In the stands there are thousands of fans jumping and singing on a hot afternoon or evening of soccer. In front of the televisions, millions of them get up from their seats, take a sip of beer, and cross their fingers when the player takes the ball, kisses it, and places it on the penalty spot against the rival goalkeeper. Suddenly, the noise and decibels caused by the fans in the stadium become a silence that makes even the most skeptical of religions cross themselves and pray to God for the penalty taker to score the goal and provoke the euphoria of the people gathered, in their own way, in every corner of the planet.
Twelve steps from the goal, and a minute after the referee's whistle, the player has dragged his legs as if his fingers were full of blisters. 5, 10, 15, or 60 seconds have passed and the player does not resist standing in front of the ball. The sweat that flows from his forehead, after covering several kilometers on the field, becomes a cold perspiration that fills with emotions and concerns in front of a goalkeeper who provokes him and tries to induce him to make a mistake.
Suddenly the whistle blows, the kicker runs, shoots, and goal. Goal! Goal! Goal! Shouts, kisses, hugs, and everyone gathered in the midst of a heartbreaking wave of feelings. Ruidíaz has scored for Morelia and all of Michoacán sings in honor of one of the historical scorers of the club. The same happens in Brazil. In a country where soccer is more important than religion, the torcida of Sao Paulo explodes with emotion after seeing Cueva make the heart gesture towards all of them. It doesn't matter that this time it wasn't from outside the area or an acrobatic goal, what matters is the goal.
In our country, however, the criticism of Peruvians falls on the form and not the mission of the executor. On social media, there will be those who say that it was just a penalty or that Cueva, Ruidíaz, and other Peruvians abroad only score goals from penalties, when the responsibility that falls on them is like that of a leader in a one-on-one duel against the antagonist. And I wonder, if they were wearing the Peru National Team jersey, would we be saying the same thing? It is indefensible to criticize a "penalty taker" when they score because on their shoulders lies the trust of a team, fans, and even an entire country. Let's see if we say something about Cueva or Ruidíaz when they score from the penalty spot in the future. More applause, less negativity on social media.
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