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World Cup has been a wild ride
JOHANNESBURG -- The thing you learn more than anything when you are up close to a World Cup is how nearly every country -- OK, maybe not France or Italy -- gets a thrill or two along the way. Think back to the first goal of the World Cup, a left-footed pill to the upper corner by South Africa's Siphiwe Tshabalala, before some 85,000 fans at Soccer City Stadium. How about Switzerland beating Spain? Serbia shutting out Germany? North Korea giving Brazil a run for its money, falling by a 2-1 score?
Those results seem like they were a lifetime ago.
Remember Greece partying after its come-from-behind victory over Nigeria? Or Japan making its first round of 16 appearance after taking down Denmark? How about Slovenia, bopping up and down, hands in the air, after its late-goal victory over Algeria? When Mexico shut out France it was huge. No one knew where Les Bleus were headed quite yet. Portugal danced on the sideline after each its seven goals against North Korea. And Denmark was feeling quite good about itself after making the best of two scoring chances in a 2-1 victory over Cameroon.
Let's not forget about Slovakia taking down Italy, the defending champion. Or how about New Zealand, the consensus worst team in South Africa, garnering three draws -- including one against Italy. Again, who'd have thought that was possible?
U.S. fans may sill be upset over losing to Ghana in the round of 16, but over time, they'll go back to the YouTube videos of Americans celebrating back-to-back miracles, the come-from-behind draw with Slovenia and, of course, Landon Donovan's 91st-minute goal against Algeria, which pushed the U.S. into the second round. Pure jubilation.
Jeff Bradley
For more from ESPN The Magazine's Jeff Bradley, check out his daily entries in our World Cup blog.
Even without pro-American sentiments, we can still remember the scene of South Korean players dropping to their knees, offering up a prayer of thanks upon realizing that its 2-2 draw with Nigeria was just enough to get them through to the second round.
Nigeria became the embodiment of African soccer's first-round disappointment, a team that had more than its share of opportunities to make good but which could not finish off its chances. The Super Eagles, along with the teams of Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and South Africa, all went home early. It left Ghana as the continent's lone survivor.
And if ever there was a country that experienced all the emotions of a World Cup, it was Ghana's Black Stars. From their fortuitous win over Serbia to their nail-biting draw with Australia -- where both results came via goals from the penalty spot -- to their advancement-on-goal-difference after a 1-0 loss to Germany, Ghana's players, it seemed, were forever gathering in prayer and song. They waved the flag proudly as the lone African country to advance beyond the first round of the competition.
Ghana's dramatic extra-time victory over the U.S. created a ground swell of support here in South Africa for the Black Stars' quarterfinal match with Uruguay at Soccer City. Who can forget the Ghanaian players celebrating upon seeing the referee call for a penalty and a red card to Uruguay's Luis Suarez, after he'd used his hands to clear a ball off the line in the final seconds of extra time. It's not uncommon for players to celebrate a penalty call as if it's a goal because the reality is, most penalties are goals. And when you have a striker of the class of Asamoah Gyan, who'd coolly finished off two PKs already under the World Cup spotlight, it's not hard to see why the Black Stars were dancing as if they'd already written a new chapter in African soccer history, becoming the first African team to advance to the semifinals.
And to do it on the continent? Even more incredible.
Of course, we all know that Gyan blasted his penalty off the crossbar and soon Ghana's joy had turned to despair. Tears poured from the eyes of the Black Stars.
Perhaps fate got the best of Uruguay as it bowed out 3-2 to Holland, as the Oranje fans went crazy over their team's first appearance in a final in 32 years. And Germany provided so many great moments before finally meeting its match in Spain, which celebrated going to its first final ... ever.
Which will bring it all to Sunday's final. And again, there will be a country dancing arm-in-arm and another looking for shoulders to cry on.
"That's soccer." An expression we've heard over and over during the World Cup. Whether it was coaches dealing with bad calls, or players trying to explain how the better team on the day ends up on the short end of the score.
More than ever, as we head to the final in JoBurg, we realize that expression is the only way to explain so much about this game. Think of all the nations that got a chance to celebrate during the past month. And remember that all but one will cry.
Jeff Bradley is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine.
