My eyes opened and I groggily looked around trying to find the source that awoke me, with no luck. The time was 3:07 a.m, and beside me, Cris was sleeping heavily. I was about to go back to sleep, knowing that I would be grumpy in the morning if I didn’t, when it suddenly hit me. The craving for cookie dough ice cream. Being pregnant was not exactly my favourite thing in the world, but the mere thought of my child that would arrive after nine months of this torture made it all worth it. The cravings though were something I despised very much because they mostly came at night time, ruining my sleep and often Cristiano’s as well. With a sight I stood up, and threw on a cardigan before walking down to the kitchen.
“Mommy?” I put down the spoon and smiled softly at the young boy in front of me. “Hey buddy, did I wake you up?” He shook his head and sat down at the chair next to me, “I couldn’t sleep. I’m too nervous for the match tomorrow, I want daddy to be proud of me.” My heart aww-ed at the boy in front of me, “I’m sure he will be, and you’ll do great, I just know it. Now, you have to go to bed again,” but Junior shook his head. “No, please mommy, I don’t want to.” “Okay, fine. How about this; I’ll make you a cup of cocoa, and when you’ve finished that then you’ll brush your teeth again and go to bed?” Knowing his love for cocoa, I knew he would agree. “With cream?” I nodded and giggled softly, “With cream.”
At the same time upstairs, Cristiano was tossing and turning. Suddenly his eyes opened widely and he gasped, reaching out for y/n, but was greeted by the cold night air. He stood up with a small smile, knowing that their baby probably was hungry in there and made his way to the kitchen. But when he got down he was greeted by two hushed voices instead of one. “Hey, why are you guys up?”
Junior bounced up and ran over to his dad and hugged him tightly. “I couldn’t sleep.” “He was nervous about the game tomorrow, or technically today,” I added softly before giving him a small hug as well as a kiss. “Hey.” “Aww there isn’t any reason to be nervous buddy, you’ll do great and I will be proud of you anyway.” Junior looked up at his dad with big eyes, “Really?” “Really,” and then he took a look at Junior’s empty cup and grinned, “Now go and brush your teeth and then I’ll come and tuck you in okay?” “Okay.” When Junior had skipped off, he turned to me with a loving gaze. “Cravings again?” Giving him a nod, I yawned. “Yeah, but it’s gone now so I’ll go to bed again.” “Yeah, I’m coming as well, I just have to tuck Junior in.” He disappeared into Junior’s room but I called him back, “Yeah?” “I love you.” “I love you too.”
On behalf of all Lionel Messi fans, a response to the prior article.
In response to Mr. Ricchiuiti’s preference for Cristiano Ronaldo (Ronaldo is actually the fat Brazilian who holds the record for goals scored in World Cup competition), I’d like to outline what in fact makes Messi the better player.
It’s a simple argument: Who would be your first pick if you were starting a team?
Messi is the obvious answer. All the man does is win. He’s led a decade for FC Barcelona that includes six La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey trophies, three Champions League titles and two Club World Cups. You can sprinkle in FIFA’s Ballon d'Or honoring the world’s most outstanding player, a personal award he’s received every year since 2009.
And don’t forgot about Argentina, which is always a favorite to win the World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal side, meanwhile, just barely snuck into the tournament this year.
Messi wins and wins, and then wins some more, and that’s primarily because much of his time on the pitch is spent getting ready to score. Messi has 223 goals in 257 appearances for Barca, and holds records for the most goals in 1) a calendar year 2) a club season 3) a calendar year for a single club and 4) a European Cup.* Those goals have won him myriad awards en route to becoming the top scorer in Barca’s long history.
* Also of note, in case you’re curious: Most Champions league hat tricks, most goals in a Champions League game and most consecutive league matches with a goal. Messi is the only player to score consecutively against all the teams in his league and to score in 20 different cities in the European Cup.
The touches that don’t end with a ball immediately in the back of the net often set teammates up for a score of their own; Messi is a brilliant passer who has led Barca in assists.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s game is built on power and pizzazz. Messi is more pragmatic, more artistic. He flows through defenses, finding seemingly the tiniest space to skip through, or slot a pass or fire off a shot. He is more effective, and at the same time more mesmerizing than his Real Madrid counterpart.
So you can have Cristiano Ronaldo and all his flash. I prefer substance to my superstar. I want someone who will make my team the best, not just the prettiest.
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Matt Anderson is Began in ‘96’s Richmond correspondent. Find more of his writing at First and Den.
Whenever I tell people that I prefer Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi, I find myself on the receiving end of a few derisive comments about hairstyles, diving and poor attitudes. Messi is the kind of guy who brings flowers when he picks your daughter up. Ronaldo, with his fast cars and jewelry, would drop her off the next morning, disheveled and holding last night’s heels. Even FIFA President Sepp Blatter has taken a public stand against the Real Madrid striker, criticizing him for spending too much time on his hair.
But I’m not particularly turned off by Ronaldo’s public image. He’s a successful, wealthy and talented athlete, and has every right to be confident in his own abilities. He also cares deeply about winning, and that shows through during matches, including, at times, when disputed calls bring him close to tears. What you see is what you get with Ronaldo.
That differs from Messi, who seems perpetually too awkward and shy to ever open up to the public. He can be timid and even immature at times, despite his on-pitch brilliance. He hands over most of his media and sponsorship deals to his brothers and agents, effectively letting them run his life. Ronaldo likely has a similar team of agents, but his personality enures he remains in control and the center of attention.
For two players molded so much by their childhood, Ronaldo’s and Messi’s younger years are rarely put side by side. Messi grew up in La Masia surrounded by youth coaches who sang his praises and tended to his needs. They even pumped him full of growth hormones when it looked like he wouldn’t reach a normal height. But Ronaldo came of age in a poverty-stricken part of Portugal, where he spent his days in the street, kicking a ball against a wall. He was shipped off to Manchester at 18, a separation from family that qualifies as a personal tragedy in Mediterranean culture.
He spent the next several years receiving a crash course in English football. Teammates and coaches spent the weekdays toughening him up for Saturday and Sunday matches. He stopped diving, put on muscle and developed his free-kick and finishing skills. According to those who played with him, Ronaldo would spend hours practicing new tricks before and after training, and then spring them on opponents during matches. His time at Manchester United turned Ronaldo from a skinny 18-year-old into one of the best athletes to play the game.
He dumped that comfortable setup for high-profile Real Madrid when the opportunity arose. And since then, he’s scored an incredible 201 goals in 180 games across all competitions. Off the field, he’s purchased houses for all his relatives, brings his son to every home match and picks up friends’ bar tabs as a matter of practice.
So go ahead, you can have Messi. Enjoy his vanilla interviews, tepid fashion and muted temperament. I want my superstars to act like superstars. I want them to hit the gym for hours, stay late at training, change countries if need be and do whatever it takes to reach the tops of their games. I want them to puff their chest and put the team on their back whenever needed. I want Ronaldo every time.
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Zach Ricchiuti is a contributor and resident soccer expert for Began in ‘96.
Here’s another sequence I did for the Steven Universe episode “Keep Beach City Weird”. This follows the Previous Section I posted a while back. Since we’re in the midst of another hiatus, I figured I’d go through, post some old stuff I never got around to posting.
*Potato and Breastplate drawings by Ian Jones-Quartey
