The cause of some briefly united celebrations in war-torn Iraq.Their victory in this final in Jakarta was due to a combination of good organisation & team effort
amongst the mixed faiths of the Lions of Mesopotamia.
As has been the case in recent times (eg the 2006 World Cup & the 2004 European Championships) the best defence had come out on top.
But before a very supportive & sympathetic crowd of around 45,000 (rather than the announced 60,000) Iraq did more than just defend well as they often took the game to the more favoured Saudis.
In a better-than-average final their efforts were finally rewarded in the 70th minute when captain & driving force Younis Mahmoud headed the winner.
No kalashnikovs were fired into the air at the end but there were joyous scenes for Iraq's first Asian Cup success.
Whilst not always riveting (in my last seven games I saw only 4 goals) the tournament did offer up some striking experiences , not least in this final game.
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