Sports Notes - IRAQ WINS ASIAN CUP - JULY 2007

James Loving - National Radio Text Service - Monday July 30, 2007

IRAQ'S WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION RULE ASIAN CUP

When the Americans and Brits went looking for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and obviously found nothing. It could be said that they were looking in the wrong place for the wrong things. Those weapons of mass destruction are Iraq's national football team that destroyed their opponents enroot to winning their first ever Asian Cup title.

Some would say its sports not war that we should be looking for and talking about so lets get on with it.

A country devastated by war was given something to cheer about, as their national team pulled off one of the greatest stories of all-time in sports. Not many thought it could be done but it was.

The Cinder-fella side won the title when they defeated Saudi Arabia 1-0 last night with a goal in the 71st minute by captain Younes Mahmoud when he took Hawar Mulla Mohammed at the far post and and headed in the tally.

The title win was Iraq's first and they did it against a Saudi Arabia side that won the tournament in 1984, 1988 and 1996.

As America's NFL's (National Football League) Dallas Cowboys team are recognized as being America's team the Iraq national football team could be regarded as the world's team since they haven't played a home game in Iraq for 17 years and have been playing them in the country of Jordan.

It was a tattered squad of players that come from a country that is not only dealing with a war and occupation from foreign forces but also dealing with internal strife with different religious beliefs.

Their 54-year-old, Brazilian coach Jorvan Vieira only joined them in May. In just two months he whipped a championship team together having to unite players who came from the environment where because of religious affiliations were against each other. He had to meld a team together that consisted of Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds and unite them to win for one flag, Iraq.

His players were scattered and playing in various leagues around the Middle East area. The bright spot was that some the players were members of Iraq's 2004 Olympic team that made it to the semifinals while defeating Portugal and Australia in the process.

The road to the Asian Cup title wasn't easy. In their first group game in Bangkok against host side Thailand in front of a near capacity patriotic Thai crowd of 60,000 they had a scare finishing level 1-1.

They followed that up by playing new Asian Cup competitor and 2006 World Cup finalist Australia and walked off with a 3-1 first round victory. They rounded off the group stage with a victory over Oman and left Thailand undefeated.

Things got tougher when they faced Korea and eventually won on penalty kicks in the semifinals. The victory against Saudi Arabia was hard fought as every minute was filled with action. It was exhausting to watch and no doubt by the sweat pouring from the players it was exhausting to play. The sweat, the hustle and the determination to work together paid off, as Iraq is the new Asian Cup champion.

ASIAN CUP NOTES

The Asian Cup was founded 1956 and currently has 28 teams from the Asian region. Japan is the previous champion.

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With victory in hand coach Vieira resigned just as he said he would a few days prior to the game. He admitted that the pressure of having to coach under the conditions the side has to play under and always being on the road for its games takes its toll.

Vieira's football playing career includes having played for several top Brazilian clubs before taking up coaching. As a coach he took Morocco into the second round of the 1986 World Cup

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Iraq's Younes Mahmoud, who plays for Al Gharafa in Qatar, scored four goals in the tournament and there is talk of him playing elsewhere in Europe.

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Each Iraqi player is to receive $10,000 for the win.

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Iraq joins the United States, Brazil, Italy and host South Africa at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup along with the champions of Europe, Africa and Oceania.

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Iraq made it to the quarterfinals in the competition in the previous three events. In 1986 Iraq made its only World Cup appearance.

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The top teams in Asia have dominated the Asian cup over the years. Teams such as Korea Republic, Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have earned a spot for themselves in the final matches almost every year.

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BELIEVE IT OR NOT

As tough as things are today for Cambodian football 1972 was a golden year for the men from the land of Angkor Wat.

In 1972, Bangkok was the host city for the Asian Cup and there was an increase in participation from the Arab nations. A new format for the finals was introduced. Preliminary games would determine the two final groups. Iran won both games in group one and Thailand squeaked by Iraq on goal difference.

In group two, all three teams finished with equal points but Kuwait lost out to Korea Republic and Cambodia due to their better goal differential.

The semifinals proved to be a tight contest for all sides setting up Iran and Korea Republic in the final showdown. Iran would go on to lift their second consecutive Asian Cup trophy with a goal by Kalani in extra-time.

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