My World Cup

BBC presently has an e-mail forum called "myworldcup". You can send them an e-mail with your thoughts on the event. Here's what I've sent them.

Dear BBC,
What does this World Cup mean to me? Well, in 1986 while I was living in Canada and as I was watching the W.Germany-Argentina final of that World Cup, your CBC colleagues, as the final whistle blew, said: “So, it’s “adios” from Mexico City and “ci vediamo a Roma”! I was completely taken off-guard as I didn’t know back then that the next World Cup would indeed be held in Italy. So I said to myself that I would have 4 years to find a job in Italy, which I did in September, 1989 as I went to work in Rome. Not only, but I also worked at Italia’90 as Korea’s interpreter in Udine. Not only, but I was also at the opener Argentina-Cameroon at San Siro (right behind Argentina’s goal when Oman Byk scored!), then down to Rome for Italy-Uruguay, then Italy-Ireland then down to Naples and the San Paolo stadium for Italy-Argentina (I was RIGHT behind the goal of the penalty shootout when Don Maradona eliminated Italy from that event!), and then back in Rome for the final (I had waited 14 hours all night outside a Rome bank for the tickets for the final). The semi-final match in Naples was on July 3rd. I was working at the time at the US Embassy in Rome. July 4th was Independence Day so the embassy was closed. Sooooo depressed was I about Italy’s loss that I stayed in all day, pretty well crying. The day after, STILL depressed, I called in sick and again stayed in all day (a friend asked me to play soccer. I said no. He said, “If Mario DOESN’T want to play soccer, you KNOW that he’s depressed”!)!
Come this Sunday, I am desperately waiting that “San Francesco” (Totti) will perform some kind of miracle so that I may be “vindicated” for July 3rd, 1990 in Naples, so far without a doubt THE saddest day of my (entire) life!Forza Italia!
Mario Rimati
Rome, Italy