Patriotism in the World Cup

When North Korea played against 5-time World Champions Brazil, they dared not hope for victory. When their national anthem was played, one player actually burst into tears due to overwhelming emotion. After that, they proceeded to hold out against Brazil for the better part of an hour, actually scoring one goal against the 5-time Champions!

In stark contrast, France. Despite having some of the best players in the world, they lost 0-2 to unfancied Mexico. What went wrong here? Was there a lack in quality? No. Was the coach too incompetent? Well, maybe a little bit. But what really killed France was their players' lack of national pride. Most of the French team are earning hundreds of thousands of pounds a week with their clubs, a testament to their quality. But they do not earn anything at all when playing for their country. Is that the reason why they lost to Mexico? Because the French players have lost their fire and passion? I, for one, feel that way. Now, France is facing the very real possibility of an early exit. In order to progress, they must triumph over South Africa, the hosts, by a huge margin and hope that Mexico or Uruguay lose to one another. South Africa are hoping for the same result.

However, if you were to ask me who I'd place my money on in the South Africa - France match, I would say South Africa. Why? Because the Africans are proud to be playing for their country, in their very first World Cup in the world, on home soil. These people are in the deal for the pride, the glory of being able to represent their country, not for the money. There is no money involved unless you are the champions. North Korea is, by far, one of the lowest-ranked team in South Africa 2010. But they showed their mettle even against former World Champions who are high above them in terms of ranking. They have proved that, if you have the willpower and pride in whatever you do, impossible is nothing.