Won the Copa America 2011, for the people of Uruguay, football is like returning to the bosom of their glorious history in the past.
They won the Copa America's first and second consecutive-to-back (1916-1917) and - together with Argentina - a champion ever in the history of the Copa America title 14 times. Uruguay also won Olympic gold in 1924 and 1928, then won the World Cup in 1930 and captured it again in 1950 in a way that will never be forgotten in the history of Brazil: on Maracana Stadium, beating the hosts supported more than 200 thousand people.
But there is also the irony: Uruguay football feels like history is so ancient and old. When was the last Uruguay Olympic champion? 1928. When did Uruguay become World Champion? 1950. What and when the highest achievements of Uruguay in the World Cup after 1950? Semifinalists in the 1970 World Cup. When was the last time Uruguay won the Copa America? 1995.
Amazingly, all the achievements accomplishments achieved by the country's total population is only about 3 million. Of the seven nations have ever won the World Cup, Uruguay is the country with the smallest population.
Indeed, last year they also reached the World Cup semi-finals in South Africa. However, the achievement of waiting was very long, especially for a country that claims that (as said Eduardo Galeano with allegorical) every baby is born, shouting: "Gooooool ...."
Like most kids in Uruguay, Galeano also obsessed with a footballer. Unfortunately obsession was not met. He was not talented enough, and swerved to his career of authorship. But football was never far from his mind. That's why he wrote the book El Futbol A Sol Y Sombra or Football In Sun and Shadow, a long narrative about soccer written with a lyrical style.
The book is a personal reflection of the Galeno football. Galeno, born in 1940, summarizes the historical development of football in a poetic sentence. He said, "History of football is like a sad journey from beauty to duty."
The book is so evidence of how Galeano, Uruguay as another man who failed to become a football player, will never forget and leave the football. With that book, Galeano said, "I'm trying to do something with the hands of what used to be I can not do with feet."
The Englishman, the clubs are now dominated the magnitude of foreign investors, will probably look cynical view of this Galeano. Galeano, in certain cases, such as a melancholic who were celebrating the nostalgia of the past that had long moved away.
That is why his book on football entitled El Futbol A Sol Y Sombra or Football In Sun and Shadow. Football under the rays of the sun is football a joyful, full of simple but full of excitement, which can be found on the streets, in the field, also in the steppes. But football is a simple and joyful it is also overshadowed by a football that has been commodified, becomes a commodity, which makes football is only a mine of money - unfortunately, exploited by the owners of capital who just want the trophy as soon as possible.
But that's the older generation's view of the Uruguayan soccer. Uals who experienced firsthand how the whole country erupted in joy and happiness are unbearable when the national team of Uruguay defeated Brazil in the Maracana Stadium in the 1950 World Cup final. For people age Uruguay Galeano, 1950 was periode that will never be forgotten, will always be remembered and relived. 1950, such as the (World Cup) 1966 for the British people, is a time where everyone can feel so proud and happy to be the people of Uruguay.
If Galeano says that "the history of football is like a sad journey from beauty to duty", then the sentence for the Uruguay could be a "history of Uruguayan football is like a sad journey of triumph into silence".
Until now, every time the national team to play Uruguay in Montevideo will always be a giant banner that read "1950" laid out in the stands. That statement of the collective yearning of the people of Uruguay Uruguay football glory.
Uruguay can understandable if people feel the excitement and extraordinary relief when Diego Forlan, et al., Can be advanced to the semifinals of World Cup 2010. "There are only 3 million people in Uruguay and we've waited a long moment like this," said Oscar Tabarez, Uruguay coach, at that time.
Of melancholia 1950 can only be perfectly fulfilled if Uruguay was able to carry home the World Cup trophy back. After all, it must be admitted, the degree of the Copa America was not worth the World Cup.
However, it could win the Copa America title after fasting for 16 years and at the same time recorded history as the champion of all champions throughout the history of the Copa America, certainly a very worthy achievement is celebrated. Moreover trophy to the 15th (if managed to beat Paraguay in the final) is achieved in Argentina (their strongest rivals in the Copa America) with previously also beat Argentina in the quarter-finals. A complete historical record!
To some extent this will affirm the statement Tim Vickery, British journalist specializing in Latin America, about Uruguay. Tim Vickery said, "Other countries have history and the history of Uruguay is football."
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