Iraq's Asian Cup win transcends sport

By Julian Linden

JAKARTA (Reuters) - The healing power of sport has always been an objective issue. Its ability to unite people is balanced by its capacity to divide.

For every winner, there has to be a loser. One man's ecstasy is another man's agony.

Yet, if ever there was an argument that sport can succeed where politicians, armies and even religions may fail, then the 14th Asian Cup provided a compelling case.

Iraq's unexpected 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in Sunday's final at Jakarta was as much a triumph for human spirit as the athleticism and skill of their players.

Few people gave them any hope of making it past the group stages, let alone winning the tournament against teams boasting seasoned professionals who ply their trade in the rich European leagues.

The early signs for Iraq were not good. The squad was a patchwork of Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish players, fractured by the sectarian violence in their homeland.

The first three coaches who were offered the job of trying to mould them together politely declined. Only Jorvan Vieira, a Brazilian journeyman who had worked with 26 clubs and five national teams, took up the challenge.

AUSTRALIA DISAPPOINT

Iraq's first match of the tournament offered no clues about what was about to unfold. They struggled to salvage a 1-1 draw with co-hosts Thailand, but the momentum was only just beginning.

They beat pre-tournament favorites Australia 3-1 in their second game but their performance was overshadowed by claims of disharmony in the Socceroos camp.

The Australians, making their first appearance at the tournament after ditching Oceania in search of stiffer competition, were supposed to be the feelgood story of the tournament but failed to live up to their own expectations.

They scraped through to the quarter-finals by finishing second in their group and were bundled out by defending champions Japan on penalties.

Japan also disappointed.

After winning the two previous titles, they looked certain to make it three in a row but lost a pulsating semi-final to Saudi Arabia 3-2 then the third-place playoff to South Korea, which would have earned them an automatic place in the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar.

South Korea failed to score a single goal in their last three games. They beat Iran and Japan on penalties but lost the shootout that really mattered in the semi-final with Iraq.