The psychology of football!

As a girl I get an incredible amount of bullshit for liking football. Guys seem to think that I'm full of crap right away, that I only watch to check out Cristiano's thighs or seek attention. To imagine that I'm actually more obsessed with football than they are seems to be impossible for most of them. The truth is that there are few things in life I love more, and that I'm not as stupid as 99% of all people think when it comes to football. I actually know it quite well, however, I don't need to showcase that. When I have an actual theory though I get looked at like I'm just another stupid football wrench just because I have a vagina and that's what's expected. Most recently, that theory included estimating how much a desire to win influences players' games. Almost every guy looked at me like they wanted to say "get out of my manly sport with your emotional bullshit!" To these people I'd love to say "in your face!" now!

Does anybody actually doubt that winning three consecutive tournaments does not affect Spain's longing for another title? They're already gods back home, they simply didn't need to win last night. Of course, they're sportsmen, they always want to win but if we just put desire on the scales I guarantee that Chile, Holland and even Australia want to win a hundred times more. Desire only gets you this far but as I said well before this tournament (before the last one, in fact, which they won... ouch) Spain's golden age is over, and everybody knows it. And it isn't even a shame because we had a Sepp Meier and Gerd Müller once but even they turn 40 one day. Just because Iniesta and Xavi are off the pitch soon they might not suck but they have to recruit heirs to their throne and there are none around just yet.

At the same time, this philosophy has been giving me the fuel to believe that my team was about to win every tournament they have been in. And we're just incredibly unlucky because I impartially believe we'd have deserved a win in the last few years. Every tournament in the past eight years these boys entered to win and played accordingly. Unfortunately, we weren't Spain. Those years exactly Spain reigned the freaking world and although we went out to Italy mostly which is just an unacceptable pain in everybody's ass the title wasn't ours to have, and I accept that. This year the title is Brazil's but so far it wouldn't be deserved. Winning in your own country is undoubtedly a huge motivator but Brazil needs that because they already won more cups than all other countries. How bad is a desire to become immortal if you're already immortal? Identifying the hunger and transitioning it to your game must be essential in this...

The other area where I think psychology plays a big part is transitioning from the group stage into the finals. I want all of the favorites to play an incredible group stage so they get arrogant. Then, boom, Germany! Group stage is where you want that slap in the face to happen. I don't see it happening for the German team and that deeply worries me. I do not need another slap in the face by Italy that sends us packing right away in the finals. I can do with a humiliation against Ghana when I still have time to make up for it. Why am I even saying "me"? I know why: because I feel like I'm on the team. I probably want this title more than Miroslav Klose and that boy wants it really freaking bad. The key is to find a balance between the desire, self confidence and arrogance. Too little or too much of any of them might be the downfall.

So I don't care how many ridiculous looks I get for openly proclaiming that the psychology behind football cannot be underestimated. Obviously I'm not saying desire will win a game but at the same time I doubt that a tournament can be won without wanting the cup more than life itself. I, for one, want nothing but that freaking trophy. If I was in that game I'd probably kill people on my way towards the goal because no sacrifice would be bad enough. Beating Spain 5-1 will also give a team like the Netherlands so much confidence it might very well be too much in the end. For Robben it's too late already. After that miracle came a pretty embarrassing performance against Australia. Coincidence? I don't think so. It's all psychology. Never underestimate!