The Magic Of Football
A sporting event between Palestine and Jordan on a Friday night in Melbourne doesn’t seem right does it? Well I tell you I was here watching it and for me it was yet another highlight of the 2015 Asian Cup.
Players, fans and officials experienced yet another reason why we have 16 teams in this type of tournament, why Eric ‘the eel’ Moussambani swan in Sydney and why Jamaica has a bobsled team. The magic of sport brings people and sometimes in today’s world we forget that.
Sure we remember the Timmy Cahill wunderstrike in Brazil or how Manchester United performed on the weekend. We can list the number of gold medals Usain Bolt won at the London Olympics and we can probably tell you the name of Roger Federer’s twins (both sets). Before tonight I couldn’t name the Palestinian captain, and I will probably forget Ramzi Saleh’s name by the end of the tournament but what an occasion these two proud nations provided to the appreciative crowd at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.
On the balance of play neither team will meet our Socceroos in the later stages of the tournament; both squads are a long way off in terms of skill and development. Determination and spirit on the other hand cannot be taught and has brought each nation to Australia. Whether it is the brave qualification campaign of Palestine or the ever improving Jordanians, each of the 16 nations brings something special to Australia.
Mothers, Fathers, Sister and Brothers of all different background once again came through the turnstiles in Melbourne not just to watch football, but to participate in the celebration that is the Asia Cup. Many doubted whether Australia was ready to host a football tournament the calibre of the cup, I honestly thought we weren’t mature enough as a football nation to be bestowed the honour of hosting the jewel in the AFC crown.
Nights like Palestine vs. Jordan and Iran vs. Bahrain remind me of how proud we all should be as football fans in Australia. Embracing cultures and linking this to the similar passion of football. Sadly we are too often by racial slurs, the inability to accept cultural differences and kids thinking they’re cool smuggling flares into A-League matches.
When the 16 teams depart our shores in a few weeks time let’s take the positives from this wonderful experience and use them to grow football in Australia to the potential we all know it can reach.
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