Iraqis Take Pride in Soccer Team

[Lyte]

I wish they had managed to go farther. The Iraqi people need something to unite them. They need (I think) something based on their nationality and not religion.

Iraqis Take Pride in Soccer Team
CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA Friday, December 15, 2006

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Beset by daily violence, Iraqis found some solace in their soccer team's run to the final of the Asian Games, even though it ended in defeat on Friday. For many fans, just getting that far was a triumph over adversity.

"It is great that our team reached this level," said Haider Qassim, a 23-year-old student. He noted that other teams train at elite camps abroad or bolster their ranks with foreign-born stars, while Iraqi players have endured scarce resources and security threats.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, congratulated the Iraqi team. "Their silver medal demonstrates the capabilities of the Iraqi people when they unite across sectarian lines for a common purpose," they said in a statement.

Iraq's bid for a gold medal at the Asian Games ended in a 1-0 loss to Qatar in the soccer final. The team scored narrow wins over Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals and South Korea in the semis, victories that set off celebratory gunfire in the streets of Baghdad and other cities.

Scattered gunfire followed the defeat Friday, but the streets were relatively quiet. Friday is the traditional day of Muslim prayer, and many Iraqis restrict their movements out of security concerns.

"Despite the unstable situation, our team won the silver medal," said a contented Hewa Kameran, 21, of Sulaimaniyah in the Kurdish north. He noted that many Iraqis wanted the national team to lose during the rule of Saddam Hussein.

"I like our team because all sects and ethnicities can join," said Zana Kerim, a 35-year-old Kurd. Saddam was ousted in 2003 by a U.S.-led invasion, and the current team comprises Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds.