GOM World Cup Diary #28 – Whatever Happened To Seeing It Through?

There are few more dangerous words in football than, “It’s all over.”

Egypt probably thought exactly that with ten minutes to go last night.

Two goals ahead against Argentina, the quarter-final place almost within touching distance, and all that remained was to see the game through.

Football, as it so often does, had other ideas.

Argentina somehow found a way back, scoring three times in the closing stages to snatch a remarkable 3-2 victory. It was dramatic, breathtaking and, depending on which side you were supporting, either miraculous or utterly heartbreaking.

Mind you, Argentina do seem to have developed a remarkable knack in this World Cup for emerging from controversial evenings with exactly the result they were hoping for. Whether it’s good fortune, questionable officiating or simply the Football Gods deciding they rather like blue and white stripes, I’ll leave others to argue about. I suspect Egypt might have their own opinion.

But once the dust settled, it wasn’t the controversy that stayed with me.

It was those final ten minutes.

How often do we do exactly the same thing in life?

We think the hard work is done.

The decorating is nearly finished.

The business deal is all but agreed.

The holiday is almost over.

The garden is looking lovely.

Then, just when we’re already congratulating ourselves, something changes.

Life has an annoying habit of reminding us that the last few minutes often matter just as much as everything that came before.

Perhaps that’s why football is so addictive.

It refuses to let us relax.

A two-goal lead isn’t always enough.

A comfortable position isn’t always comfortable.

And a story isn’t finished until the final whistle blows.

I sometimes wonder if we’ve become so eager to celebrate arriving that we’ve forgotten the importance of actually crossing the finish line.

Seeing something through isn’t glamorous.

Nobody applauds the final coat of paint.

Nobody gets excited about proofreading the last page.

Nobody celebrates putting the tools away.

But those are often the moments that make the difference between almost and finished.

Argentina will remember the comeback.

Egypt will remember the last ten minutes.

And the rest of us are left with another gentle reminder from the Football Gods that they don’t care how the story begins, only how it ends.

Anyway, what do I know?

I’m just a grumpy old man.

Your turn — unleash your inner GOM.