And Sometimes It's More than a Game

Sometimes football divides people -- e.g. Rangers, Celtics -- but more often, it's a force to bring people together. One of the reasons I like the France national team so much is that it symbolizes something much larger than football, as did the German team during the World Cup. Here's another example:

Iraq ground to a halt today as Iraqis from all walks of life crowded around television sets to watch their national team play Qatar in the final of the Asian Games in Doha (most of the Qatari team only recently received their citizenship -- typical). Iraq President Jalal Talabani apparently cleared his diary to watch the match from his presidential palace. "The national team brings happiness to a country where there is so much sadness. We forget the differences," said Razaq Hussein, whose mother is a Sunni and whose father is a Shiite, as he gathered with others in the hotel lobby (as quoted on WorldSoccerNews.com).

Fourteen Shiites, four Sunnis Arabs and a Kurd make up the 19-man team managed by a Sunni Arab and a Christian assistant coach. "Everyone in the team is a friend," said captain and star player Yunis Mahmud, a 23-year-old Sunni, who was suspended for the final. "We care only for the interests of the Iraqi game."

"When we win we are defeating all our sectarian problems," said Alaa Abdel Zahra, a Shiite and one of only two team members who plays internationally, in his case with Iran's Mes Kerman Club. Still, two managers have resigned due to death threats, and let's not forget that player who was kidnapped earlier this year.

Unfortunately, Iraq lost 0-1.