“El Deporte es para Unir”

October 18, 2009
Sunday, 8:00am
Mostly cloudy, 62


Campeones y Campeonas
The past month has been one filled with sports-reel worthy highlights starring, of course, me, Mike, and I guess our teammates. Below is a play-by-play of how Mike got a giant trophy and how I got a second, though slightly smaller, trophy as well. Not that trophies matter because as Doña Delia (captain of my indor team) said during the trophy presentation "el deporte es para unir".

Basket
As you already know Mike has been playing in the Liga Deportiva de Sayausi basketball league with Darwin (the husband of Maira my futbol captain), David (the owner of the local asador where we buy delicious roasted chicken and Mike gets lunch with his coworkers), and Enrique (David’s cousin), Juan Pablo and Miguel (Enrique’s brothers and therefore also David’s cousins), Lucho (who used to be a ref in Sayausi), and Dani (their tall friend who has a three old son named Koby…yes, he is named after Koby Bryant).

This dynamic octet make up the Sayausi Huracanes; almost undefeated in league play except for two losses for just not showing up and a third against their nemesis (ok, they’re not really a nemesis but another really good team in the league…but it’s so much more dramatic if they are referred to as “nemesis”) where they had to play a man short for half the game. The second time the Huracanes faced off against their age-old nemesis Ciudadela Alvarez the Huracanes one by two points made by none other than the one, the only, Miguelito Carbone. Yes, it was quite the showing: fouled in the last second on a lay-up in a tied the game, sent to the foul line Miguelito sank both shots to win the game!

So, the Huracanes were off to the semifinals where they would face off against Anthrax. Anthrax had invited Mike to play with them before the season started (they are all from the family we spent Carnaval with and the same family of Gladys whose wedding we went to where her sixty-plus father Don Manuel dragged me out of the bathroom line to dance to “Moscow” a fifteen minute dance mix that is what you think Russian Disco music would sound like…yes, there was lots of kicking legs and crossed arms). The only member of Team Anthrax that is not related to Don Manuel and company is a man referred to as Rambo. Rambo is 5 foot 3 inches tall with giant muscled arms and legs (yes, he looks like a mini-Rambo) and is rumored to have killed a man in Brazil using a headlock. Whether or not there is any truth to this or not, he definitely has anger management issues.

However, not even Rambo could stop the Huracanes. The defeat of Anthrax was absolute with a point differential higher than their total score. And so it was that the Huracanes made it to the finals where they would tip-off against none other than their age old rival, their arch-nemesis Ciudadela Alavarez!

The Huracanes took an early lead in the first quarter only to give it away completely in the second. In the third quarter the Huracanes made a slow recovery that left them within several points of Alvarez going into the fourth and final quarter. In the fourth the score vacillated between tied and one team or the other with a one point advantage. Then, it was as if father time had turned back the date to the Huracanes previous meeting with Alvarez. Time was out, the score was tied, Miguelito went for a lay-up, was fouled, and sent to the line. At this point, however, I think father time lost interest. There he was at the line the game in his hands; all he had to do was make one of the two foul shots. Bounce, bounce, shot…brick!! The crowd groans. Bounce, bounce, shot…nothing but rim!! The ref blows the whistle and regular time is out. The score is tied and overtime looms.

I don’t remember all of the details of overtime (I was rather worked up and closed my eyes for a large portion of it). However, I do remember that Miguelito partially redeemed himself with two blocked shots and seven points. And when the five minutes were over the Huracanes were the champions of Sayausi! And truth be told, Miguelito may have more than partially redeemed himself as he was given the team trophy at the prize ceremony and encouraged to take it back to the US with us when we leave.

So, all ended well in Sayausi for the Huracanes and they spent the night toasting their victory and eating tasty roasted chicken at (where else?) David’s Restaurant where Miguelito insisted the trophy stay so that all could bask in its plastic-gold light.



Nice Rebound, Migi

Nice Layup, Migi

El Himno Nacional

And the trophy goes to...


Indor
The campeonato in Ingapirca, a tiny barrio about 30 minutes up the hill from our apartment, came to an end this past weekend. What started in April, had a two month break in July and August due to fallen trees on the field, concluded with the finals this Saturday. And who you may ask won? Well, Buenos Aires Jr. of course in a stunning 2-1 victory against Galaxia during which I scored no goals but did get a yellow card and then less than a minute later an awesome strawberry on my belly…the result of a foul against me that resulted in a yellow card for the other team (though it should have been a red as I was tripped from behind on a breakaway).

And what may you ask, are the prizes given to the champions of such a prestigious tournament: a trophy, medals, and $300 in cash! And what does a team do with that much cash….buy new uniforms and pay the registration fees for the next tournament! In fact, today (the day after winning) I am marching in the inauguration for the Liga Deportiva de Sayausi wearing the new uniforms for the next tournament which is the same tournament that we came in first two years ago and third last year. The trophy (my second in as many years), which I was given for acompanando the team, is not as big as Mike’s but it does have lots of ribbons.

The Finals


Ra, Ra, Ra, Buenos Aires!

El Deporte es para unir

Show me the money

Goodnight, Chickens

The Trophy Shelf


The Inaugauracion


Procession not related to the Inaugauracion

Judging the Madrinas


La Seleccion
The World Cup qualifiers have come to end and so has Ecuador’s chance to participate in it. Ecuador qualified for the last two World Cups but these were also then only times they had ever qualified for it.

For the last few months they have been in a tight race to finish fourth or fifth in South America and for each game they played in pursuit of a spot in the 2010 World Cup everyone (and many pets) in Ecuador donned yellow jerseys and hung flags from their windows in support of their team.

Dressed to Impress...


However, their journey to South Africa was significantly hindered when they lost to Uruguay last Saturday in Quito. When they then lost in Chile on Wednesday their chance officially ended.

Maybe next time 

On a related note, Miguelito is pretty excited about Honduras qualifying for the second time ever in their history! (although he can’t find a Honduras jersey anywhere in Cuenca)


Entrenando
A few months ago I was invited to join a soccer team that would practice, something unheard of in women’s soccer in Sayausi. So, we have been practicing Saturday mornings on a small, mostly grass field down by the river for a tournament that starts in November. The team is made up of girls from Sayausi, most of who are from the team that beat us in the semifinals this past year…go figure.



Mudville
I also had two games this weekend on what was the first official day of the rainy season. All things considered I got off easy...



Flowers
The hydrangeas in our window boxes are starting to bloom. They all but died when we went to Peru for 10 days back in July and so it is quite exciting to have them doing well, so well in fact that they are flowering!



Don Jimmy
My dad is coming to visit! For a sneak preview of where we will be heading try doing a Google Image search for “Los Roques, Venezuela” 