The topspinning curve

1 am in the night. Sleep in the eyes. Mind still processing what just happened. Absently, I pick up the remote. Then, hold it for a while and start scratching my arms with it. Mind still processing. Open up the phone to see tweets and messages and updates. Everybody agog. Keep the phone away. Mind still processing. I have now gone into the physics of the whole thing that I just saw. A man, nearly 24 yards out, stands to take a free kick. In front of him is a wall, a wall of about five defenders who will rise up to meet the ball that may or will be chipped over them to the right of the goal as that's the only angle that's available to the man. If he goes to the left, his curve would not allow the ball to remain within the posts. He stands eyes open, then eyes closed, the spectators join him in the silence. It's like a Buddhist in a monastery. Then, he unleashes the chip. The ball sails above the rising heads on the right top corner of the wall. The last head actually tries to meet the ball by tilting to nearly 90* when he is four feet above ground. He cannot. Then, the ball curves and swoops in defying all conventional physics, like a top spinning backhand in tennis. And enters the right corner of the net. The goalkeeper, of course, has no clue how that happened. 3-3. Match finishes in minutes. I am still wondering about the physics. Others will recall the magic of Chistiano Ronaldo over the coming years. Legend, it will be. Physics. Magic. Ronaldo.