Soccer

The Iraqi soccer team beat Vietnam 2-0 in the quarterfinals of the Asia Cup yesterday, setting off a wild celebration across Baghdad. Every television in the city would have been set to the game if it weren't for the lack of electricity, so instead people crowded around TVs in homes or businesses with private generators.

The significance of this team to the people of Iraq probably cannot be overstated. As we're often reminded, there are Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds who play, and Iraqis love them all because they bring pride to the country. The celebratory gunfire after the big win yesterday lasted for more than an hour (12 people were accidentally killed, but we try not to let this diminish the celebration). On Wednesday, Iraq will play the winner of today's Iran-South Korea match in the semifinals.

In a soccer-crazed country, it's hard not to get excited about the team's success. Yesterday I found myself cheering a brilliant goal by Iraq's star striker along with all of the Iraqis in our office. I'll tell you one thing: thanks to our generator, we'll all be watching Wednesday!