Arindam: - Good afternoon, viewers! Today, in this episode, we have invited a famous Bengali actor Tapas Pal and one of the best German goalkeepers of all times whose name is Oliver Kahn. We welcome you both in our show. Mr. Kahn, you are one of the best goalkeepers, the world has ever seen. In a particular World Cup, you impressed the spectators worldwide by your great saves. But, unfortunately, you failed to lift that World Cup for Germany.
Kahn: - Oh! Yeah! How can I forget that particular World Cup? The winning goal scored by the Brazilian striker Ronaldo was a shocking one. Still today, I am criticized for conceding that goal from Ronaldo.
Arindam: - but, no doubt, you were a great goalkeeper to watch. You were a nightmare for some strikers. You used to save all their deadly shots every now and then. How you used to do that so efficiently than others?
Kahn: - I always used to look at the eyes of the strikers and then to their legs. If you are an experienced goalkeeper, you can easily read the mind of a striker by looking at his eyes. You can easily predict in which direction he is going to take the shot. During penalties also, you can make out what tricks the striker is going to play. If he is eyeing to the right side of the post, then surely he is going to kick the ball towards the left side of the post. Experience helps you to read those tricks. Even the foot position and run up gives you a rough idea about that penalty shooter. Also, a goalkeeper should always be flexible like a gymnast. A goalkeeper always have to decide according to the situation that he will remain in the line of the ball or move forward to charge the striker. Boss, you cannot become an efficient goalkeeper in a day or a season. After playing so many games, you will learn how to effectively motivate your team defenders and how to make them co-ordinate with them efficiently. The success of a goalkeeper also lies in the fact that how well can you channelize the defenders of your team to form a wall or maze in front of your penalty area so that you can easily judge from which angle the striker is going to take the shot at you and you will save that shot.
Arindam: - Hmm…it is indeed a very difficult task to become a good goalkeeper. It looks very easy that a person is grabbing the ball with his hand, but, it is a very tough job. Accha, Mr. Tapas, you are a great Bengali actor. Your film ‘Dadar Kirti’ and ‘Guru Dakkhina’ were super hit films. If people still praises Prasenjit for ‘Amar Sangee’, then they also praise you for ‘Dadar Kirti’. But, you have also done a film ‘Saheb’, where you played the role of a goalkeeper in that film. That film was later made in Hindi also, where Anil Kapoor played the lead role. Even the song ‘Yaar bina chain kahaan re’ was a bumper hit song at that time.
Tapas: - Yeah, yeah, you are right. In the film ‘Saheb’, I was playing the character of a bachelor boy whose name is Saheb. Saheb hailed from a Bengali middle class family. The ending of the story was very touchy. Saheb will sell his one kidney to collect money for his younger sister’s marriage dowry. After that kidney donation, Saheb was unable to play football anymore. He used to go to the park and watch his friends playing football. Utpal Dutta was also there in that film, who did a fabulous acting and I still remembered that dialogue, ‘Saheb, you are not a goalkeeper for your football team but also for your family members’.
Kahn: - Wow! The story is very interesting! If I get time, I will try to watch this Bengali film ‘Saheb’ with English subtitles. But, one thing is true that in Bengal, many footballers die mentally due to poverty. There is no dearth of talented footballers in Bengal, but, somehow, due to lack of sponsorship in football, the footballers don’t get good amount of money to look after their family members. That’s why; those footballers always search for some government jobs and stop playing football. In Europe, there is so much money in football that there are people who resign from their lucrative jobs to play football. That’s the difference. If FIFA has not been able to improve the infrastructure of football in India, then it is due to the callous attitude of AIFF only. AIFF need to implement some innovative steps to motivate these talented Bengali footballers who hail from a poor family.
Tapas: - Mr. Kahn, have you ever visited Kolkata, the city of joy.
Kahn: - Oh! Yeah! How can I forget that city and that Yuva Bharati Krirangan stadium in Salt Lake area? I played my last official international football match in Kolkata only. Mr. Tapas, have you ever heard about the Bayern Munich club?
Tapas: - Yeah, yeah, that is the No. 1 club of German league.
Kahn: - Ha ha ha…I also know the name of the No.1 football club in India. It is Mohun Bagan, right?
Tapas: - Yeah, you are right. But, there is another club also which is not so bad either. The name of that club is East Bengal.
Arindam: - Well, Mr. Kahn, recently, there are so much talks about the Jabulani ball. Goalkeepers are complaining that the surface of this Jabulani ball is so hard that it rebounds from their gloves.
Kahn: - Yeah, that’s quite true. The balls that were used in other World Cup used to swing too much but it is also true that due to its softer surface, it was easier to grab with your gloves. But, this Jabulani is hard to handle. That’s why, you will more often see that the goalkeepers in this World Cup are either thrashing or punching the Jabulani in such a fashion as if they are playing volleyball.
Tapas: - He he he…they have no other options also. It is better to do those punching rather than trying to grab it. Julio Cesar of Brazil tried to grab the ball and conceded the goal against Netherlands. Now, Cesar is feeling the heat of media people in his own country.
Kahn: - That’s not fair! Football is a game. You cannot expect everyone to perform well every day. But, one thing I have seen that a goalkeeper is always a tragic hero. If he saves many goals also, no one gives them too much credit. But, if they miss a goal, everyone point fingers at the goalkeeper as if only goalkeeper was playing against the other 11 players of the opponent team.
Tapas: - Yeah, yeah…everywhere, a goalkeeper becomes a tragic hero like ‘Saheb’.
Arindam: - Ok, we will continue our discussion, but, before that, let us hear from Mr. ARINAN about the match between Spain and Germany.
Mr. ARINAN: - Both Germany and Spain were aware of each other’s strength. That’s why; both of them were playing cautious football in the 1st half. Though the strikers of both the teams got many golden chances, but, alas, they were not able to take those shots on target. Germany team was missing Mueller. Klose was hardly getting any valuable pass. Absence of Mueller in this Germany team was like a carnivorous animal having no canines in its jaw. In this World Cup, the young Germans outclassed the teams like Australia, England and Argentina by their speed and stamina. But, the same German team was not playing their natural attacking football against Spain. Rather they were playing the traditional German football which proved suicidal for them. Spain increased their attack in the 2nd half. Xavi, Pedro and Alonso were playing well. Villa was not playing so well but Iniesta regularly kept on putting pressure on the German defense line up. In the counterattack, Klose also got many chances but was unable to keep the ball on target. One deadly shot was saved by Casillas. In a corner kick, the curly long haired Carles Puyol gave a fantastic header to put the ball inside the German net. The German defenders were marking only the Spanish strikers and this Puyol was smart enough to pounce on that opportunity. The countrymen of Hitler kept on attacking the Spanish Bulls till the last whistle of the match but were of no use. Had Pedro given that pass to Torres, then Spain would have scored another goal. At last, the match ended in 1-0 and Spain reached the final of the World Cup for the first time ever. Germany was earlier defeated by the Serbian White Eagles and this time by the Spanish Red Bulls. The Orange Brigade will clash with Red Bulls in the final. Neither of the teams has ever won a FIFA World Cup title before. Whoever wins it; it will be the 1st World Cup title for that nation.
Arindam: - Wow! This World Cup tournament has been a thriller all the way. Hardly, 1% of the football spectators worldwide would have predicted that both Spain and Holland will clash in the final. Maybe, no one predicted it also. That’s what makes football a very funny and fantastic game. Mr. Kahn, you may be very disappointed that German team was so near to lift the cup but they are out now.
Kahn: - Yeah, of course, I am somewhat disappointed. This German was in top form in all the matches except against Serbia. I don’t know why they were not playing attacking football against Spain from the very first minute.
Arindam: - Well, it’s always better luck next time for Germany. By the way, who will win this World Cup?
Kahn: - I think that Holland is looking a better team than Spain. But, still, Spain has the edge to win the final match. Holland has good strikers than Spain. But, Spain has a good defense line up and one of the best goalkeepers of Europe. He is Casillas. He is leading from the front and it is very tough to beat him. Look at the statistics of this World Cup and tell me how many goals have been conceded by Spain in this tournament?
Arindam: - I don’t have that statistics, but, that much I am sure that Spain has conceded lesser goals than Holland in this World Cup. Mr. Tapas, whom are you supporting?
Tapas: - I am supporting Spain. After Brazil and Argentina, I always used to love the Spanish football. After English Premier League, the Spanish League is famous in the world. Even Real Madrid is as famous as Manchester United, but, still, Spain is yet to lift a World Cup. I want Spain to lift this cup for the first time and create history.
Arindam: - Wow! Everyone is keeping Spain ahead of Netherlands, but, you should never under-estimate the Dutch football. They can come back and counter-attack you at anytime. Let’s see, who wins the World Cup of 2010. Mr. Kahn and Mr. Tapas, thanks to both of you for coming here in our studio and sharing your valuable views. Viewers, we will end our show here. Do I need to tell you that you must watch our next episode, because I know that you will watch it anyway? So, wait for our next episode. Take care and goodbye.
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