Marvelous Soccer Games
– Musings of Dr. Jamie C. Hsu, 7.15.2018
In the past few weeks, millions of people have been captivated by World Cup soccer matches. The games themselves are full of excitement, and the emotional agony and ecstasy of the players and fans are contagious. The whole world seems to be wrapped up in a frenzy over soccer.
Why is soccer so popular? It is an affordable game which provides entertainment, exercise, inspiration, and mental and physical outlets for both the players and fans. It is a game for the masses and provides a stage for the elite athletes of the world.
Unlike some other sports, soccer does not require a lot of fancy equipment or body gear. Kids, even with bare feet, can start playing the game without purchasing anything. Nor does the game require a dedicated field like baseball, basketball, or hockey. Kids in poor neighborhoods can just gather around a single ball and have fun with soccer on any open field.
Watching elite soccer players, we can see how fit they are and how hard they work on skills like dribbling, passing, heading, and shooting. A good player must possess ball handling skills, strength, endurance, speed, and agility. The ability to run, move, dash, and focus continuously for a 90-minute period makes the soccer players unique among all athletes.
To win a game, in addition to individual skills, the team must have good strategy, teamwork, camaraderie, and superb communication. It is quite enjoyable to watch a team pass the ball, penetrate the defense, and score a goal. From years of practice and working together, the players can move in unison and harmony effortlessly like parts of the same body.
The most amazing and heartwarming scene of a soccer game is the fans’ reactions; they cheer, they clap, they scream, they laugh, and they cry. At the end of the game, they embrace each other, pick up the garbage, and go back to cheering their team, win or lose. They are in this game together.
That is sportsmanship. That is Soccer. And that spirit is what the world can be and should be.
迷人的足球賽
-作者 許俊宸博士
-中譯 薛乃綺
在過去幾週裡，全球有數百萬人被世足賽所吸引。比賽本身就已經很刺激了，而球員和球迷們狂喜或痛苦的情緒更是充滿了渲染力。整個世界似乎都籠罩在足球的狂熱中。
為何足球如此受到歡迎？這可說是一項經濟又實惠的遊戲，為玩家及粉絲提供了娛樂、運動、靈感、以及實體網絡。足球是個大眾化的運動，也為世界上優秀的菁英運動員提供發揮的舞台。
不像其他的一些運動，足球不需要多餘花俏的設備與裝置。孩子們即便是赤著腳，也能在不買任何東西的情況下開始踢球玩。它也不像棒球、籃球或曲棍球，需要專業的場地才能玩。貧困社區的孩童只要圍繞在一顆球旁，在任何空曠的田野裡就可以玩足球。
觀看這些精英足球運動員，我們可以看到選手們的應戰表現，以及他們如何致力於控球、踢球、頭球和傳球的技巧。一個優秀的球員，必須具備控球技巧、力量、耐力、速度以及敏捷度。要在90分鐘時間內連續跑步、移動、衝刺並且專注，這樣的能力要求讓足球運動員在所有運動員中是獨一無二的。
要贏得比賽，除了個人技巧外，團隊也必須要有良好的戰略、團隊合作、友情及卓越的溝通。觀看一支球隊傳球、穿越防守並且射門得分，是一種享受。經過多年的練習與合作，選手們可以有默契輕鬆自如地調整互動，如同是一個身體各部位一樣的和諧。
足球比賽中，最令人驚嘆，和最溫暖的場景就是球迷的反應；他們歡呼、他們鼓掌、他們尖叫、他們笑著、他們哭著。當比賽結束時，不論輸或贏，他們會互相擁抱，撿起垃圾，然侯回去繼續為自己的球隊加油。他們永遠是這個運動中的一份子。
這，就是體育精神。這，就是足球。
這樣的精神是存在這個世界的，而且是這個世界需要有的。
