Iran lost to Spain yesterday in their World Cup group match, but before they fell, 1-0, there was a brief dream that something beautiful was going to happen.
Iran’s failed flip throw is a pretty good metaphor for everything that happened yesterday in the World Cup
It was so nearly cool, right up until it wasn’t.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
It was the final minute of added time, and Milad Mohammadi had a chance to fire in a throw-in, have a teammate get his head on the ball, and Iran would have a chance to shock the world and grab a point against world giants Spain.
Mohammadi dared to dream. What better time to unleash a throw-in that could gather as much momentum as possible and fire it in, catching Spain off-guard in the process.
He would try a flip throw.
He would fail at a flip throw.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking thing about the failed flip throw was the run-up to it, when Mohammadi kissed the soccer ball, then pointed up to the heavens for guidance. Then he biffed it, and had to retake the throw, and Spain won.
I don’t want to say that’s a clear message received, but, uh, not sure how else I’m supposed to interpret what just happened.
Anyway, I thought the moment was interesting not from a “ayyy LMAO, that man didn’t do the flippy throw” perspective, but rather because it was such a tidy little metaphor for everything that happened yesterday in the World Cup. Iran looked like they were going to nick a point against Spain, only to have a goal (correctly) disallowed.
In another match, a feisty and wonderful Morocco team took Portugal to the limit, only to have their dreams killed by a Cristiano Ronaldo header that was all but un-defendable.
That was yesterday, from the matches to that failed throw in: Brief moments of dreaming that something unexpected and beautiful was about to happen, and then the cold rush of reality.
Iran dreamed of glory, much like Mohammadi dreamed of flipping over the ball and firing it in for a win. In the end, Mohammadi lost his momentum, and sheepishly had to go back and do the thing conventionally. Spain and Portugal held on and won. Such is this World Cup.
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