My one-sided love for football

'Listen. When you get the ball think that all the spectators are watching you. Think that they are looking at you alone. And then put all your effort into getting the ball even one step closer to the goal...'



I don't know why but I have stopped being good at football since last year. When I came to Britain and started playing I could compete with good British guys. But later on, I somehow lost all the confidence and could not play my game. Obviously, they have a different style based on a physical contact and precision of passing and shooting, but still it is nothing difficult to deal with. I could easily adapt to it and still maintain my very own style which is normally based on a good ball control, dribbling and my speed. But I somehow couldn't play well because when I get the ball I feel pressure as I would think that if I lose the ball, everyone's going to regard me as a bad player and won't pass the ball to me anymore. Since I have started feeling that pressure I couldn't play well even in very friendly games which would have no significance. Basically, I can't enjoy football as much as I used to because of being conscious of what the others might think about I playing badly. Obviously, when you start doing it you get into a deep crisis as you actually start playing badly. Though, most of the guys I play with are definitely not way better than 'real' me (apart from one Japanese guy who is absolutely amazing). Unfortunately, I have no clue how to get rid off this problem. However, I will do my best to carry on playing and building up confidence again. At least, that is what I feel like doing as I still love playing football regardless of I being not that good. But I would definitely like to go back to the good old glorious times when I was playing in my school's intra-mural league and leading my team to victory...




'I am forever blowing bubbles. Pretty bubbles in the air... they fly so high, they reach the sky and like my dreams they fade and die!
Fortune's always hidding, I have looked everywhere. But I am forever blowing bubbles. Pretty bubbles in the air!'