The FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil kicked off just as we returned from our trip to Brazil et al. The opening matches in the 8 groups have been played. And already this is turning out to be a great tournament, even if the time difference (jet lag notwithstanding) is not conducive for watching any of the games live. So far, of the matches played, I've only caught three partially in real time, and only 1 in full. I did have the good fortune to catch all the turning points, though...
1. Neymar's highly deliberate elbow on Modric and then proceeding to score a virtuoso equaliser
2. How Drogba came on as a sub against Japan and changed the game just with his presence on the pitch
3. Messi's ability to produce a moment of magic for an otherwise lethargic Argentine side that produced the winner against a valiant if less talented Bosnian team
It's funny how sports mimic real life. There are moments in which the whole outcome can be changed. No one says it better than one of my favourite sports writer, Rohit Brijnath...
"It is the 42nd minute. Spain are 1-0.
The pass comes to David Silva. His nickname is Merlin. But even wizards can miss a trick. He has only the goalkeeper to beat and as a moment it resembles the 2010 World Cup final, 63rd minute, no score, and Arjen Robben with only goalkeeper Iker Casillas to beat.
Then, Robben's shot hits Casillas' trailing right foot and bounces wide. Now, Silva's chip ricochets off Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen's flailing hands and goes out.
At the 44th minute: A cross from the left and Robin van Persie does what we prefer strikers to do: He dives, legitimately, in the penalty area to score a goal so splendid it makes hair and a planet stand. As Vincent van Gogh, another Dutch artist, once said: "What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?"
It is 1-1. Two minutes, two chances, but only one goal.
Sophocles, the Greek writer of tragedies, once noted that "I have no desire to suffer twice, in reality and then in retrospect". But in sport, retrospect, or a contemplation of the past, is fundamental.
Erik Spoelstra, the Miami Heat coach, led his team into the film room recently to watch a painful defeat. As critics we look back, too, sifting through games like sporting archaeologists, trying to identify moments when matches swung or empires teetered.
Perhaps for Spain it was here. In these two minutes.
Had Silva scored, it would be 2-0. For Spain, 2-0 could mean momentum and confidence. For the Dutch, 0-2 could be deflating and damaging. We don't know for sure. What we do know is that the threads on which victory hang are thin. Just one point. One putt. One chance.
In their prime, teams have an instinct for these chances and grasp them. Right then, when opportunity knocks and is smoothly taken, they're not certain of the cost of the missed chance. Till it happens. Till Silva misses.
This is the insanity of sport - how so much rests on so little. Roger Federer has two match points in the fifth set against Novak Djokovic in the 2011 US Open semi-final. A final beckons. One "lucky" Serbian forehand, one errant Swiss forehand, and the chance slips away. Federer never makes another US semi-final and only one more Grand Slam final.
At the 2009 PGA Championships, Tiger Woods leads after day three. In 14 Majors, he's never lost when at least sharing the lead on the final day. Now putts slip past, a chance dies and Woods hasn't won a Major since. He's nearly there but never quite, a margin as small but as significant as removing the first two letters from the word "invincible".
Sporting empires rarely end with neat, fond farewells; instead they drag on, searching for one more trophy, till they abruptly meet a moment of excruciating humiliation. Yet as much as we feel sympathy for Spain, this is the wonderful justice of sport: What you do to others will one day be done to you."
There is one other ingredient: hunger. Therefore, not so curiously, Spain who had many Real Madrid players (who had just won a record 10th Champions League title just weeks earlier) may have played with that little bit less hunger. Indeed the same goes for Madrid players in other teams: Marcello who scored an own goal for Brazil (their first in history of these finals) and Ronaldo (more about him later).
So, in life, as in sport, circumstances lead us up to a pivotal moment and just as Silva failed to put Spain the world champions 2-0 up, Netherlands's captain, Robin van Persie, scored the best goal of these opening group matches, and probably the best goal of this World Cup. A diving header to meet a lob from the middle of the field. It's so sublime that it's got christened with its own moniker, 'perseing'. The goal put Netherlands on equal terms and more critically the beauty of it injected so much confidence in the team that they were invincible hence.
Invincibility is less on show elsewhere (save maybe for Germany whom I saw, in full, trounce a CR-led Portugal 4-0), but virtuouso performances certainly were. The stars (except Ronaldo and Rooney, sigh) have all lived up to expectations. In fact, it is the stars that have individually changed the outcomes of the games they played. And when the stars don't show, sometimes the entire team can't perform. I submit to you exhibit A: The England team who just lost their opening match. Rooney was largely absent and though the team did try their best, Italy won, through a Balotelli (why always him? :-) header.
Like many here in Malaysia and Singapore, our allegiance in these global tournaments are somewhat pledged to England... No, not because they were our colonial masters, but more because when many of us were growing up, besides Malaysia Cup, the Road to Wembley telecast were the only live football matches we could watch. That's how I first fell in love with Manchester United and that's why I feel for the United players (past and present) when they lose. But supporting Portugal and England must be foolhardy choices.
As Marc Lim, The Straits Times Sports Editor pointed out, "supporting the England football team is like being married to a lousy spouse. You know there are better options out there. You hope and expect the best. But you know you will just end up being constantly disappointed.Worse, you find yourself starting to make excuses for them."
Thankfully, so far this has been a great World Cup and I certainly am enjoying it and won't need to be making excuses for anyone! As a neutral football fan, I am just enthralled by what is promising to be one of the best tournaments in recent times. (And I sure hoped there will be no commentator jnx here!)
GOAL! GOAL! GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLL!
(Photo by Jeff Gross / Getty Images)
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