Miss you
All eyes will be on the 11 July final but before the World Cup concludes, let's not forget those who fell by the wayside, Ahmed Morsy reports
Already they have been forgotten.
First it was France and Italy, the 2006 finalists but who in South Africa could not progress past the group stage.
Then came England's ignominious 4- 1 pasting by Germany for another early departure.
But there was more to come. The World Cup upsets continued with the elimination of the supposedly unstoppable squads of Brazil and Argentina.
Deadline constraints meant Al-Ahram Weekly was unable to preview the final, so instead we look back at those who never made it.
The South Americans were so dominant that most Egyptians believed there would be three or even four South American teams in the semi- finals. Many predicted a Brazil- Argentina showdown finale. However, once the quarter-finals wrapped up, there was only one South American team standing, Uruguay, thanks to either a miracle or a miscreant.
After Brazil, the colossus of world football and who was a huge favourite to win the World Cup, was eliminated from the tournament following a 2-1 loss to The Netherlands, followed a day later by the humiliating exit of Argentina after Germany ended their hopes with a thrashing 4-0 victory, Egyptians were divided between being pleased by the amazing form of the Europeans, especially three-time champions Germany, historically one of the three most successful teams at international competitions, and the complete unpredictability of the tournament.
"I was sure Brazil was strong enough to eliminate Holland but I was astonished by the final result," Ahmed Sobhi, a 40-year-old Egyptian fan of Brazil, told Al-Ahram Weekly.
"They [Brazil] always show they are capable of winning any time. That's why we were sure of them at least reaching the final. Holland showed team spirit and came back in the second half thanks to their four key players: Kuyt, van Persie, Robben and Sneijder."
"Argentina were full of skillful players but they lacked the technical organisation that Germany had," Shadi Mohamed, 27, said.
"I think Brazil were playing in name only against The Netherlands. They had an exaggerated feeling of self- confidence. That's why they lost," Hussein Karem, 29, told the Weekly.
"I think if they had had Alexandre Pato and Ronaldinho, who both play for Milan, in their squad, they wouldn't have lost to The Netherlands. So I think their coach Dunga should also take blame for the loss."
Dunga was sacked as Brazil coach following his country's quarter- final exit from the World Cup. A statement from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed that the former captain had been dismissed, along with his entire coaching staff after returning with his squad to Brazil. The CBF revealed that a new coach would be installed by the end of the month and there is already a list of favourites and potential candidates.
Dunga had little experience as a coach but gave Brazil a new style that quickly produced significant results. Under the command of the former defensive midfielder, Brazil won the 2007 Copa America and the 2009 Confederations Cup, and beat Argentina, Italy, England and Portugal in friendlies. The country also finished first in the South American World Cup qualifying.
In South Africa, in the so-called Group of Death, Brazil finished atop after wins against North Korea and Ivory Coast, coupled with a tie against Portugal. They sailed past Chile 3-0 in the round of 16 before crashing into the Dutch brick wall.
Four years ago, it was a quarter-final loss to France that kept the Brazilians from advancing in the 2006 World Cup. Now the players say the defeat in South Africa feels much worse.
"The loss really hurts this time, much more than in 2006," said Kaka, a starter for Brazil in both tournaments.
"This one really got to us. There is a lot of pain because of all that we had done so far, because of where we thought we could get."
"It was a shock to everyone," Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar said. "We knew the fans had a lot of hope that we would win this time."
The future of the Argentine coach Diego Maradona is still unclear. Despite the gross loss to Germany, thousands gathered in Buenos Aires waving placards of support for the former superstar. Several of his players have asked Maradona to remain as coach despite their frustrated bid for World Cup glory.
Recommend
Comment
Printer-friendly
