I needed to travel to watch the World Cup final. At the invitation of my brother; I went upstairs. So the journey consisted of only 10-12 steps of stairs.
Before the match, we chatted about the Qatar 2022 World Cup organization in general and the football in the matches played until the final.
I said Argentina, he said France! There was a brotherly bet between us, but as I said, brotherly! If I win; he will say that there is no debt to the brother and he will not pay! If I lose, he will say that brotherhood is one thing, shopping is another, and he will try to take what he won!
Since I am already a winner, I don't really care; I don't win and I don't lose! I won because I got dinner for free and for dessert; I got some nephew love!
Although there was still some time before the match time, we didn't realize how fast the time passed thanks to the games with the nephew. A few hours of fun was like a prelude to the fun match moments to come.
I don't like to drink hot tea during an exciting match because in my excitement I don't realize how hot the tea is and I don't know what's going on until I notice the burning pain on my tongue or lip afterwards.
In this case, no drinks, no food!
After the World Cup Final kicked off and the first quarter was over, there was no excitement because both teams had started mediocre. In those moments, conversations amongst ourselves masked the dullness of the match.
We weren't expecting an early goal, but we didn't object because we thought it would increase the enjoyment of the match. And it was even more enjoyable when the goal came from Argentina!
At the moment of the goal, the noise coming from the next buildings and the street showed that we were not the only ones watching the match. Moreover, there were crowds more excited than us. Their voices drowned us out!
Then the second goal and the 15-minute half-time break caused us to comment from the balcony that the cup was on its way to Argentina. A middle-aged man, probably between 50 and 55 years old, put his dissenting opinion by saying "there's still the second half, guys"!
And he was right; the second half hadn't been played yet, but would the scenario come true? Would there be a change of direction in the flow of the game and would the wind turn to France?
We felt the Mbappe wind for 2 minutes in the second half that started with such feelings of curiosity, it was such a wind that it turned into a storm that changed some emotions all over the world!
In our balcony chat at half time, did experience speak, or was it just luck? I remembered what the middle-aged man said.
The game going to extra time showed that the stay would be longer. If it went to penalties, it meant a longer stay.
I was ready for any scenario as I knew that my return journey would consist of 10-12 flights of stairs and it didn't matter!
The best symbol of our excitement during the penalty shootout was my nephew's reactions and anxious waiting. The pictures are only from Mbappe's penalty shootout and the wait afterwards!
It took me a while to explain to him that not every match will go to extra time and not every match will be decided by penalty kicks. He will learn everything in time!