The Meek shall inherit the Earth says the Bible ( Matthew 5:5) .
It has been close to a fortnight since the festival of football kicked off in the deserts of the Emirates.
Nations with understated players playing in the leagues that are not considered the elite have proven that sport is a great leveler, success a fickle mistress, and status just a mirage.
It has been different like it always is. New heroes, new villains, and a script that rides the waves of human emotions are what make the World Cup what it is.
The FIFA World Cup is a reality check of the state of the game. It is nothing like the Bundesliga, La Liga, or the EPL, where well-drilled teams, rich owners, and overpaid stars, play out the show week after week. It is the stage where the emotions are more about a Nation's pride and hope. Pride, in its history, its sporting traditions, and the hope that future that holds. The stage where ballooning egos are burst, tiny hopes are enlarged on the global screen, and underdogs are most welcome.
This edition of the global extravaganza has not been different. As the first round of matches is done with there have been many surprises, which are, funnily enough, expected in every edition.
Let us begin with the minnows a thoroughly unfair word produced by those who judge the sport. Though unfair , let me stick to it.
A look at the list of teams that emerged out of the group skirmishes will throw out a few surprising names. Australia, Senegal, the USA, Morocco, and Japan make this an interesting list.
The USA wasn't playing in the last edition. Morocco and Australia played in 2018 and went home without a single win.
Japan's inclusion as a surprise may be contended, as they were around and had also qualified for the knockouts last time albeit just on account of fewer yellow cards compared to Senegal who they tied with in the Group in 2018. It is just the way they made it this time that speaks of their achievements. They came in with a team that had about half the players playing in their local leagues, and the rest except a few contracted to middle-tier teams in leagues around the world.
They were perfect candidates to be underestimated and both Germany and Spain learned it the hard way. Of course they need to thank technology for being a willing ally. The most surprising statistic is the one that reveals Japan who topped the table , had just 17 and 26 % possession in the matches they won against Spain and Germany. It is an indication of a team playing to a plan, defending deep and counter attacking.
Morocco too had a tough group to contend with. The busy bustling team wasn't probably rated highly, but they were always a threat. The two stars they had in their ranks, Achraf Hakimi and Hakim Ziyech, were instrumental in holding it together. They were of course helped, by some lackluster, toothless football from the underachieving Belgians.
Senegal , the current African Champions have some of the best in the business in their ranks. Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly ply their trade in the top clubs of Europe. Even without an injured Mane, they stuck to their style and didn't need the slice of luck they had last time.
A sport is not to be defined defined only by the winners, it owes as much to the show from the vanquished and the underdog.
Saudi Arabia shocked Argentina , Japan delivered the cut that started the German Bleed. Cameroon the ultimate showman of the World Cup, waited till the last minute of the League stage to pull off the heist. It was reminder to Brazil that even a dominant display is many a times not enough without a goal on the sheet.
The big guns have mostly made it through, though not without a few hiccups on the way or dents to their reputations. Brazil looked impervious at times, only for the aging Aboubakar to give them an awakening. England moved on, trundling rather than marching. France looked assured, only to be reminded of the frailties of the game by another minnow Tunisia. Argentina stumbled into the knockouts, aided more by the power of the fan's hopes, than the team's performance.
Croatia kept themselves under the radar. While the world lost itself in their adulation of the likes of Ronaldo and Messi, the ageless and unassuming Luka Modric was doing what he does best. With Luka pulling the strings, Croatia have quietly qualified. Simple, silent and businesslike. Underestimate them at your own risk, the other teams are warned.
The next few weeks will be interesting, noisy, and emotional as each of the teams and their fans will dream of the ultimate glory. We might be seeing for the last time, some of the footballing greats on this ultimate football stage. They have done their part, and as the ball keeps rolling , new stars, new hopes and new dreams will find space on this sporting stage.
In summary, this has been a group stage where none of the top-ranked teams had a perfect record. This is the first time since 1994 when no team amongst those in the knockouts has won all their matches.
That, if not anything is an indication that the meek are getting there.......
Sudhir Bhattathiripad
Be A Sport