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Monday, July 21, 2014

a different Selfie .... and the sad end of Andres Escobar - FIFA

After a month-long fiesta of football, it is all over - Germany are the 2014 FIFA World Cup champions, lifting the Trophy for the fourth time in their history after overcoming Argentina 1-0 courtesy of an extra-time goal by Mario Gotze at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. I have been posting about Selfies – the obsession of people to taking photo of Self and posting them on social media and the selfie that shook the world – of Denmark's Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt holding her smart phone with US President Obama to her left and British PM David Cameron on her right – and taken at a service honoring Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg.

FIFA got off to not so rousing a start with the first goal .... the first one in the Year’s Cup put to spotlight (shame) Marcelo as fans turned silent.  Marcelo Veira,  known as simply “Marcelo,”  is a left back, has  played for Real Madrid,  and  hailed as one of the most athletic players on this year’s national team.  The host Nation started as a favourite for the Trophy and certainly for the opening match against Croatia – but on that afternoon, the team went down 0-1 early -- and by its own doing, when defender Marcelo kicked the ball past keeper Julio Caesar and into his own team’s net - a low cross hit off his foot and went into his own goal. The stadium went into stunned silence, except for the small faction of Croatia fans, who promptly lost their mind. Brazil had not lost an opening game at the World Cup since 1934. So, a different ‘selfie’ silenced and drowned Brazilians. 

Fans would remember that the 1994 FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from 17 June to 17 July 1994. Brazil became the first nation to win four World Cup titles when they beat Italy 3–2 in a penalty shootout after the game ended 0–0 after extra time, the first World Cup final to be decided on penalties.  The victorious Brazil team dedicated their win to triple Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna, who had died in an accident at that year's San Marino Grand Prix.  And that Cup was marred by a selfie – own goal.  An own-goal is usually accidental, and may result from an attempt at a defensive play that either failed or was unexpectedly intercepted by an opposing player. It is considered to be one of the more embarrassing blunders in all of sports. An own goal is counted as a regular goal.

Maria Ester Escobar was in Los Angeles on that fateful day, 2 July 1994, and will never forget the moment she found out the news. It was in the small hours of the morning, the sort of time when the telephone ringing is often synonymous with an emergency. She took a while to pick up and had a lump in her throat by the time she did so. On the other end of the line was Colombia's veteran midfielder Gabriel Barrabás Gomez and, his voice trembling, he confirmed her worst fears: "Maria, something terrible has happened. Andres… Andres has been killed."

Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga was a Colombian footballer who played as a defender.  His moment of infamy by that own goal occurred in a match against the United States on June 22, in the second match of Colombia at the 1994 World Cup. Stretching to cut out a pass from American midfielder John Harkes, he deflected the ball into his own net. The United States won the game 2–1. After the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Escobar decided to return to Colombia and on the evening of July 1, 1994, five days after the elimination of Colombia from the World Cup, Escobar  with his friends, went to a bar in the El Poblado neighborhood in Medellín.  At approximately 3 a.m. the next morning, Escobar was alone in the parking lot of "El Indio" bar, in his car, when three men appeared, who argued, and . Escobar was shot six times.

Wonder, what the first picture was about !! -  at Brazil after defender Marcelo scored on his own goal in the opening game of the World Cup, rabid Brazilian fans took to Twitter and railed against the soccer star. But it was a  London model who shares his name with Brazilian footballer Marcelo who bore the brunt.  Ignorant football fans rounded on innocent Marcello Ferri, 29, who tweets under the username @Marcello,  after his left-back namesake accidentally put the ball in his own net. Italian-born Ferri, who lives in west London, was not even watching the match when the barrage of abuse started.  

At some point of time he had to tweet : ‘To all those hurling abuse at me for scoring an own goal, please re-direct your anger to @12MarceloV. Thank you—  for  both that was not a moment to cherish


With regards – S. Sampathkumar

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