[A-List] Iraq Wins Asian Cup, Beating Saudi Arabia 1-0

["Yoshie Furuhashi" <critical.montages@xxxxxxxxx>]

Yea!

<http://football.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,,-6813564,00.html>
Iraq defy odds to complete Asian Cup fairytale
By Julian Linden

JAKARTA, July 29 (Reuters) - Iraq completed one of sport's great
fairytales by beating Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the Asian Cup final on
Sunday to provide a rare moment for celebration in their war-torn
homeland.

The Saudis had been bidding to become the first four-times winners of
the tournament but Iraq, riding a wave of global sentiment, upset the
hot-favourites for a rare slice of sporting glory.

Iraqi captain Younis Mahmoud scored the winner in the 71st minute when
he climbed above the defence at the far post and headed a
perfectly-weighted corner from Hawar Mulla Mohammed into the Saudi
net.

When the final whistle sounded, the Iraq players collapsed to the
ground in a mixture of shock and an unbridled emotion, kissing the
turf and embracing each other after their country's finest sporting
moment.

Saudi Arabia were outplayed by an Iraqi team riding high on a wave of
national support.

The Iraqis created a string of chances, only to be denied by sloppy
finishing and extraordinary saves from Saudi goalkeeper Yasser Al
Mosailem.

Saudi Arabia had been the best attacking team in the tournament,
scoring 12 goals on their way to the final, but could not find a way
past the Iraqis, who had the best defence in the competition,
conceding just two goals in six matches.

Few people had given Iraq any chance of winning the tournament after a
haphazard preparation brought about by the war at home and facing
opponents who were appearing in their sixth final in 23 years.

Iraq were forced to train and play their qualifiers in neutral
countries and their coach, Brazilian coach Jorvan Vieira, who said he
planned to quit after the match, only had two months to mould a team
that included Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish players.

None of the Iraqi players have been untouched by the war and although
they have tried to mask their grief, there were constant reminders of
the sectarian violence at home.

At least three players in the squad have lost relatives in the past
two months and all the players wore black armbands during the final in
memory of the 50 people killed by suicide bombers after Wednesday's
semi-final win over South Korea.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who was at the Gelora Bung National
Stadium for the final, said Iraq's achievement had inspired millions
and was proof of sport's unique power to unite people in the most
desperate circumstances.

<http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=2833&art_id=nw20070729170115627C361511>
Iraq wins final in a hail of gunfire

July 29 2007 at 05:10PM

Baghdad - Thousands of Iraqis including members of the security forces
defied a strict government ceasefire order to welcome their football
squad's Asian Cup victory on Sunday with a barrage of gunfire.

Soldiers, police and civilian gunmen loosed off long volleys of
automatic fire skywards and into the waters of the Tigris within
seconds of the final whistle in Jakarta, where Iraq's national side
beat Saudi Arabia 1-0.

Earlier, Baghdad security authorities had imposed an overnight vehicle
curfew in order to prevent insurgent car bomb attacks and ordered
police to arrest anyone who took part in the traditional celebratory
gunfire.

Nevertheless, troops and cops were among the first to start pumping
out rounds from their AK-47 assault rifles and Glock pistols at
checkpoints and barracks in the centre of the war-torn capital.

Armed citizens and private security guards shot from the roofs of
buildings in the downtown Karkh and Rusafa districts, where river
bridges were eerily empty as Iraqis obeyed the curfew and watched the
match at home or in cafes.

Large crowds did gather at some road junctions however, waving flags.

On Wednesday, following Iraq's semi-final victory over South Korea,
car bombs killed at least 50 celebrating fans and wounded more than
120 others, while stray celebratory fire cut down at least two more
bystanders.

The Iraqi team's progress in the tournament has been a rare source of
shared national celebration in a country beset by violence and rifts
between Sunni and Shi'a, Arab and Kurdish communities. - Sapa-AFP

--
Yoshie