Iraqi soccer team wins Asian Cup: Fixed?

[TheNoNamedOne]

I am not a soccer fan and really don't care much about it in general, but the fact that Iraq's 'national' team has won the Asian Cup has kinda piqued my interest -- particularly about the honesty of the win.

I mean, here we have players who are distracted by a war in their home country, and even if they themselves have somehow been shielded from the day to day dangers, surely they must be distracted from worrries about other family members or friends? Not to mention, with sporadic periods of off and on again training throughout the last several years, how could they maintain a level of competitiveness with their soccer playing equivelants in other more peaceful countries who participated in the tournament?

Geez, I think this is the first time I have ever delved into conspiracist theories, but I am wondering if some favors were requested during the tournament which appealed to other teams or coaches in a way to give something to Iraq so that they could be proud of -- a kind of pity present, if you will.

[Tempestuous]

That would be sad....though not totally an out of the question, possibility. (though I didn't watch or follow a single game, so it could be an honest win)

[dk]

Do you have any basis for this theory, or just that they should be too worried about what's going on in their own country to be able to play competitively?

Did you see something?

[TheNoNamedOne]

I have NOTHING at all to base it on, dk. Just a curious observation on my part, and am wondering if others see it as curious, too.

Lack of training, lack of concentrated training, lack of funds, and perhaps other things, to me all just combine in a way that would not allow them to be as skilled as highly as their opposing teams would be.

Sometimes arguments are prosecuted and won on circumstantial evidence rather than just hard evidence.

You mean their win never raised an eyebrow with you?

[Boost]

I suppose it is possible that with everything you listed that is going on in their home country provided motivation to excel and become something the citizens could be proud of.

But I see your line of thinking as a possibility as well.

[dk]

You mean their win never raised an eyebrow with you?
I don't really get a kick out of sports. This is the first I've even heard the news.

Edit: I feel retarded for never even realizing it, but this is the first I've even noticed Iraq was part of Asia................ I guess I haven't given the country enough thought.

[DoctorP]

No reason to suspect anything at all! I think that they just played well!

[TheNoNamedOne]

Extreme circumstances do not factor into observations and judgements?

[Tempestuous]

You know it is quite possible the players don't even reside in Iraq. Look at the international sports scene. The US has a plethora or international players yet when it comes to play Olympics they go running off to represent their home nation over the nation where they live and provides for them.

These soccer plays could have been nationals of Iraq without currently dealing day in and day out with these circumstances.

[DoctorP]

was it fishy when the US Hockey team won the Gold medal? I'm sure some people thought so, but occasionally underdogs do rise to the occasion!

[Tempestuous]

They do in deed sometimes do exactly that.
Besides the Hockey team- Look at even NFL & NBA in recent years, been several underdogs come in and wind up in playoffs, even win finals/super bowls.

[TheNoNamedOne]

was it fishy when the US Hockey team won the Gold medal? I'm sure some people thought so, but occasionally underdogs do rise to the occasion!

Questions can rightfully be raised when an underdog does win. Nothing wrong with that, and those questions can be legitimate depending on the scope of the circumstances.

To me, just one circumstance (simply being an underdog) would not raise my eyebrow, but if several extreme ones were side by side, then that does cause me to wonder if something is fishy.

[TheNoNamedOne]

Reading the paper today I found that all the players do not live in Iraq, and that they all play for separate middle eastern teams and were pulled from those to create one Iraq team.

Most of the players are Shia, 2 or 3 Sunni, and one Kurd (if my memory from the story is correct).

[newvalor]

I'd give those guys respect for what the have accomplished. being deployed myself right now, I have seen first hand how the Iraqi's have celebrated this win. being from different shite districts and facts is great in showing that they can work together and accomplish many underdog situations. saying that they were possibly given the wins is just yellow belly'd because it breaches the rules of sportmanship and at a time like this would jeopardize what the iraqi people have worked so hard for.

Why is it that everytime some under dog accomplishes something, there is always one who doubts all that has been done. some people just got too much freetime on thier hands.

[soldave]

I'd give those guys respect for what the have accomplished. being deployed myself right now, I have seen first hand how the Iraqi's have celebrated this win. being from different shite districts and facts is great in showing that they can work together and accomplish many underdog situations. saying that they were possibly given the wins is just yellow belly'd because it breaches the rules of sportmanship and at a time like this would jeopardize what the iraqi people have worked so hard for.

Why is it that everytime some under dog accomplishes something, there is always one who doubts all that has been done. some people just got too much freetime on thier hands.
Because sometimes the doubts are confirmed as being well-founded (as in the case of many sports/drug cases - Tour de France, rugby players etc)

[TheNoNamedOne]

Because sometimes the doubts are confirmed as being well-founded (as in the case of many sports/drug cases - Tour de France, rugby players etc)

Yes, soldave. That is right.