Italy Scores

Our nephew-in-law Andrea decided that we all needed to get together over the holidays and play a little football.

This kind of football:

Andrea is Italian and the man needs his football--the Italian in him also makes him affectionate enough to love us all by referring to it as "soccer" as he is always kind to the uncultured Americans that we are.  He talked us all into an indoor game of soccer and then set out on a mission to find a ball at a nearby store--since none of us had one.  (oh the shame.)

Poor Andrea, at our local store what he found was something more like this:

A kid's toy, not a real athletic ball.  It was some sort of cheap ball that barely held its air for the duration of our game.  But Andrea is good humored and the shabby ball didn't phase him.  He was just happy to play.

We divided ourselves into two teams:

The Old Team

vs.

The Young Team

Uh, yeah, and don't ask me how I got assigned to the young team.

But I'll tell you what;  when you get assigned to the "young" team at my age you don't ask questions, you just roll with it.  

As you can tell by my lovely Uug footwear, I wasn't planning on playing.  I came to watch.  But once teams started forming both Wendy and I couldn't resist a little competitive challenge.  My footwear wasn't really good for running to I played goalie.

Here's what I learned:  When Americans come running toward you ready to shoot the ball at your face, don't be afraid.  Most of the time they don't know what they're doing.  The ball could go anywhere.  HOWEVER, when an Italian comes at you with the ball...trouble is coming with him! 

In the end we had one flattened soccer ball, six winded old people, one hilarious time, and a serious defeat of the younger team who were whipped by the old people.  Yes, sadly, my young team lost.  Apparently the older team has got a lot more energy and
a better goalie than we have, not to mention an Italian who loves his football!

I hope our Christmas Soccer will be a new tradition.  In the meantime I've got some serious goalie practice to do.  Perhaps I should start with proper footwear...