Iraqi soccer and The Miracle on Ice

The bronze medal match in men's soccer is over. Italy defeated Iraq 1-0. That means Iraq does not win a medal, but that team deserves the highest tribute possible.

As I watched every Iraqi match after the first one, I had memories of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. In 1980, the best hockey team in the world, bar none, was the Russian national team. That is my opinion, and I'm sticking with it. Even if I am wrong about that, the fact that I believed that in 1980 is central to the rest of this story. That Russian team had tons of talent, including the world's top goalie. Also, the Russian Olympic team was basically the Russian Red Army team, meaning that the Russians played as a team all the time and their job was to play hockey. The U.S. team, on the other hand, was basically a bunch of college kids with dreams of maybe making it to the NHL. They did not have anywhere near the talent of the Russians. They did not have anywhere near the experience of the Russians. They had been together as a team only a few months. All in all, they were hopelessly outmatched. There was simply no way that the boys from the U.S. could even hope to stay close to the mighty Russians.

And then came "The Miracle on Ice." The rag-tag, no-name, didn't-stand-a-chance U.S. team defeated Russia in the semi-finals. To this day, that game is the single greatest thing I have ever witnessed in sports. I was a senior in high school then, and I was home alone that night, watching every second of that game. After it was over, I was thrilled that the U.S. had beaten Russia, but soon another feeling I did not recognize started sweeping through me. Even though it was winter and I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, I walked out on our front porch. The air was cold and still, the sky clear and the stars bright. And it was quiet. Perfectly, exquisitely quiet.

And then I realized what I was feeling. Sure, the U.S. had defeated the Communists. Sure, it was a great boost to our country in light of everything else going on in the world at that time (such as the Iran hostage crisis) . And yes, I was immensely proud to be an American because of the win. But there was something else that affected me even more. The game and its greatest meaning were not about America beating Russia or feelings of patriotism. In that game, a team that was given no chance, a team that realistically should have been overwhelmed by the clearly more talented and powerful team, instead won the game. And because of that, in that one moment as I stood on my front porch, I did not feel jubilation. I first felt calm, then awe and inspiration. Because of The Miracle on Ice, in that one moment I knew that anything was possible and that nothing was impossible.

Watching the Iraqi soccer team brought that feeling back for me. Here's what that team faced: a war torn home; no money; no possibility of playing home games in Olympic qualifying; no facilities to even train in their own country; a head coach who had to resign in order to escape death threats; and opponents with greater experience and resources. In other words, there was no reason the Iraqis should have had a chance to do anything in the Olympics. Then, in their opening match, they soundly defeated medal favorite Portugal. Then they defeated Costa Rica, which meant that Iraq would advance to the quarterfinals. Even though they lost by one goal to Morocco in the next match, the Iraqis easily won their group--a major accomplishment for any team, much less one facing all the obstacles that Iraq faced. Next came a quaterfinals match with Australia, and Iraq won again! That meant that Iraq would be playing for a medal, possibly gold. A semi-final loss to Paraguay ended the gold dream, but Iraq would still play for a bronze medal against another of the pre-tournament favorites, Italy. In a very close, well played match, Italy prevailed.

So the Iraqis did not win a medal. So what. They were one of the last four teams still playing. Truly, by simply qualifying for the Olympics, the Iraqi soccer team achieved the remarkable. As the games started, most experts were saying the standard "It's a victory just to make the tournament/that shows the Olympic spirit, etc." And then the Iraqis starting winning and kept advancing. The Iraqi soccer team showed the world not just that significant athletic obstacles can be overcome, but that when the circumstances of every day life are harsh and often desparate, triumph can be realized.

As on that winter night in 1980, I am wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and I am going to walk out on the same porch. Since it is an August afternoon in Wichita Falls, Texas, I will not feel any crisp, cold air, nor will I see the beauty of the stars in the night sky. But because of the Iraqi soccer team, I will once again experience awe and inspiration. Once again, I will know that anything is possible and nothing is impossible.