Editorial: A Day to Fear/I want a 4-6-0 – Part I

Football can be fascinating in many ways. Football can also be unjust and cruel in many ways. FIFA decided that Iran and Saudi Arabia have to travel to Korea DPR and play away to the host while South Korea another contender to the World Cup 2010 can play its neighbouring country at home and on neutral ground. FIFA where is the justice in that?

In November 2008 Saudi Arabia feared the upcoming qualifier against its visitor South Korea. Not because of its opponents who had a losing jinx against the Saudis and neither of course because of its unbeaten home run in decades. No, it was because the Saudis were missing half of it’s starting eleven including their biggest stars like Qahtani and Maaz. To replace them a promising youngster from the crowded Ittihad bench who was yet to play a minute in the qualifiers (and barely a minute of international football), Naif Hazazi. After an hour of play and no broken deadlock we had a breakthrough, as Hazazi seemingly was fouled and the home crowd cheered for a penalty kick though the referee from Singapore sent a shocked Hazazi off for diving. Soon a possible home lead turned into a 0-2 loss and a much-upset Saudi Arabia.

Iran’s campaign has been cruel more than anything else. Or how about losing five points at home in front of almost 200 000 in the stands in the last couple of minutes or so against the Saudis and the South Koreans? Or how about that penalty kick Gholamreza Rezaei was denied by the Malaysian referee in the dying minutes away to the UAE? Because of all that Iran is now only one kick away of being kicked out and left out from the 2010 World Cup.

Korea DPR might not just yet be there, but their story won’t stop fascinating me. If it wouldn’t be for a huge goalkeeping blunder and the absence of millimetre justice (Chong Tese seemingly scored a goal that the none of the referee's saw) Korea DPR could and probably would be the first nation to qualify for South Africa 2010. Now instead they have a mountain to climb against a nation (Iran) they have never ever been close to beat, even though they have had more than a dozen of chances. Though Korea DPR is still yet to concede a single goal on home-soil and they will rely on their eleven eleven-men defence to keep that zero in their last 90min in Pyongyang…