“Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place.” — Rumi
Losing by 13 goals is not a great way to start your campaign at the World Cup finals or any other competition. It is not even a decent loss at the middle or the end if you make it that far. But at the World Cup finals in France 2019, Thailand started their campaign with a 13-0 defeat by the USWNT.
If I am going to make a case for them, it’ll be based on the strength of the opposition because the USWNT is one of the best football teams in the world and the evidence is in their records, still, 13 goals is a lot.
A loss like that is heartbreaking and you don’t need to be good at guessing to come up with adjectives for how the players, coaches, and support staff felt or how Nualphan Lamsam who is their mentor and a big reason they made it to the world stage also felt.
The World cup is intense and fast-paced and it leaves little time for moaning. Five days later, Thailand came face to face against Sweden, another powerhouse. Five days was all they had to mourn, hug each other, and strategize.
Their second game with Sweden did not have a fairy tale beginning. 6 minutes into the game, Sembrant scored Sweden’s first goal against Thailand.
Football is a game of 90 minutes and whatever happens in extra time, is a miracle. Thailand conceded three more goals but at the 90th +1 minute, Kajana Sungngeon scored Thailand’s first and only goal at the competition.
The consequent celebration is one for the books. Up until that point, they had conceded 17 goals and had given nothing back.
When they finally did, they had their moment, owned it, and celebrated with tears. They didn’t have an easy journey, at that point, they had conceded 4 goals in the game, they had a few minutes left to play, and a match at hand. That one goal wasn’t going to change their fate but they gave us a glorious celebration and showed their joy!
We should all be a little more like the Thailand Women’s team. Acknowledge your journey, but make space for growth, hope, and joy. These very things can keep you from falling into desperate desperation.
Celebrate each win that your hard work brings you because in some way you’ve earned it. Don’t dwell on sorrow, it’s violence to the soul.
“Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place.” — Rumi
Losing by 13 goals is not a great way to start your campaign at the World Cup finals or any other competition. It is not even a decent loss at the middle or the end if you make it that far. But at the World Cup finals in France 2019, Thailand started their campaign with a 13-0 defeat by the USWNT.
If I am going to make a case for them, it’ll be based on the strength of the opposition because the USWNT is one of the best football teams in the world and the evidence is in their records, still, 13 goals is a lot.
A loss like that is heartbreaking and you don’t need to be good at guessing to come up with adjectives for how the players, coaches, and support staff felt or how Nualphan Lamsam who is their mentor and a big reason they made it to the world stage also felt.
The World cup is intense and fast-paced and it leaves little time for moaning. Five days later, Thailand came face to face against Sweden, another powerhouse. Five days was all they had to mourn, hug each other, and strategize.
Their second game with Sweden did not have a fairy tale beginning. 6 minutes into the game, Sembrant scored Sweden’s first goal against Thailand.
Football is a game of 90 minutes and whatever happens in extra time, is a miracle. Thailand conceded three more goals but at the 90th +1 minute, Kajana Sungngeon scored Thailand’s first and only goal at the competition.
The consequent celebration is one for the books. Up until that point, they had conceded 17 goals and had given nothing back.
When they finally did, they had their moment, owned it, and celebrated with tears. They didn’t have an easy journey, at that point, they had conceded 4 goals in the game, they had a few minutes left to play, and a match at hand. That one goal wasn’t going to change their fate but they gave us a glorious celebration and showed their joy!
We should all be a little more like the Thailand Women’s team. Acknowledge your journey, but make space for growth, hope, and joy. These very things can keep you from falling into desperate desperation.
Celebrate each win that your hard work brings you because in some way you’ve earned it. Don’t dwell on sorrow, it’s violence to the soul.