) He provoked an awareness and a marriage rarely seen in the family of the ball, to such an extent that almost nobody cares leave it running for a few days.