Bloodlust or Mental duel?

'By watching football we satisfy our bloodlust' ,i read this in an article and views similar to this in many other articles too, during and after the world cup.However i don't subscribe to this point of view.What keeps me glued to television set is how the players tackle each other,how they dodge,outmaneuver,how a genius slips the ball in between the legs of a player or how they score a goal where none seemed to be.I don't and i think most of us don't enjoy the game when a player has cheated and directed his kicks towards the player rather than the ball.

Football is a battle of wits rather than a gladiatorial game,as i see it.

It is more akin to chess the opponents develop a move,try to break open the defense and attack.The reason football is more popular can be attributed to that football keeps a player continuously on his feet,both literally and figuratively.In chess a player tries hundreds of moves but in his mind,which we can't see we see only one move whereas in football we are continually in the game we get to see what a player is thinking(and doing).There is no visible break between moves as in chess.

We say in awestruck manner 'what a genius man!,look how Maradona dodged three defenders,a goalkeeper and scored a goal' rather than 'what a genius man!,look how he dodged the referee, kicked his opponent and didn't get caught'.There is a difference between the two dodges and therefore a difference in our feeling(appreciation or ridicule).And there is a difference between a blood lust and a mental duel.