World cup lessons

The world cup is finally over, the biggest global sporting event and most viewed word wide. It has been a month of epic soccer showdown, punctuated with the biggest upsets ever witnessed as far as soccer is concerned. I have to admit though that this was the only world cup I covered fully even though I missed a couple matches once in a while. I for some reason feel this event came to and end too soon, well lets just say time waits for no man. World cup in brazil lived up to the expectations of millions. 
It was anticipated to be the best ever with all the matches being top of the bill.
It sure did attract large droves of people from all walks of life. Anybody who got to watch the world cup had something to learn. Well, that may vary depending on individuals but I personally learnt alot from this beautiful game of soccer. Things get very interesting when you begin to relate sports with real life, and thats exactly what sports are meant for though very few people view things from that angle.

Revenge is a dish best served cold:
I'm a huge fan of the Dutch team and was so optimistic that they would deliver. The duel between spain and holland was one of the most entertaining and shocking as well. These two have a long historical rivalry in football with the 2010 world cup being their last encounter. The vendetta between these two sides was stirred up when holland lost to spain in the finals in the worst possible manner. This world cup would turn out to be the exact opposite as holland thrashed their opponents by a whooping 5 goals, yes five goals. I believe this should be a reminder to all that he who laughs last laughs best. Revenge would'nt have come in a better way for the Holland team, it was a massive win and probably one of the biggest upsets in recent times as most pundits would argue. It's a shame that cannot be undone in the history of the game, not unless something out of the ordinary occurs in the coming years.

Self reliance:
There are eleven players in a soccer team going by the rules of the game. All these players have a role to play and work cohesively towards a common target. I think branding some players as sacred cows became the ultimate downfall of some teams in the world cup. To be more candid, Neymar's absence in the Brazilian team disoriented them, and as if thats not enough Thiago Silva was also missing in action. Another notable example was Uruguay minus Luis Suarez who was suspended too. In life you got to learn to live without some very important people and this will prepare you for any eventuality.
Had Brazil played their game unpertubed by the loss of  Neymar and Thiago, they would have won this tournament with remarkable ease. So therefore rely completely on people at your own peril. The loss to Germany was so big a defeat, and that reflects just how much hope had been bestowed on Neymar.

Determination:
The relentless pursuit for succes never stops until the prize is achieved. I was amazed how teams dimmed as underdogs turned the tempo of the game. Teams I literally saw packing and leaving Brazil as soon as they arrived made it to the quarter finals. I'd love to commend Columbia, Costa Rica and Chile and those teams that made it to the round of sixteen particularly Algeria. Individual brilliance showcased by Rodriguez was stunning too and He had the guts to score more goals than anyone else in the tournament. I think each of one of us has the ability of breaking the jinx and soaring to greater heights all it takes is motivation and undying will to prosper. I saw my Kenyan soccer team out in Brazil and I believe they harnessed some inspiration from how Algeria performed.

Team work:
As I had earlier mentioned, all players have a role to play for the good of the team. Whenever theres any form of discord in the team or personal feuds amongst players then the team is poised to fail. I was the biggest fan of Cameroon but am so disappointed that they were the first team sent packing. Why? The Cameroon team seemed not to be as united. The scenes during their Croatia match were sickening and I blame the players for the dismal perfomance. In life you have to work with other people when need be. This applies in nearly all social avenues such as school, at work, in the family etc. There were so many other teams which failed to impress because of strife and disunity amongst players. France on the contrary yielded better results because of the urge to work together and of course the formidable team spirit. If you can remember, they paid dearly for lack of a strong team bond in the last world cup. The results were devastating and utterly unbeleivable for a top tier team.

Patience:
Being tolerant and holding on in hard times can save you alot.Talking about the finals, the Argentines withstood the frequent German attacks for a significant time frame. It's often said that most people give up at the eleventh hour not realizing the prize is just a leap away. Argentina lost concentration for a second and paid dearly. Maybe they thought there was'nt any time left and they would proceed to the penalties. Ivory Coast succumbed to late defeat too because of sloppy soccer and lack of concentration. Never give up in whatever you do because success is never an illusion.

Tolerance:
The world cup should provide a platform where varied cultures converge. Living together and playing together during the world cup creates harmony and frankly speaking there was'nt anything like racism in this particular tournament. A big thumbs up to FIFA  for ensuring this was accomplished. One game that i found very interesting was the Nigeria vs Iran match and the spirit of brotherhood exhibited was exemplary. There were many other matches worth noting and the spirit of sportmanship was amazing throughout the entire tournament. It's our uniqueness that makes the world a better place.

We'll forget the world cup as soon as it ends, but not the the good lessons that came with it. Congratulations to the Germans who worked tirelessly hard to lift the trophy.