Iraq 1 Saudi 0, ASIAN CUP FINALS

Reuters ^ | July 29, 2007 | Reuters

[alligator]

AKARTA (Reuters) - Iraq defied seemingly impossible odds to beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the Asian Cup final on Sunday, providing a fairytale ending to the tournament and a rare moment of celebration in their war-torn homeland.

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 net.

Saudi Arabia had been bidding to become the first country to win the Asian Cup four times but were outplayed by an Iraqi team riding high on a wave of national support.

Iraq's unexpected victory not only captured the imagination of the sporting world but helped unify a country ravaged by war and ripped apart by sectarian violence.

[davidosborne]

GREETINGS FROM Baghdad!! Happy to report that I survived all the celebratory fire going on outside for the past couple of hours !! I have some poor quality video that I took of a small group of Iraqi's walking about the FOB in a victory celebration march ! Way to go IRAQ !! video is uploading to youtube right now VERY slow internet connection.. will post url when I get it..

David

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

his pastimes included urinating on them and whipping them, and then dunking them in raw sewage to insure their wounds would become infected.

Soccer defeat would lead to mandatory sole beating with an iron rod while hung upside down. The bones would splinter into pieces, paralyzing them for life.

[dfwgator]

Detroit has had worse “celebrations” than the one in Baghdad.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[JLS]

The highlights of the final are up now.

http://www.afcasiancup.com/en/fanzone/hilights.asp

[Azzurri]

Detroit has had worse “celebrations” than the one in Baghdad.

One idiot atop a burning police car in 1984. Detroit has had many peaceful championship celebrations since then (Red Wings, Pistons, Tigers). Detroit has many, many problems, but celebrating championships with violence is one bad rap that is just not true.

[tubasonum]

“but could not find a way past the Iraqis, who had the best defense in the competition,”

Backed by the US troops?

P.S. Expect more bombings.

[HonestConservative]

stay safe, please, thanks for the ping.

[BroncosFan]

I admit, I was kinda rooting for the Saudis because Iraqi soccer triumps = lots of dead innocent civilians. But it truly has been peaceful. My buddy’s trailer took a round, but he’s fine. Much, much better than last week.

[EveningStar]

titter

[romanesq]

Wrong move on two counts. Never root against the human spirit. And in this case, never root for the Saudis, victory to them will just make cash move faster to the Wahabists in terror operations in Iraq, and elsewhere. Not to mention the control over mosques in the U.S.

So stay with us and enjoy victory.

“This is not just about football... this is more important than that,” Iraq’s Brazilian coach

[NordP]

Thanks!

[elhombrelibre]

Yeah, good one.

[Azzurri]

Dearborn streets fill with Iraqi soccer fans

(excerpt)

Jonnelle Marte / The Detroit News

DEARBORN -- There's partying in the streets of Dearborn today, as joyful Iraqi-Americans, who've not had much to cheer in recent years, celebrate Iraq's first Asian Cup soccer championship.

People waving Iraqi flags poured onto Warren Avenue -- the main street of Dearborn's Arab community -- on bikes, on foot, and in cars. Underdog Iraq defeated Saudi Arabia to clinch its first Asian Cup soccer championship today.

"We've had so little to celebrate for the past four or five years that something like this is great," said 19-year-old Murtatha Zalzala.

"This is more of a political victory, not just a game," added his mother, Najwa Aljawad, a professor of Arabic studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

"It shows that Iraqis are stubborn, very persistent and that they are alive."

[Issaquahking]

Winning hearts and minds is a story that can’t be ignored. Even the MSM will have to acknowledge this and more! Had to check here, or FRNW, to make sure it was true!

[dfwgator]

"We've had so little to celebrate for the past four or five years that something like this is great," said 19-year-old Murtatha Zalzala.

So toppling Saddam wasn't something to celebrate?

[davidosborne]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4GDQBdsvRI

Finally finished upload ENJOY

[jveritas]

WOW!!! I am so glad that they won :)

[elhombrelibre]

Great!!!

[E.G.C.]

BTTT