Flags hanging from car windows flap furiously in the wind. Team jerseys make their way into the clothing rotations of many. Celebratory car horns linger in the air after a win. The World Cup is here, and it seems that everyone’s taking it in.
One of the most prominent ways the public is internalizing the exciting events is through the consumption of statistics. Team averages, player performances, injuries, mood—even the weather—it’s all avidly taken in by eager fans aiming to catch a glimpse into how the tournament will play out. For those of us who entered World Cup pools, these stats were carefully scrutinized prior to the whistle of the first match.
Perhaps the most noteworthy of these is the international team rankings. Of the 32 squads competing in the Cup, the host country, South Africa, came in as the tournament underdog, ranked 90th in the world (that’s even lower than Canada). The tournament opened with South Africa playing Mexico, the latter ranked 17th in the world.
From a statistical standpoint, a Mexican win would’ve been a safe bet, without question. The game, however, ended in a draw between the two countries, proving the limitations of pure stats. While risking a similarity to a cheesy Disney movie line, I’m going to go ahead and say it anyway: there’s more to sports than just numbers.
As much as we record stats and keep track of cold hard facts about our favourite teams and players, the human element in sport can neither be ignored nor downplayed. Being the first country to host the World Cup on the African continent, South Africa had more to play for than just a win. They have the eyes of the world feasting on their nation. And they have the pride of the continent resting on their shoulders. Their dismal stats proved irrelevant to their indomitable will.
After the match against Mexico, South African Siphiwe Tshabalala, who was voted ‘Man of the Match,’ stated: “We are leaving Soccer City with our heads up. We now know that we can compete with some of the best players in the world.”
Unfortunately, with today’s results, South Africa will go down in the record books as the first host nation to be eliminated in the first round of the World Cup, missing the next stage of play by the narrowest of margins. But what the record book won’t record—yet what we’ll always remember—is the sheer excitement of their improbable run.
– Emma Colucci is an intern with Athletes for Africa this summer. She recently completed her master’s at Ryerson University and played varsity soccer at Concordia as an undergraduate. You can email her here or leave a comment below.
