Soccer: The World’s Sport
Soccer, like many sports, has the ability to bring people together. This was exemplified by the host country of this year’s 2010 FIFA World Cup: South Africa. Torn apart by apartheid and deeply-rooted hatred, the African nation was suffering from political and domestic turmoil before the turn of the millenium. Many people were innocently kept in jails and prisons, cast away in solitude and away from society. Among these people was Nelson Mandela, who would later become the democratically elected president of South Africa. Mandela utilized the power and popularity of sports such as soccer (or futbol in most countries) and rugby to unify the country. Although the South African teams were mostly white, Mandela urged everyone to support the success of the teams. Nelson Mandela showed up to many games, personally greeting the members of the teams. The country, now more unified than ever, currently plays host to one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
Soccer also played a big role for the nation of Colombia. Admist their war against illegal drug dealing and drug kingpins in the 1990s, the people of Colombia looked to their internationally recognized and talented soccer team to better the reputation of their country. The game of soccer, in many perspectives, served as a safe haven. In the 1994 World Cup, the Colombian soccer team was ranked 4th in the world. Their stifling defense and explosive offense drove them to victory game after game. However, on the biggest stage of them all, the Colombian team failed to advance past the first round. Their misery in the 1994 World Cup was highlighted by a mistake by team captain and star defender Andres Escobar, who accidentally kicked the ball into his own net. When Escobar returned to his home in Medellín, he was shot 6 times and killed by Humberto Castro Muñoz, who was later sentenced to only 43 years in prison. Escobar’s death, a national catastrophe of epic proportions, ultimately led to the demise of the Colombian soccer team. Many members of the team, too saddened by the murder, refused to play. Over 120,000 people attended Andres Escobar’s funeral. However, soccer is still big in Colombia. The sport still plays an important role in the country’s identity, as the people look to move forward. Just the other day, I was waiting at the Golden Unicorn Restaurant where my dad works for him to get off work. I saw many of his coworkers rush out the door, excited to go home to watch the World Cup. Although China is not in the World Cup, many Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea are. Soccer is still considered to be the most popular sport in the world. I believe that it will play a big factor in the fight for world peace and unity.
- Ben Fang
P.S. The story of Andres Escobar and the Colombian national team was recently aired on ESPN in a documentary called “The Two Escobars”. This film is one of ESPN’s 30-for-30 films.
