FIFA World Cup 2006

This is an assignment, and therefore readers should pardon me for the lack of colloquial language.

Instead of writing only about the final, I shall write about some events throughout Germany 2006, one of the more controversial versions of the tournament.

The tournament had started on a high note, with the first goal of the tournament scored only after a mere six minutes into the competition between Germany and Costa Rica. It came as a pleasant surprise for the Germans; a relatively unknown player in the international footballing community, Phillip Lahm, had struck with such brilliance rarely seen in the competition.

To me, the goal had also come as a pleasant surprise. Not only was I so privileged to see the spark of brilliance by Phillip Lahm, I was also encouraged at the same time.

I am utterly convinced that few had expected Phillip Lahm to perform, much less score. He was, after all, a defender that had not been all too convincing in his career. Nevertheless, he went against all odds and manufactured a beautiful goal that immediately silenced his critics. I believe that we all have something to learn from him.

To work hard is one aspect of it, but another factor leading to his success was the sedulity with which he had strived to achieve his goals. I strongly believe that as long as we work hard and persevere, all our efforts would be greatly rewarded, no doubt about it.

Another player to learn from is Zinedine Zidane, not only from his merits, but also from his faults. Zidane, having come out of retirement to again take the role of a captain, had led the French side to the final. He had played a pivotal role in the French midfield and even scored a few decisive goals. He was the heart of the French team, albeit one who headbutts. His rashness in action had costed his side the Cup.

Many said that Zidane had done it because Materazzi had said something offensive, but have a look at the situation then. It was late in the game, both sides were tied in a deadlock and the last thing your team needed was a sending off. If you had been a responsible and thinking captain, you would have warned everyone in your team not to get a sending off; if you had common sense, you would never had let yourself get sent off.

Actions speak louder than words, and Zidane's actions had indeed spoken much. When he audaciously lofted the ball off the goalpost and into the goal past Buffon, he showed a calmness of mind. When Zidane headed the ball to force a save out of Buffon, he showed that he had not lost his flair and composure. When Zidane headbutted Materazzi, all I could see was a madman on the loose. His departure from the field had instantly destroyed the French's morale, which eventually led to their defeat. Not a fitting farewell for one of the "footballing greats", but at least he left with a blast. This incident changed my whole opinion of Zidane. I have watched him play since France 98, and he was such an inspirational figure then. We cannot lose our cool, even in times of crisis, for it would not be of any help to the situation.

Ghana, which was the only African country to enter the second round of the World Cup this year, had also surprised many. I personally hoped that they would have beaten Brazil, being a fan of underdogs, but I was disappointed. Nevertheless, the Ghanians showed the fighting spirit and relentlessly pounded the Brazilian defense. They were unlucky enough not to even score a goal, but their fighting spirit was indeed noteworthy.

Meanwhile, a team worth mentioning is the Australian team, a.k.a. Socceroos. They came , they fought, and they lost to the Italians; all because of a controversial decision by the referee to award a penalty for what appeared to be a dive. In fact, they were one of the more entertaining teams to watch.

The Socceroos had also gone against all odds, with critics predicting that they would not even make it past the first round of the tournament. They came back from a 1-0 deficit in only six minutes against the Japanese, qualified for the second round, and even reached the quarter finals. They very nearly got through to the semi-finals.

There are a few things we can learn from the Socceroos. Firstly, we have to learn how not to let ourselves be intimidated by big names. The Australians were pitted against footballing giants like Brazil and Italy. They never were intimidated. Closer to home, I can see the stark difference in the attitude of some of the people in the sports CCAs. Many of them just simply give up fighting when pitted against the so-called "better schools" like Raffles Institution. We must change this attitude. No matter what the outcome, if you put your heart and your soul in it, the game has already been won. Secondly, life can be unfair, which indeed is a fact faced by almost everyone in the world. Mostly due to the fact that when life is fair, you fail to take notice of it, only taking notice when life is not fair.

Another team worth mentioning, of course, is Italy. They are the controversial world champions, but they definitely deserve what they have got. Their defence had only conceded two goals in this World Cup, one from a penalty and the other an own goal. Fabio Cannavarro, their captain, did not even get booked in the whole tournament, despite him being involved in most of the Italians' defensive operations. To me, the true Golden Ball winner is Cannavarro, which I suspect would have won the award if the votes were cast only after the game. Cannavarro showed calmness and kept his cool all the time. Never in the tournament had he quarelled over the referee's decision, nor any player's foul play. He just kept doing what he had to do, and he did it exceptionally well.

Zidane and Cannavarro, captains of two rival countries, yet the difference in attitude was so stark. All I can say is that Man's worst enemy is the enemy from within. If we cannot get through our inner self, nothing significant can be accomplished.

If we do, we can work wonders. Yes, wonders. Although most probably we can never win the World Cup.