At about 7 p.m. I was about to pay the cab driver for his kind service of 23 reais, when he said a heartfelt “parabens Costa Rica”. I didn’t try to contain my joy for a moment and prodded the conversation to share a little more of his impressions.
In his very polite Portuguese he told me that he was happy to see how “futebol” has leveled up in the world, as Costa Rica had shown how much can be achieved with talent and passion. He told me that the whole of Brazil had “twisted” for our country because the Sele had won the admiration of all. Before closing the door he added that in his opinion Costa Rica is, in his words: “moral champion of the world cup” and he convinced me in an instant.
Whether in Santos or in Istanbul, in Budapest or in Cape Town, in Nice, Melbourne or in any corner of the planet, our national soccer team made merits for countless comments like those of the cab driver. In fact, when we got up from the table that night, a whole family asked us for pictures because they wanted to remember the moment with the four unknown Ticos who had dined next to them.
And how could they not? Costa Rica had concluded its World Cup after earning a place of its own in the hearts of the whole world. Perhaps because we are a tiny country, because we are not a soccer power or because our team reflected humility, simplicity and bravery, fair and beautiful play, chivalry and respect. I believe that the entrepreneur was reflected in the Sele, the professional who starts his career or who has struggled for a lifetime as well. Individual merit multiplied into collective merit and there is no way that they are not a national inspiration today.
An hour and a half after the match against Holland, the Sele boarded the bus and headed to Salvador airport. They arrived in Sao Paulo after almost 2 hours on a Gol charter, the orange-colored Brazilian airline. From there, another bus took them to their training hotel in Santos in a stretch of almost two more hours. Therefore, it is not surprising that when they arrived at the hotel, they were completely exhausted.
However, as I went up to my room on the way to our floor of the Mendes Plaza Hotel, the elevator door opened and in walked Keylor Navas. To my amazement he looked cool and collected, even in the midst of our possibly tiresome displays of affection and admiration. With a great inner peace in sight, he blurted out a brief comment that struck me as much as the cab driver’s: ” Yeah… too bad. But it wasn’t so bad either.” And with this we went to sleep convinced of his human quality, also as a reflection of a whole winning team. So said the man who was “Man of the Match” on three occasions and a strong candidate for the “Golden Glove” of this unforgettable World Cup.
Brazil 2014 can never be properly remembered without a special mention to Costa Rica. Personally, I will never forget the privilege of life that it has been to meet these extraordinary athletes, pure Costa Ricans and sensitive ambassadors of an entire nation. However, it has also been a gift from heaven to meet the Fedefútbol team behind the Sele, heroes and heroines who deserve our appreciation and applause as well.
A summit has been reached and there are those of us who have come to believe that this stage has culminated as moral champion of the World Cup. Now it is time to project what we have learned to all our daily work, to allow inspiration to reach us in everything we propose and to ignite us to prepare for what is to come.
The journey continues and the best is always yet to come.
