The main feature of these teams is that they are seasonal. You will rarely find two players together after the football season is over – football season here lasts from May to August. They often assemble at the club but never to practice or play football.
Most of the players consider themselves to be better than Pele or Maradona. One can often hear them boast about their prowess on the field and what they could have done in a specific situation. They believe themselves too talented to practice with the rest. They just stand about boasting to a newcomer and showing off their ball juggling skills.
The others in the team, who do not consider themselves masters of the game, go about doing rigorous exercise routines – running a number of laps, stretching and bending and doing all sorts of exercise – so that when the game starts, they are too tired to play! They are the ones who are blamed for all goof-ups on the field – doesn’t matter whether it is their fault. They are the ones over whom the masters in the team exercise their superiority. Some of the greats in the team often take pity on the not-so-gifted ones and offers a lot of advice on how to run, how to kick, how to jump, and basically how to do anything and everything. These advice are always unsolicited.
Now let us come to a match they play. The game starts off with a lot of pace. Players run all over the place in a group surrounding the ball. If the ball is at one corner of the field, almost all the 22 players gravitate towards that corner. This assemblage follows the ball wherever it goes. There is no concept of opening the field or taking positions. There is also no concept of team-spirit. If one player gets the ball, he will dodge and dribble until somebody takes away the ball or someone trips him; he only passes the ball when he sees there is really nowhere to go. Most of the time these passes are impossible to receive, but if the one to whom the ball is passed cannot receive it – because it is almost impossible – it is always his fault and never the fault of the one who passed it in the first place. But.... there is an exception to this rule – it is never the fault of the greats and always the fault of the minions.
Coming to the goalkeeper – well, he rarely dives; he just stretches his hands and feet. You cannot blame him because the soil near the goalpost is always bare and without any trace of grass. No one in their sane minds would dive on a surface like that unless he is wearing an armour. Most of the goalkeepers cannot kick a ball and so they need what we locally call a ‘backie’. A backie is generally someone who plays in the defence position and does all the goalkicks.
The forward or the striker positions are generally reserved for the greats. They run little and are too busy showing off their skills instead of playing. All they do is shout and scream at everyone on the team whenever they miss a pass or they themselves fail to receive one. They are always busy pointing out mistakes. Once the ball goes out of their feet, they refuse to chase it. And if by chance they score a goal, by God, you should see them celebrate and boast. Even when a minion scores a goal, the greats pat his back and go about boasting how it would have not been possible without their superb play.
All said and done, a local team is nothing but a goalkeeper and 10 strikers. Everyone in the team is a striker and tries to score a goal. There is no concept of a defender or flanks or midfielder. Everyone is a forward.
But it is a great fun watching these teams play. They will always cheer you up because of their antics. I love these teams and their players. It is because of them that the game of football is still so alive and popular in Bengal.
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