Busy Weekend-Part 4

On Saturday evening Anderson had a futsal game. Futsal is indoor soccer played on a court that has roughly the same dimensions as a basketball court. Brasilian kids usually start off in futsal because it's smaller and not as tiring as a regular soccer field, it's easier for them to learn the basics and it quickens their reflexes. Everything is faster on the smaller playing field and many professionals who started in futsal say when they moved to the soccer field it was easier because everything seemed slower.

Anyway, Anderson had a game on Saturday. He plays for a soccer school that is affiliated with our favorite pro team.

Few schools have teams. Most kids take after school classes at various soccer schools. Some schools do have teams.

There are no school leagues where different elementary or high school teams play each other. Teams usually play lots of "amistosos" or friendlies against soccer schools. Occasionally there will be a championship but the fees are paid on top of the monthly class fee.

Anderson had a friendly against Dom Bosco. Dom Bosco is the name of a school close to where Anderson goes to school.

Knowing Anderson, if you really know him, he was anxious about playing in "their stadium" in front of "their fans."

We tried to remind him that it was just an amistoso and that he needed to just go out and have fun. He wasn't buying it. He was convinced that his team was going to get booed in front of their fans. We reminded him again to just go and have fun.

He did. His team won 1-0.

Oh yeah, he just happened to score the winning goal. That made it really fun for him.

Here is his first chance in the first couple minutes of the game:

He just missed.

And here is the goal:

I love how he looks for his mom after the goal to give her a thumbs up.

Here is the post game reaction of super excited jumpy boy:

We have to pass by Dom Bosco on the way home from our school. Every time, since that game, Anderson smiles and talks about his game and his goal.

He still can't believe he went into "their stadium" and scored a goal. As of right now, it's the place where the greatest moment in his young soccer career happened.

Pretty exciting stuff for a soccer loving, enthusiastically dramatic about everything seven year old boy.

See what I mean?