Today James, Ryan, Detong and I managed to play together for the first time in a few months. Even though it was just for like 5 mins, that familiar feeling was still there. Some kind of magic stirring in the air. I was enjoying it and couldn’t help but smile.

It lasted only 5 mins because James was taken out of the game by a ludicrous tackle. He just aimed for the leg with no intention of playing the ball. His ankle was swollen. All this time, there was a lot of anger directed at us. Wtf? We’re not professionals playing for money here. There’s no need for all this bullshit. Just play your soccer with a smile. There’s no joy in playing dirty.

I used to be quite physical, until I played in China last year. One thing my dad said will always ring in my head - 赢了没有钱拿. We’re all just playing soccer for fun. Make the ball smile. Joga bonito!