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Penta Campiao

Brazil crowd know who they appreciate
How bright his star is shining

I was trying to think up tabloid headlines like ‘Kahn you believe it?’, ‘Ronaldo the Kahnivore’ to title this entry, but decided to keep it simple instead. Indeed, I’m only going to burden the world with another two points of game analysis. But before getting on to that, I have to say:

Congratulations to Brazil… commiserations to Germany… what a game that was…

So then, my two points… the first concerns the moment the Cup was lost; the second the moment it was won. I guess by now everyone knows when they were – the two Brazilian goals.

I had a feeling that this first meeting between Brazil and Germany might be defined by the Ronaldo/Kahn duel. It had been Kahn’s Cup until the final, in the sense that Manchester United’s European Cup victory had been Schmeichel’s Cup – the crowning moment of an illustrious career. For Ronaldo, on the other hand, there were the ghosts of France 1998 to lay to rest.

I would have felt gutted to see Germany lose 1-0 yesterday… when Kahn spilled Rivaldo’s weak shot at Ronaldo’s feet, he didn’t just give him the ball – but also the Cup. This was defining moment number one for me – not the goal itself, but Kahn’s fumble. I would have been upset to see Germany lose that way because I believe something as momentous as the World Cup should not be lost so much as won. And winning a game like that takes a positive statement of some kind…

Which is exactly what the second Brazilian goal was. A spectacularly beautiful goal, no less, which finished a move that contained everything I love about Brazilian football – blistering pace, guile and consummate skill. With that goal, I thought Ronaldo made victory legitimate.

In that second defining moment, Brazil won the World Cup.

The Pink Cow hosts a toast to the end of our trip and we remember France 1998 with a bottle of wine.

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What does happen to World Cup mascots when the comeptition finishes?

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Written by on Monday, July 1st, 2002

5 comments on this post

  1. The Boy Ignoble July 2, 2002 at 11:56 am

    And the Hun lost it.

  2. Tim, that’s lame.

    If you actually read the story, you’ll find that I’m suggesting the very opposite – that Germany (to give its proper English name and keep the peace around here) lost the Cup when Kahn spilt the ball to Ronaldo.

  3. Hey Chris, Phil and Rob…

    Already looking forward to 2006, keep in touch. Email me when you get back to England.

    Take care. Hi Rob, how’s business??

    Jamie

  4. The Real Boy Noble July 5, 2002 at 4:01 am

    Not responsible for that comment – there’s an imposter at large.

  5. Thanks for your message Jamie – which Jamie are you though? Please remind us if our memories are sieve-like.

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The Ball 2018 left England on 25th March 2018 and travelled to the World Cup in Russia.

The Ball 2014 kicked off from England on 9th Jan 2014 and headed to the World Cup in Brazil.

The Ball 2010 left England on 24th Jan 2010 headed to the Opening Ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Ball 2006 travelled from London to the Opening Ceremony in Munich, Germany.

The Ball 2002 was carried 7000 miles across Europe and Asia to the World Cup finals in Korea & Japan.