RafaelFajardo

I think it matters. I want to believe that Oscar did indeed mean it; I would find it far more impressive than the alternative. Dennis Bergkamp once said, “Behind every action must be a thought.” But can this really be the case in soccer? Surely Bergkamp’s dictum is actually an aspiration. In the semi-chaotic test tube of the football pitch, half-full with heated, jostling molecules, “thought” isn’t the right word, certainly not for “every action.” There is rarely enough time for it. It’s usually an indulgence which ceases to be so when the game scoots past you. The actions that matter are propelled by instinct prolonged, but not usually prolonged for long enough that it becomes what you might call a plan. The action is done with before it can get that far.