Quarantine and Soccer

It’s March and we should be chatting about the last Real Madrid match or how the previous CD Tacón game went. Instead, we’re twiddling our thumbs and waiting for soccer to come back thanks to COVID-19.

Well, most of us are, anyway.

See, the footballers in our midst have been working pretty hard to stave off boredom. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain choreographed a nifty little dance routine with his girlfriend. James Milner has diligently sorted his bags of tea and meticulously cut his grass with pattern scissors. The players have definitely kept up their training regimens at home — some have even included their kids in their training (I’m looking at you, Lucas Vázquez),

They’ve been spending time with their families, watching movies, playing video games, browsing social media (#YoMeQuedoEnCasa) and juggling…toilet paper rolls. No. Really — Keepie uppie with toilet paper rolls. I’m not entirely sure how it got started, but Atlanta United (MLS) coach, Frank de Boer, seems to have been the one who really got the #StayAtHomeChallenge started.

Regardless of the originator, it has quickly gone from those in the MLS to players in La Liga. Our own Fede Valverde was challenged by Los Angeles Football Club’s Diego Rossi in addition to Thibaut Courtois. Marco Asensio was challenged by his brother and went on to challenge his friends. I mean, what else do you do when you’re stuck at home during a pandemic?

Real Madrid’s stars did their best, but the winner this challenge probably has to be MLS and Seattle Sounders midfielder, Miguel Ibarra:

Unfortunately, it seems like we will all be staying in our houses for a little while longer as we count down the days until soccer is back. What are you all doing to pass the time?