Maribor - Mother of Mercy Basilica
Tuesday, August 22nd, 2017. Slovenia's finest soccer team, NK Maribor played Hapoel Beer-Sheva (Israel) in a UEFA Champion's League event. The winner would advance to Group Play against some of the world's greatest teams. Maribor (not to be confused with Marienbad, the Czech resort town) has a population of 95,000 and is at the heart and core of the nation's soccer. The Republic of Slovenia's total population is 2,000,000 (and should not to be confused with the Slovak Republic).
The first "leg" of the series was won by Beer-Sheva 1 - 0. In the second game Maribor scored first, Beer-Sheva matched it, and Maribor scored again - the aggregate score in the second half was 2 - 2. Play was furious. Beer-Sheva players were a red blur swarming the Maribor blue defense and goalie. Then a "header" streaking toward the far post - the frantic goalie is air born, horizontal to earth, stretching left . . .
Saturday in November, 1977. Annette and I rented a car and proceeded south on the three hour drive from Vienna to Yugoslavia. Early afternoon we crossed the Yugoslav border (that ceased to exist in 1991) into the province of Slovenia and arrived in Maribor. The city appeared tired, used, medieval and swathed in various hues of Soviet brown. We checked into the central hotel and went for a stroll - finally ending at the hotel bar waiting for a dinner table. The bar filled with soldiers, smoke and chatter - the hot spot on a Saturday night. To my right two young Army noncoms, seriously discussing life, drinking draft beer, dining on a mountain of French fries and well-done meat. As we left I bought them a couple of beers. No smile but a "Thannnk youuu."
We drifted into a nearby park. The evening was dark, the temperature mild, the air scented by grilled chestnuts. The occasional street light cast a yellowish "I am about to burn out" glow. Family groups squeezed around individual soldiers on park benches. Soldiers and girls sat close together sometimes holding hands. Families meandered over cobbled walks and cracked cement with children dangling from many hands.
The next morning we went to church. I rarely attend church but when I do I prefer a church being harassed by state authorities. To my complete surprise the church we attended was wall to wall with worshipers all inhaling clouds of incense. Happily there were also souvenir tables available in the back where I purchased for my devout mother a pair of rosaries.
. . . his fingers scratching the side of the ball enough to slightly alter its flight away from the net to out of bounds. Beer-Sheva's corner kick fails to produce a goal - time expires - part of the crowd becomes euphoric - aggregate score is 2 - 2, which means of course that on the basis of "away goals scored" Maribor wins ! NK Maribor will next face Sparta Moskva (Russia), Sevilla (Spain) and Liverpool (England).
Bazilike - Matere Usmiljinja - Wikimedia.
