“I would never become a Levante Fan”
February 25th 2012
Espanyol 0 - 1 LevanteUD
‘Nunca me haría socio del Levante’ (I would never become a Levante fan)
- Catalunya Radio during Espanyol-Levante this Saturday evening.
Somehow, I was not even the least bit offended by this insult directed towards us, Levante supporters, in the waning seconds of Levante’s epic, last-minute 1-2 triumph in Cornellà-El Prat over RCD Espanyol. Somehow, when my godfather relayed the message to me, it seemed natural, to be expected, and not just because of the bitterness that comes with a last minute defeat. Somehow, that statement ratifies part of what being a Levante supporter is all about: suffering. What Levante players do, might look easy, maybe for some even accidental. Allow me to persuade you otherwise. Allow me to paint our point of view, as best I can.
1). Being a Levante supporter is not for the faint-hearted, it is for those who know how to overcome great obstacles with humility against impossible odds, for those who know how to suffer through 94 minutes of heart-pumping, blood-running, helpless suffering to taste the glory of victory, 3 golden points
2). We know, almost as a given, that our opponent will have possession of the ball during the majority of the game.
3). Our opponent will most likely be maintaining that possession in the general vicinity of our goal.
4). When we do have the ball, we will not be able to really possess it and create an overpowering offensive buildup. We may wear blaugrana, but we are not Barcelona.
5). The occasional glitch, missed pass, deflection or steal can be a golden opportunity for us.
6). Our goals will almost always come exclusively from perfectly executed counterattacks or set plays.
7). We will have a handful of chances, and most of them half-chances, to put our club on the scoreboard.
8). The opposing fans will chant obscenities at us and our players.
9). The game will feel like a battle ground, as our opponents will either bask in our failure or muster all the pressure and bad-blood they can against us in the hopes of making us snap and fall apart.
We know that a game is a battle of seconds, how ever many we can make tick off the clock, the better, to save a draw or better yet to preserve a hard-fought victory. We have our weapons, and we have to use them. Ultimately, we have to play at 200%, and maybe even still need a little bit of good fortune, just to compete, let alone win.
I do not blame anyone not ready to sign up for the above listed. I do not blame anyone who would rather celebrate a Messi or Ronaldo hat-trick every other weekend. I definitely do not blame those Espanyol fans, who will never wish to join our ranks or sympathize with us.
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