There are moments in life that leave you wondering: how did this happen?
On Tuesday, AC Milan defeated Napoli on a 2-1 aggregate score in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal. The very next day, Inter Milan defeated Benfica on a 5-3 aggregate score, meaning that AC Milan would face Inter Milan in the semi-final.
For those who don’t follow soccer, this means nothing to you. But for those who do follow European soccer, this is a significant matchup. It’s what’s known as a derby, and more specifically, the Derby della Madonnina. When two teams from the same city (or two big rivals) play against each other, it’s called a derby. It’s like when Real Madrid plays FC Barcelona (El Clásico) or Liverpool plays Manchester United (The North West Derby).
The chances of these two teams facing off in the Champions League semi-final were small, especially considering that neither team is having a considerably great season. At the time of this writing, AC Milan sits at fifth place and Inter sits at sixth place on the Serie A table.
But to add an extra layer of absurdity to this situation, I will be in Milan on May 9th, the day that this match will be played. This is especially meaningful for me because over the past two years, I have started following Italian soccer more closely, and AC Milan is the team that I root for. The chances of this all aligning so perfectly are near zero.
I’m writing this not to brag but to take a moment of gratitude to appreciate when things go the right way. We focus way too much energy on the things that fall apart, so I’d like to mentally bookmark this moment for myself.
I have to remember: things do go in your favor.
So the next time something shitty happens to me, like missing a flight or losing a wallet, I will remind myself that not all hope is lost, and the stars will align for me again.
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There are moments in life that leave you wondering: how did this happen?
On Tuesday, AC Milan defeated Napoli on a 2-1 aggregate score in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal. The very next day, Inter Milan defeated Benfica on a 5-3 aggregate score, meaning that AC Milan would face Inter Milan in the semi-final.
For those who don’t follow soccer, this means nothing to you. But for those who do follow European soccer, this is a significant matchup. It’s what’s known as a derby, and more specifically, the Derby della Madonnina. When two teams from the same city (or two big rivals) play against each other, it’s called a derby. It’s like when Real Madrid plays FC Barcelona (El Clásico) or Liverpool plays Manchester United (The North West Derby).
The chances of these two teams facing off in the Champions League semi-final were small, especially considering that neither team is having a considerably great season. At the time of this writing, AC Milan sits at fifth place and Inter sits at sixth place on the Serie A table.
But to add an extra layer of absurdity to this situation, I will be in Milan on May 9th, the day that this match will be played. This is especially meaningful for me because over the past two years, I have started following Italian soccer more closely, and AC Milan is the team that I root for. The chances of this all aligning so perfectly are near zero.
I’m writing this not to brag but to take a moment of gratitude to appreciate when things go the right way. We focus way too much energy on the things that fall apart, so I’d like to mentally bookmark this moment for myself.
I have to remember: things do go in your favor.
So the next time something shitty happens to me, like missing a flight or losing a wallet, I will remind myself that not all hope is lost, and the stars will align for me again.
