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By Francesco Migliore
Sunday night saw the conclusion of the Confed cup with Brazil crowned as champions yet again and while South Africa lost a thriller to Spain earlier in the day to finish fourth, the country as a whole won a lot more than a trophy. It won the respect and the belief from the international community that it is capable of hosting a successful World Cup in 2010, and with no disrespect to the visitors which came to participate in the event, the latter prize is what really matters.
To the football first. Brazil showed why Lippi called them the greatest team in the world for the last 40 to 50 years. Chasing a 2 goal deficit thanks to strikes from Dempsey in the 10th and Donovan in the 27th, Dunga’s men attacked in endless waves searching for a way through the American’s defence. Considering that the Spanish with all their firepower could not unlock this defence in the semi finals, and they are ranked the best in the world, the U.S.A. must have believed that their fairytale would be reality. The truth is a much harder place in which to live. Spain may have the ranking, but frankly I cannot believe there is a better team than Brazil in the world going forward. They concede at times more goals than they should, but in chasing a game it is very seldom they will not score and so it proved to be on finals night.
Brazil dominated proceedings from the very beginning and only trailed at half time thanks to the incredible form of Howard and some good fortune in their first goal. A harmless ball into the area was deflected by Dempsey past Julio Ceasar for the first goal. The good fortune comes in the fact that Dempsey’s touch was not clinical and accurate but rather random and hopeful, and this led to the perfect opportunity for the quick counter which led to the second goal by Donovan. A superb effort of quick passing, fast running and cool finishing saw the Americans hold a 2 goal lead at the break.
Despite this lead it never looked likely they would hold on until the end because they surrendered too much ground and ball to the South Americans. During their semi final against South Africa, Brazil where confronted and challenged in the mid field and parity of possession was obtained by the hosts. In the final Brazil was given freedom of the pitch and allowed to attack at will, and once Fabiano scored one minute after the restart, the cracks widened and it was only a matter of time before the floods arrived. Kaka found more space, Fabiano threatened every time he got near the ball and Howard performed miracle after miracle and it was only thanks to his efforts the Americans held the lead until the 74th minute. For the second Kaka showed his brilliance in rounding his markers with sheer pace and guile, his cross was blasted on to the bar only for the rebound to be headed in by the goal poacher extraordinaire Fabiano. Score tied, Brazil favourite yet again.
The winner was scored by the captain, Lucio, in a singularly normal manner. Corner to the far post, unmarked Lucio blasts a powerful header past a scrambling Howard. No fancy build up, no great trickery, just effective winning football.
So after all the surprises and upsets, normality returned to the world of the round ball, the royalty, after allowing the minnows to hope, waltzed to yet another trophy. While the whole world pulls for the underdog, it is difficult not to applaud the giants from the land of Samba when they play in this manner. They may be giants and hence bullies of the football landscape, but what entertaining and enjoyable bullies they are.
Earlier in the day, Bafana Bafana lost a very tight encounter against the European champions Spain 3 to 2, in what is surely the most meaningless game of the competition. Playing for third spot is not why footballers wake up in the mornings for, FIFA says you play, so they play, but no one really cares. If anything remotely positive came out of this game, it is the form shown by the hosts in losing another close affair against a giant. The last twenty minutes produced entertainment of the highest order, culminating in the free kick of the tournament from Mphela to draw SA level with seconds left on the clock. Extra time saw an Alonso winner for Spain and the conclusion of their campaign on a winning note. Whilst Bafana lost, they will draw plenty of courage from their efforts in the event, especially their composure against stronger footballing nations. It bodes well for 2010.
And so does the conclusion of the tournament bode well for 2010, for during the last fortnight South Africa has quelled any remaining doubts as to the capacity of hosting the world cup next year. Certain incidents did occur and these were fully written about by the media, and in my opinion overly dramatized. In a utopian society it would be reasonable to leave money and valuables unattended in a hotel room and expect to find them upon your return. The world as we know it is by far not a utopian reality. Opportunistic thievery is common the world over and hence nothing much should be read into these incidents, be it the work of cleaners or hookers. The greater challenge of keeping players and visitors safe to and from the game is another matter and with the precautions I personally witnessed, the country is on the right track.
Having joined the Italian convoy to their practice match at Atteridgeville I can honestly say I was very impressed. The level of security is fit for a head of state. From the police vehicle in the lead to the ambulance at the rear to the motorbike escort which ensured that at no stage did the convoy come to a stop. Intersections where blocked, the highway was cleared of traffic around the vehicles, stopped cars where monitored. Every eventuality was controlled and managed in an efficient and comprehensive manner, ensuring the quickest and safest passage for the players and management of the visiting team. In this nothing much can be improved.
Obviously the fans cannot be protected in such a manner, but again from what I saw at Loftus in the almost capacity game of Italy and Brazil, the security presence is comforting. Between the police, traffic officers, volunteers and the security cordon around the ground, at no stage did I, or anyone else I spoke to, feel anything other than comfortable in the environment. The only possible concern for next year could be how they choose to separate fans from opposing nations with a history for violent behaviour.
As for the stadiums, the ones used were great even if the pitches may not have been perfect, but this is easily remedied. The crowds which went to watch where numerous and intent on enjoying every moment of the experience and with this event being of much smaller significance than the WC, next year promises to be a fantastic once in a lifetime opportunity to be immersed in the fun side of football.
Transport is another issue which needs to be raised only because so many stories are being written about the lack of it. Let us remember that all the roads are under construction for these very reasons, to be ready and efficient by next year and they will be ready. Even though I cannot say that it was particularly arduous during the Confed cup. I did not use the park and ride, instead I chose to drive myself to Loftus and on both occasions arrived with little or no difficulty and found parking within a comfortable distance from the stadium. In this matter it is important to remember that when going to witness a sporting event with thousands of other people, it would be irrational to expect clear passage and those people who do expect a traffic free experience, maybe they should watch at home. Then again anyone that has gone Christmas shopping in December would have seen a lot worse than anything the WC will throw up.
In conclusion; the Confed cup was a resounding success on almost every level. The visiting nations enjoyed the uniquely South African hospitality and whilst they would have seen little of this beautiful country, many commented they wish to return for a visit. And why not? In the duration of the tournament, in all the images broadcast throughout the globe, the overwhelming impression was of a smiling nation opening its arms in welcome. An invite many will find hard to resist.
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