I have trouble sitting and watching too much soccer on television. I love the game but I’d rather play soccer, coach soccer or watch it in person than watch it on television. But this is the time of year to watch soccer. The Champions League always has a lot of great soccer and a lot of drama, but this year, with the young Lionel Messi playing incredibly well, it’s especially exciting. The semi-finals begin today between Messi’s Barcelona and Inter Milan, coached by the famous Jose Mourinho. Inter might still have the 33-year-old Colombian, Ivan Ramiro Cordoba, playing on the defensive line. I’m not sure how well Cordoba is playing right now, but I can say that he was very sweet when my husband and I chatted with him before Colombia played England in a friendly in New Jersey in 2005. My husband was very ill with cancer, but almost the entire Colombian team took time before the game to sign his shirt, talk about past Colombian moments of soccer glory and pose for pictures. It would be great to see him on the field again.
The other two semifinal teams are the German powerhouse Bayern and the French Lyon. Inexplicably, Manchester United and Chelsea are out.
So fire up that TV, or at least the DVR, and enjoy.
