...there's a first time for everything. First time Africa hosts it, first time Spain wins it. And who would have predicted North Korea putting a goal past Brazil, or New Zealand being the only unbeaten team of the match with nary a pro player? Or Italy losing out to New Zealand in the Group Rankings?
...........that you need a TEAM to win. Goalkeepers like the Vincent Enyeama of Nigeria and New Zealand's Mark Paston could only do so much to keep the goals out. They made save after save, some the best I have ever seen. But at the end of the day something's gotta give when your teammates keep letting you down. It is eleven vs eleven, and you're only as good as your last man. I mean, that's how Germany demolished the so-called threats of England and Argentina. Come to think of it, the La Furia Roja could take a page or two out of the Germans' book in terms of team cohesion and unselfishness - if Sergio Ramos had passed to one of the four waiting in the penalty box instead of going for goal in the 1-0 loss to Switzerland, and if Pedro had passed to Torres in the match against Germany, scorelines would have been different.
........that some people have gotten too big for their Nike spurs. Case in point Christiano Ronaldo, who spat into media cameras after his team bowed out to Spain in the quarter finals, which is a rather fitting cap to a lackluster, diva-like performance in the tournament. I was truly disgusted by the multiple dives he made, the constant arm-flapping and whining every time a defender so much as touched him. Class-less, this one. What a disgrace to his country and the Captain's Armband.
..........that sometimes you have to trust yourself above all others. Everyone was expecting Vincente del Bosque to field the obviously unfit Fernando Torres during the final game at some point, but he obviously knew what he was doing and chose to send out Jesus Navas and Cesc Fabregas first. And both contributed to the uprising of the Spanish team late in the game. Maradona did nothing except put his head in his hands and finger his rosary beads, and Fabio Cappelo (of England) also did nothing (eventhough their teams were only one or two goals down with plenty of time to play still) while both their teams succumbed to the German blitzkrieg.
........that leaders emerge from the fray. I speak of Xavi who got Sergio Ramos away from the fray when the latter looked like he was going to get himself a piece of John Heitinga, who had fouled little Iniesta for the umpteenth time. And of course, of Diego Forlan who inspired his underrated Uruguayan team all the way into the semi finals.
........that if you care to look you can see grace and sportsmanship all around. Carlos Puyol making his rounds insisting on shaking hands with the dejected German team after Spain beat them (with Puyol's sole header goal). Wesley Sneidjer picking Iniesta up after a fair tackle on him during the finals, and before that, trying to console Filipe Melo (who frankly I would have kicked) who was rightfully shown the red card after stomping on Arjen Robben during the Netherlands-Brazil quarterfinal. Thomas Mueller, who could have scored when he got away from the Argentinian defence but put his head up, saw his teammate Lukas Podolski unmarked and passed the ball to him, who then scored. It was most fitting that Mueller won the Golden Boot award, with 5 goals and the most assists.
........that if you care to look you can see grace and sportsmanship all around. Carlos Puyol making his rounds insisting on shaking hands with the dejected German team after Spain beat them (with Puyol's sole header goal). Wesley Sneidjer picking Iniesta up after a fair tackle on him during the finals, and before that, trying to console Filipe Melo (who frankly I would have kicked) who was rightfully shown the red card after stomping on Arjen Robben during the Netherlands-Brazil quarterfinal. Thomas Mueller, who could have scored when he got away from the Argentinian defence but put his head up, saw his teammate Lukas Podolski unmarked and passed the ball to him, who then scored. It was most fitting that Mueller won the Golden Boot award, with 5 goals and the most assists.
.......that movie-like beginnings can exist - the first goal from South Africa, scored by Siphiwe Tshabalala, was a scorcher that must have had all of Africa on its feet. What a moment of pride and joy for the continent - the first goal of the tournament and what a goal it was! Magnificient. And of course, the hardest-working, most nimble, most tireless on the field, most humble off the field, Andres Iniesta scoring the final goal of the tournament. And he chose to honour someone else, his fallen teammate Dani Jarque, with his goal. A moment destined to be immortalized.
........that a young team with little expected of them but so much HEART can take you far, beyond the giants England and Argentina. Selfless players giving each other wide berths to score - Mueller to Podolski, Schweinsteiger to Klose and so on and so forth - no wonder that they not only won games, they tore these so-called giants apart. Kudos Joachim Lowe and team!
.........that sport is once again ahead of politics and real world - it's a smack on the face of racism. Look at the German side - Klose and Podolski are of Polish ancestry, Oezil of Turkish parentage, Khadeira of Tunisian....a total of 11 of the players in the final 23-man World Cup Finals roster were actually eligible to play for other countries but were chosen to follow in the footsteps of Franz Beckenbauer and Jürgen Klinsmann to play for this proud footballing nation. When will Malaysia learn????
......that brains and talent triumph over brute strength. Or tiki-taka over anti-football. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who kept groaning at how tiny and skinny the Spaniards looked next to the Butch Dutch. I mean at one point all I could see was Iniesta grappling with a Dutch thigh during the game, and he looked almost invisible from ground level darting in and out of those brutes the penalty area. One commentator described Jesus Navas as "dainty" and he did look as if he could snap into two if John Heitinga or Van Bommel cared to give it a try. But he so dizzily outpaced and outwitted his marker Van Bronckhorst that the Dutch Captain, in his last international match, had to be substituted for someone a bit quicker on his feet. Navas, who surprised some when del Bosque put him in to replace Pedro after 60 minutes, was labelled a "nervous player" by the commentator, who later turned a 180 - "...has really lifted this game", and "...is the coolest player on the field". Such were the words. Carlos Puyol, "absolutely determined", rose above the heads of other people a good foot taller than him to head in the winning goal against Germany. So the La Furia Roja's speed, and seeemingly unreal ability to tap, poke, bounce and dance with the Jabulani won. Skill vs. Strength, Brain vs. Brawn they say in the headlines. I'll add to these - Butterflies Vs. Buffaloes, Grace Vs. Goliaths.
And of course, Jesus Navas's story, of a young Romani overcoming his debilitating mental illness to play on the biggest stage on earth, given his chance by a wise coach who risked bringing him in at such a crucial moment.
Hopefully the best is yet to come from La Roja and my latest crush. IMHO if only they (the team I mean) could shake that flashes of selfishness in some of their players, then they'd really be formidable.
More from La Liga Weekly which I think sums it up:
"Jesus Navas, 24 year old winger from Sevilla, Andalusia, has finally made the call for Spain. La Furia Roja has been on his radar for years now, since becoming a first-choice selection for Joaquin Caparros, Juande Ramos and now Manolo Jimenez.
Through it all the proud Andalusian played his way through a debilitating illness. Homesickness. You laugh, I know, I was there too, but it's more than just a general yearning for home for Navas. These are severe, lengthy panic attacks that hit when he least expects it, causing depression and even seizures, whenever he leaves Seville. He couldn't join La Furia Roja on a tour of the United States because he couldn't even leave the city for a friendly match in a nearby town even.
Therapy has helped. An understanding with Vicente del Bosque and Luis Aragones before him has helped as well, but more than anything the kid is finally at a place that he can play for his country.
We jump at the chance to celebrate players when they do something important on the pitch, let's celebrate when a kid does something important for himself for once."
More from La Liga Weekly which I think sums it up:
"Jesus Navas, 24 year old winger from Sevilla, Andalusia, has finally made the call for Spain. La Furia Roja has been on his radar for years now, since becoming a first-choice selection for Joaquin Caparros, Juande Ramos and now Manolo Jimenez.
Through it all the proud Andalusian played his way through a debilitating illness. Homesickness. You laugh, I know, I was there too, but it's more than just a general yearning for home for Navas. These are severe, lengthy panic attacks that hit when he least expects it, causing depression and even seizures, whenever he leaves Seville. He couldn't join La Furia Roja on a tour of the United States because he couldn't even leave the city for a friendly match in a nearby town even.
Therapy has helped. An understanding with Vicente del Bosque and Luis Aragones before him has helped as well, but more than anything the kid is finally at a place that he can play for his country.
We jump at the chance to celebrate players when they do something important on the pitch, let's celebrate when a kid does something important for himself for once."
Photos from Someone's Journal. I feel you, girl!
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