Day -815 WorldCup2018
Yesterday I posed the the question, the thought, as to whether the fans of Galatasary and Fenerbache, the two rival football teams in Istanbul would care much about the local derby today after yesterday's suicide bombing in the city. They never got the opportunity to give us an answer in the stadium. The match was called off for security concerns not long before kick-off with many fans already in the stadium. But the fact that they were prepared to go anyway shows that they still intended to carry on with the fanatical support of their team despite the tragic events. Attendance at a sporting event, with football being one of the biggest ones, very often becomes a stage for people to come together emotionally and also a demonstration of the strength of the affected local citizens, a strength in numbers against those responsible for the tragedy.
The Istanbul derby is one of the most passionate in the world. This passion from the supporters is often terrifying, yet at the same time it is a demonstration of awe-inspiring support for a football team. The Turkish government was determined that it's citizens would carry on with life as normal today. But as impressive of a show this derby being played today would have been, it has to be countered with the frightening reality of thousands of people gathered in one place under the possible threat of a terrorist attack. Favouring safety over a determination to not be intimidated had to be the smart and safe decision.
I usually look for a humorous World Cup memory on Sunday. Today, in honour of Turkey, I recall their greatest World Cup performance ever. In 2002 they reached the semi-finals after this golden goal win over Senegal. The video below has it all: the commentator going wild in the language of the winning team, the coach in his suit running across the pitch and the golden goal. Why was the golden goal rule so short-lived?
Turkey, we hope to see you in Russia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cf70uWXYcU
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