I had a chance to catch ESPN's 30 for 30 Soccer Story "Maradona '86" last night and it brought back a flood of memories. The '86 Cup was the first Cup that stuck with me. I was 9 at the time and proudly wearing the blue and gold of the ABYSO (that's the Acton-Boxborough Youth Soccer Organization, in case you're curious) with my dad as the coach. I don't remember all that much about that Cup except for the mythology of Maradona's infamous run to the title.
ESPN's brief (only 30-minutes with commercials) documentary brought some color and depth to my shoddy recollection of that time. I certainly had not realized the physical beating the man took during that time. Without much of a team around him, Maradona had to work his magic against defenses that could be completely focused on taking him out of the game – and the footage of the tackles that Maradona faced just look brutal. Maradona's play in that environment is made more amazing by the fact that the man was something like 5'5" - about 2 inches shorter than his "diminutive" country mate Messi. But with his tree-trunk legs and barrel chest, Maradona in '86 looked more like Jim Brown than Messi, allowing him to take a beating and keep on tiki-taka-ing.
Of course, Maradona's height played a big role in the most infamous moment of that '86 Cup - the "Hand of God Goal" that Maradona scored in the quarterfinals against England.
While I'm sure you don't need a play-by-play of that moment, it was fascinating to hear the Argentine announcer - Victor Hugo Morales – and his production team responding to the goal. The initial excitement about the first goal in a highly-pressurized, highly-politicized match was immediately tempered by Morales' impression that his team's star had cheated to make that moment happen. As Maradona and teammates celebrated the goal, the announcer received conflicting reports from the control truck and actually asked for forgiveness for stating that he thought the star had scored using his hand. It was an amazing moment to see how things happened in real-time before there were a million cameras capturing every angle of every play to provide a definitive answer.
Overall, the Argentine announcer was actually my favorite part of ESPN's show - the way every spectacular play seemed like the most important thing in the world. The call of Maradona's "Goal of the Century," his second in that game against England, is phenomonal with Victor Hugo Morales thanking God "for football, for Maradona, for these tears…." Classic. Two of the most famous goals in World Cup history in one game, from one player - one a moment of uplifting brilliance, the other a demoralizing example of a successful "win at all costs" deception. The highs and lows of Maradona.
Which brings me to Buenos Aires in 2006 with my wife during our first but certainly not last trip to the amazing country of Argentina. Catching a Boca Juniors (where Maradona played in the 80s) game was on my "must do" list, along with epic consumption of steak and Malbec and walking on a glacier. To make life easy, we bought a local company's tourist package that included tickets and transportation, and a local "guide" to make sure no one got in trouble during the course of the game. The game experience was amazing. The passion and engagement from the "12th Player" put Seattle Seahawks fans to shame (in my mind at least). The fact that in that stadium I saw the only Coca-Cola advertisement without a single drop of red I've ever come across, due to red being the signature color of Boca's Superclasico arch-rival River Plate. And, with Boca coming out victorious, the game itself was spine tingling.
The only Coca-Cola ad in history without red, due to it being the signature color of Boca Juniors' arch-rival River Plate (Photo: Keith Greenawalt)
However, the moment that has been burned in my memory actually occurred a few hours before the game as we and the other tourists were shepherded into a commercial venue a couple hours before the game. There we could happily empty our wallets for Boca gear and overpriced Quilmes while we waited for "safe passage" to the stadium. It was there that I came across the greatest soccer player of my childhood.
When I first saw the short, stocky man (he was actually looking pretty fit at this time) I said, "holy sh*t, I think that's Maradona," to my wife, which led to an overly long and probably boring explanation that included statements like "greatest goal ever" and "realistically might be elected President of Argentina if he ran" and "cocaine," "fat," "gastric bypass." I came to find that Diego was selling autographs and pictures for about $100 a pop to the trapped tourists like myself and I had to admit to feeling quite sad - sort of like I was observing a lion in a zoo. But, I wasn't too ashamed to want a picture of the legend - just not at the price of $100. So, I crept over to Maradona's general area and got ready to snap a stealth shot in between paid-for photo sessions. And, god-bless him, Diego noticed me and - crass commercialism be damned - turned and gave me a bemused look and a thumbs-up. And it wasn't just any thumbs-up, it was a thumbs-up with the Hand of God. Even more classic.
As I look back on the picture now, I see Maradona's look as him acknowledging the absurdity of the situation - an "I know, I can't believe this s$#* either" moment between us. But you have to appreciate the attitude of the man. Can you imagine an American athlete of his stature interrupting a paid autograph session to give a freebie to the 20-something cheapskate?
I can't claim to be an expert, but in viewing "Maradona '86" I felt that Maradona's brilliance on the field was not a function of seeing the game two steps ahead of anyone else. It was about the ability to defeat whatever was in right front of him. It was instinct and creativity and seeing things in the moment - a "Let me beat this guy. Ok, now let me beat this next guy. Oh hey, here's another one, let's beat him too," approach. No one else beats the entire English team on that Goal of the Century, because no one believes it is possible from the outset. And it's the same attitude that can see someone at the peak of their athletic powers pursue pleasure to the point of becoming addicted to cocaine, completely lose control of the body that made them famous, nearly die, and then come back into the spotlight as a coach and celebrity. With Maradona, anything is possible as he attempts to simply beat the "next guy" that life throws at him.
I see that attitude in my picture: an in-the-moment outlook on life that my overly cynical, overly analytical mind can't help but appreciate. It's like Maradona is thinking, "Hey look at that guy. He wants a picture too, but he's not in line. Eh, let me give him a thumbs up." And for that I can only echo Morales in saying to God, "Thanks for Maradona."
