The just concluded FIFA Soccer Confederation Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was one of the most fantastic sporting events in modern times. Teams around the world gathered in Brazil in the spirit of sports to battle for the cup. Despite the cup being organized in good faith and in the spirit of sportsmanship, the final game between Spain and the hosts Brazil entailed much drama. First of all, players were seen multiple times pushing each other and in some cases almost fighting. As the match progressed Gerald Pique a renowned center back for the Spanish side suffered a red card for not portraying sportsmanship in defending against Brazilian Striker Neymar da Silva Santos Junior.
In spite of the happenings on the pitch during the coveted final, the different newspapers did not focus on the negativity of the match. They did not preoccupy the readers with the stories about the hatred that might have been reflected by the actions of the players during the final game. Instead, different media outlets focused to how soccer is evolving and necessitating players to not only have the basic control of the ball but also have skills. Different media outlets explained the fact that the Brazilian team had more youthful players who played a different game than what has been traditionally been considered as being the convention in the soccer pitch. Most importantly, the media outlets explained to the readers about the different traditions and cultures that has been associated with the game of soccer in both the nation of Spain and also in Brazil. For example, ESPN in reporting the confederation final talked in detail about the significance of the number 10 jersey on the Brazilian team. It was clear that this Jazzy has been worn and associated with players in the Brazilian team who display extraordinary skills in the field. According to ESPN the number 10 jersey originated from veteran Brazilian player named Pele and the number has over the years been transferred to star players in the team. Therefore, it is evident that news outlets today understand the impact of sports to the word and the harmony that it brings.
For this reason many media outlets have focused on the positives that result from sporting events in order to enhance global harmony and coexistence from different nation. To reinforce the idea that most of the media outlets focus on the positives in the sporting world, The Hindu newspaper presented an interesting article entitled “No hard feelings with Barcelona team mates’: Neymar” This article explained the fact that the Brazilian striker Neymar did not have any ill feelings regarding the final match in the confederation cup and that he was sure that his opponents did not have ill feelings against him (Ians 1). This indicates that sports are a social activity that allows people to know how to professionally handle both a loss and a win.
Through sports, players are able to understand that maintaining mutual respect and socialization among the players even after matches is important to the world (Hartmann & Kwauk 285). Neymar’s idea of not have any ill feeling about the opponents illustrates the fact that both losers and winners in the sporting world are important and should be handled with respect. Finally, the confederation cup brought together players of different races, nationalities, and creed. This is a clear illustration that sports are a fundamental way of promoting better appreciation for cultures and relations across the world.
Works Cited
Ahmed , Shahan . "Neymar or Oscar: Who is Really Brazil’s No. 10? - Yahoo! Sports." Yahoo! Sports - Sports News, Scores, Rumors, Fantasy Games, and more. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 July 2013. <http://sports.yahoo.com/news/neymar-oscar-really-brazil-no-10-162100782.html>.
Ians. " ‘No hard feelings with Barcelona team mates’: Neymar - The Hindu." The Hindu: Latest News, Breaking News, Current News, Live Updates on India & World. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 July 2013. <http://www.thehindu.com/sport/football/no-hard-feelings-with-barcelona-team-mates-neymar/article4869327.ece>.
Hartmann, Douglas , and Christina Kwauk. "Sport and Development : An Overview, Critique, and Reconstruction."Journal of Sport and Social Issues 35.3 (2011): 284-305. Print.
