The 2018 World Cup in Russia has ended. Soon after Les Bleus defeated Croatia in the final, the Eiffel Tower in Paris lit up with dancing fireworks. The Croatian team, with its slogan “Mala Zemlja, Veliki Snovi” (Small Country, Big Dream), made it to the 2018 World Cup final through many hardships.
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AFP PHOTO/ODD ANDERSEN
France\'s players celebrate with the World Cup trophy after the Russia 2018 World Cup final football match between France and Croatia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 15, 2018.
The 2018 World Cup in Russia has ended. Soon after Les Bleus defeated Croatia in the final, the Eiffel Tower in Paris lit up with dancing fireworks.
The report that appeared on Monday (16/7/2018) in this daily was interesting. The Croatian team, with its slogan “Mala Zemlja, Veliki Snovi” (Small Country, Big Dream), made it to the 2018 World Cup final through many hardships. It went through three “life or death” matches in the knockout stage, involving injury times and penalty shootouts. The team exuded a towering fighting spirit, much like the unending hope of living through another day on a battlefield. This reminded everyone of the fact that Croatians led harsh lives during their war for independence in 1991-1995.
AFP PHOTO/LUDOVIC MARIN
A throng of people gather on the Champs-Elysees in Paris to celebrate France’s Russia 2018 World Cup victory on July 15, with the Arc de Triomphe framing the French national flag in the background.
Nevertheless, despite their greatness, the hardened Croatian warriors were eventually defeated by France’s team of football artisans, known for their slogan “Votre Force, Notre Passion, Allez Les Bleus” (Your Strength, Our Passion, Come on Les Bleus!) and its roster of rising young stars.
More than just talent, this year’s World Cup also showcased the innovative art of playing football. This was evident in Kylian Mbappe, with his sprinter-like run that made it hard for France’s opponents to catch him before he reached his opponents’ goalpost. He is truly a dangerous player.
We may also write paragraphs simply discussing the techniques, tactics and strategies the teams deployed in Russia. Is beautiful football, like Brazil’s “O jogo bonito” (the beautiful game), still reliable against effective football – which may not be beautiful, but is effective in scoring goals?
AFP PHOTO/LUDOVIC MARIN
A photograph taken from the top of the Arc de Triomphe on July 15 in Paris shows flares lighting the crowd below and fireworks lighting the evening sky as people celebrate France’s victory in the Russia 2018 World Cup.
The lights have been turned off at football stadiums in Russia, but the memories of the matches will live on in the players from 32 countries, as well as in the millions of fans that watched the games from June 14 to July 15.
The month-long football spectacle in Russia will also be good to reflect upon to improve Indonesian football. We can mull how hard it is for a nation with 260 million people to gather just 22 persons with golden feet to perform on the world stage.
Perhaps, before looking to European or Latin American teams, we can first look at Japan or South Korea. What have they done to make themselves eligible for the world’s greatest football event? Do they have better football training systems or better national league competitions?
AFP PHOTO/ERIC FEFERBERG
A large crowd gathers on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on July 15 to celebrate France\'s victory in the Russia 2018 World Cup final against Croatia.
Perhaps some will say that Indonesia – which is often overwhelmed by Thailand or Malaysia in matches – simply has no talent in football. Perhaps we should just focus on badminton. However, we can counter this with the argument that we have incredible runners like Lalu M Zohri.
We raise this discussion to ignite the nation’s sporting spirit ahead of the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang. We hope that we can learn lessons from the World Cup, or that Zohri can be an inspiration.
We believe that sports will help foster sportsmanship and a love of fairness and achievements among Indonesians.
