World Cup: Costa Rica, Malaysia boleh and fairy tales
I like fairy tales, which is why I will be cheering on the Costa Rica team when it takes on mighty Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the World Cup 2014 in Brazil on Saturday.
I would like to see this relative nobody in world football lift the cup in the finals. But I will Pele,Platini,Socrates,Neymar,Messi,be satisfied if it makes it to the semi-finals.
Certainly I like the Brazilian team. It is always there at the top of my favourite teams. It is always a pleasure to watch the Brazilians play and they constantly produce great players with marvellous skills.
Football is so much richer because of the likes of Pele, Falcao, Socrates, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Zico, Garrincha, Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo, Cafu, Tostao, Juninho, Eder , Kaka and now Neymar.
The Brazilian style of play is always a pleasure to watch. Brazil is football.
And I like the way some of the other teams play, too. France is among my favourites, although I think that the team that was led by Michel Platini in the eighties is the best French team ever. It was exhilarating to watch Platini, Alain Girese, and Jean Tigana play together.
It is possible that Argentina with Lionel Messi scoring well might win the cup. It is also possible that the German machine might walk away with it.
But wouldn’t it be a fantastic celebration of the small man, of the underdog, if Costa Rica, against all odds, took the cup?
As far as I know, no one gave the Costa Ricans any chance of advancing past the first round in the tournament, not to mention make it to the quarter-finals. After all, the team which is ranked 28 had only once before made it into the top 16 in the World Cup, and that was in 1990. And it did not qualify for the last World Cup.
Most people took notice of the team only when it sent Italy packing. When the final whistle went, some of the Costa Rican players were unable to hold back their emotions.
It is possible they had hoped – but had not expected – to beat the powerful Italians, one of the pre-tournament favourites to advance to the quarter-finals, even to win the cup.
Last Sunday, Costa Rica showed it should be taken seriously when it managed to hold on, playing for 54 minutes with 10 men, and defeat Greece 5-3 on penalties.
It had earlier beaten Uruguay 3-1 and played to a scoreless draw with England. I am sure the Costa Ricans must have been very proud to see their team leading the teams in Group D, ahead of Italy, Uruguay and England – are all past winners of the World Cup.
We are talking about a country with a population of about five million. Now if any Malaysian leader wants Malaysians, or his members, to emulate someone or some group, he should cite the Costa Rican team as the example, not some terrorist outfit fighting in Iraq.
This team has shown grit, tenacity, teamwork and the “can do” spirit.
In 1999, the Football Association of Malaysia said it was working towards sending a team to the 2014 World Cup. FAM failed to meet its target. And Malaysia did not even qualify for the Asian Cup in Australia next year.
But we should not lose heart. We did win the 2010 Asean Cup, so there is potential; there is possibility. But first the nation’s football authorities need to put their house in order.
Are FAM officials committed enough to improving the game? Are our players committed enough to play their hearts out? Most Malaysians will answer with an emphatic “no”.
But I am an optimist. FAM and our players – and selection of both officials and players is very important – can rise above mediocrity. First, they should learn from the Costa Ricans and fire up the “Malaysia boleh” spirit to strive harder.
Who knows, one day, a Malaysian team may proudly participate in the World Cup.
Now that is one fairy tale that I would like to see happen, and happen soon.
