As Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo blew full time in Brazil’s 2-1 victory over Colombia, a small town in South America was left devastated.
Yet despite witnessing their country exit from the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the occupants of the main plaza in Salento, Colombia, rose to their feet as one to applaud their heroes.
There were tears, of course, and there were deflated faces, but the cheers rang out, the horns blared and salsa music overrode the commentary accompanying the footage of James Rodriguez’s tears.
The partying began.
This is football. This is what it means to live in a country, or a town, where sport and national pride truly collide. And far from the major cities of São Paulo, Bogotá, Medellín and Rio de Janeiro, this is where pride overrides disappointment.
No violence, no bitterness, just a party to celebrate how far an unheralded country had come in the world’s biggest tournament. While deaths in Bogotá accompanied Colombia’s round of 16 win over Uruguay, Salento’s reaction represented the true nature of the country.
Jairo, a Colombian-born 60-odd-year-old, who moved to South Carolina when he was 18, was visiting family in Salento for the World Cup. He, his brother, cousins and friends were in the Salento plaza for the Colombia versus Brazil match, but weren’t downtrodden amid defeat. Instead they cracked open another bottle of Aguardiente and began dancing.
In between puffs of a Lucky Strike, Jairo contemplated the loss.
“We played well,” he said.
“The referee didn’t help. They [the Brazilians] were constantly fouling James, there were no cards.”
It’s a sentiment that must ring true for anyone who watched the match. Carballo lost control of the contest early in the first half. His failure to book Marcelo for a cynical tackle was the beginning of the end.
The first yellow card wasn’t shown until the 64th minute, probably 40 minutes too late in a match that featured more than 50 fouls.
But while the bad decisions went both ways, it just so happens that the one crucial ruling went in favour of tournament’s host nation.
When 38-year-old Mario Yepes had the ball in the net in the 67th minute, Salento erupted. The sound was deafening. But a borderline offside decision denied a country an equaliser, and minutes later David Luiz had superbly put Brazil 2-0 up.
Colombia rallied in the final 20 minutes, and Brazil were rattled, but the underdogs could only manage the single goal. The hosts prevailed, once again, when they hardly deserved it.
All the same, Jairo didn’t dwell long on the poor officiating, the bad luck or the bitter taste of defeat. Instead, he hailed his country’s brilliant campaign, and praised their fighting spirit.
“Brazil are a good side,” Jairo said.
“But in the second half, we were better. We can be proud. We had an amazing [run].”
All around, the party continued. A pack of motorcycles did loops of the town, which has a population of less than 8000. Trucks overloaded with young Colombians blared music and screeched around corners.
Imagine if they’d won?
Throughout the World Cup, Colombia have represented the quality underdog. This is a country which is extremely proud, but not to the levels of nauseating patriotism. It feels real here. It feels genuine.
Labeled as a dark horse, even without the presence of star forward Radamel Falcao Colombia still performed beyond expectations. They played exciting football that defined team spirit and featured individual brilliance.
They were so close, yet the powerhouse of Brazil prevailed. It’s a shame for the neutral, but that’s football.
The residents of Salento didn’t mourn defeat, nor should anyone else mourn for them. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, they celebrated their heroes, their team and their country. A victory would have been overwhelming, but a run to the quarter finals and an honourable defeat was the next best thing.
When Carballo called time on Colombia’s World Cup campaign, it failed to have the desired effect on Salento. Instead of deflating them, it reminded the town’s residents why they love their country.
It’s a beautiful moment to watch people rise above defeat and disappointment. It’s a moment that encapsulates all that is great about the world game, and one which represents the true Colombian spirit.
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