Un-honored prediction

It could have been the voodoo, peculiar charms, amulets or things like that. Destiny seemed to have been twisted beyond imagination. Something you just can't believe. First you thought that the likely teams of the FIFA WC final match is a forgone conclusion. You just can't think of a squad capable of defeating Brazil before reaching the finals. Similar fate seemed imminent for teams standing in Argentinas way. That was how things appeared at first glance.
It happened one night when you didn't even feel like watching the match that the saffron clad team slotted the jabulani past Barzilian goal keeper. Dunga's boys had to wait for another 4 years to retain the trophy home when the FIFA World Cup is held in their own country. Then there was another shocker. That's when the the fraternity of football lovers all over the world witness the unmatched team spirit and fitness level of the German squad. And you are tempted to believe that it's the German blitzkreig not Maradona's passion against the Dutch team that's on offer Sunday night. It's not, however, over till it's over. And the Spanish Armada was calm and composed just before the start of the second semifinal match. That was Wednesday night. I had predicted a 4-0 win by Germany. As the clock ticks in, I started losing confidence in the Germans. Because if the Germans have a fast-paced style and lethal counter-attacking instincts, coach Vicente Del Bosque's team left not a space for a golf ball to pass let alone a jabulani. And yes my apprehension came true. Germany just couldn't make it into the finals. And worst, the horse I have been bagging for, Mario Gomez was let loose at the fag end of the game.
That's a lost match for the Germans. And that's a manifestation of poor prediction as well.

World Cup and an MUV

The World Cup Football Extravaganza in South Africa has come about at a time my head was buzzing with vuvuzelas of financial related worries. Huge amounts of money are outstanding against me from my bankers. Being roasted in my hire-purchased, non-ac car, I have been nurturing the dream of owning a compact car since long. The paradox is that if I have Rupees five hundred thousand today, it would be more prudent to pay off my home loan than go for a new car. I am looking forward to sweating inside my old car for some years to come. Suddenly I wanted to get rich.
Lotteries and reality shows benefit a handful of happy-go-lucky middle class families at the cost of the entire patrons. I had never even tried winning a KBC (Indian version of ‘Who Wants to Become a Millionaire’). Draw results of Petroleum Companies have never been made public to petrol customers. May be someone has ever won a car, or may be not. Heaven only knows. I have given up hope of getting fast buck. That’s a long time back.
The FIFA World Cup has once again set me on my feet. On the one hand, it has offered an exciting array of 63 live football matches. On the other hand there is a chance of winning a Mahindra Xylo- Multi Utility Vehicle(MUV). The cost of the MUV may come at around 800 thousand Indian Rupees. All you have to do is complete some formalities in the website , contribute an ad line for the MUV, choose five world cup football players, and count the number of goals scored by your chosen players.
The hype and hoopla of any world cup football is taken by the two favourite teams of South America- Brazil and Argentina.
Germany had performed exceedingly well in their group matches. There was something in me that say, ‘the Germans are unstoppable’. Even the Netherlands had given a good show in their group matches. Indeed even the pre-world cup highlights of the sports TV channel-ESPN had focused heavily on the potential of the Dutch players. But due to the general madness about the South American teams, pervading the media, I ended up picking a perpetual substitute from the German squad and no one else from the entire continent of Europe.
My major picks came from Brazil and Argentina. And I started to look heavenward.
Instead of bagging better horses from more reliable teams of Germany, Netherlands and Spain, I exhausted my quota of five players (horses) with Messi and Higuain (Argentina), Ramires and Robinho (Brazil) and Mario Gomez (some one who seldom showed up in the first line-up of German squad).
Brazil and Argentina were beaten, nay, HUMILIATED! And I have only one horse left to earn me an MUV- a certain mister Mario Gomez from the German squad. And the horse is not very often picked by Joachim Loew to play. The match is being held at midnight of July 7, 2010 (Indian Standard Time). One man carrying the entire weight of an MUV behind him. One man normally benched by the Coach. One man who has not scored a goal in the entire tournament. One man who has earned a yellow and a red.
And I am looking forward to redemption of my financial burden.
May be I believe in miracles.