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It started off as a battle among 2 Singapore teams, 2 English teams, 1 Italian team and 1 Brazilian team.

The Singapore under-15s and under-16s, together with Everton and Newcastle United under-15s and Juventus under-15 and CR Flamengo under-15s.

All sides were vying for one title – the 23rd Canon Lion City Cup. And after Everton and Newcastle United were booted out of the competition due to the fact that they finished last during the group stage and 2 semi-final clashes that saw the Singapore under-16s winning on penalties and the under-15 losing to Flamengo, it was all systems go to claim both 3rd and 1st place.

The proceedings of the day kicked off at 6.00pm, with the Singapore under-15s going against Juventus in a clash which would decide the 3rd and 4th place winners.

And it was the Singapore side that showed a taste of its goal-scoring flair in the 26th minute, when Irfan Iezran slid in cooly to the left-hand side of the goalmouth for a tantalising opener. This led to the Singapore team fanclub, Lions All The Way (LATW), breaking into rapturous cheers.

Members of the Lions All The Way fanclub were jubilated after the Singapore under-15s scored the opener through Irfan Iezwan.

The LATW crew continued their cheers all the way into the 2nd half and were duly rewarded in the 63rd minute when Muhd Azhar launched a shot right outside the penalty area, giving Juventus custodian Elezaj Entonjo no chance to get his fingers on the ball.

This was after the Turin side’s forward, Fabio Gili, received his marching orders from the referee following his 2nd yellow card.

In response, the LATW crew were heard chanting, “Azhar is a legend!”

Muhd Azhar, the legend in the eyes of the Singapore fans.

The crew did not have to wait longer than 5 minutes to cheer again, when Adam Swandi made it 3-0 as the son of former national striker Swandi Kit-to worked his way through the defensive barrier of the Italian opposition.

In the 84th minute, Muhd Azhar got his brace as he slotted a penalty home. 4-0 it was and a victory for the under-15 Cubs.

“You’ll never beat the Lions…” The LATW crew sang in unision. They were right this time.

But unfortunately for them, the same could not be said for the match after – the final between the Singapore under-16s and the CR Flamengo under-15s, as the Cubs crashed out to the Brazilian side 3-4 on penalties.

A cameraman from official media captures the medic from the Singapore side attending to an injured player.

From the very start, it looked like an even contest between both sides, getting almost an equal percent of possession and constantly finding ways to penetrate one anothers’ defence.

But it was to no avail, as despite Singapore finding a couple of good chances – with one shot ramming straight into the crossbar, they were unable to break the deadlock at half time.

Still, the Cubs would have been comforted to know that the Everton under-15 team were rooting for them. As the support base for the LATW crew grew from around 20 to more than 40 in the cluster, the boys from the Toffees eagerly joined in, after a small group of CR Flamengo supporters paraded behind their dug-out with toms and flags.

Jon Kenny from the Everton under-15 team, showing his support for the Singapore side in the final.

The Cubs were left to rue many more missed chances in the 2nd half, as were Flamengo. This frustration was apparent between both sides as they gamely pushed forward in the hope of an answer.

But the calls for a respite from the goal drought were not met with any answer. “Come on, you Lions!” was pitted against the samba beat of the Flamengo fans. Head-to-head, the score after 94 minutes was still 0-0. That was when the penalties came.

The shootout saw No. 10 Hanfi Akbar of the Cubs scoring the first penalty. Brazilian Lincoln Fernando levelled the scoreline next.

Hanafi Akbar from the Singapore under-16 side reeling away after scoring the first penalty in the shootout.

But Iskandar Khairul Anuar, who scored in the previous semi-final penalty shootout against Juventus, found his shot saved. Hanafi stepped up the console him and more consolation was to come when CR Flamego’s next shot was saved.

But another miss by the Cubs saw them bowing out to the Brazilians, as the sudden-death kicked in and the Singapore side were left with a bitter taste of losing the trophy they came so close to winning on home soil.

Off the pitch, another bitter sentiment was shared among the LATW crew. There was an air of animosity against state-run media conglomerate Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). Their protest was in response to Malay daily newspaper Berita Harian’s story on the Cubs, which the fanclub perceived as cynical.

The Lions All The Way crew voices their discontent against Malay-language newspaper Berita Harian over allegedly cynical comments made in an article, directed towars the Cubs.

Nevertheless, there was anything but cynicism amongst the fans, as they applauded Flamengo for their win and the Cubs for their never-say-die attitude.

“We’ll try again, we’ll try again, we’ll try again, we’ll try A-GAIN…”, hollered fanclub ambassador Mervin Tan, 34, who is also a Hougang United fanclub ambassador.

That’s right, the Cubs will try again for their next shot at glory, come 2012. This time, for the 24th Lion City Cup.

Shambolic performances, players’ mutiny, shocking losses, tired legs from playing months of intensive football in Europe, disallowed goals, altitude and a much derided match ball that swivels like a kite, the litany of excuses, rhetoric disguised as rationalisations, and tragic endings to the hyperbolic headlines ring hollow and louder than even the vuvuzelas.

Where do we even begin?

It was written in the first match night with the Jabulani ball (which you can win from UrbanWire’s World Cup microsite) kicked off by the farcical French, which subsequently descended into a strike (very French, if you ask me), its Sports Minister and federation chiding the players into shame and the 2006 finalist’s eventual exit. Good riddance to Allez France, including defending champions Italy, which comprises a stable of old war horses puffing their way through ignominy.

And there was the low goal ratio in the earlier part of the tournament thanks to half-fit players (Drogba, Torres, Kaka, Ronaldo guilty as charged) and a ball that floated uneasily in the air and bounced too easily off goalkeepers’ safe hands (Robert Greenfingers). Until Germany’s 4-0 defeat of Australia, Argentina’s 4-1 drubbing of South Korea and Portugal’s 7-0 goal buffet lifted some spirits.

It was ironic too when the world’s best players plied their trade in some of the toughest leagues in Europe and ended up all bruised and battered at the end of the seasons, carrying their bags to South Africa. Turns out it was just an Indian summer for so-called European mavericks like France, Italy, Serbia, Greece and Denmark, teams that arrived with some respect, high expectations but offered absolutely nothing to the imagination.

But if fatigue were not an excuse, then what does one make of Carlos Tevez and Gareth Barry, club mates at Manchester City who played almost the same number of club matches, but performed differently at their respective national levels? Tevez was brilliant for Maradona’s Argentina, but Barry failed to make an impact in an indifferent English side.

History doesn’t lie and has a habit of foretelling what lies ahead. No European team has won the World Cup outside of its continent, which is a hard fact for favourites Spain, Netherlands and Germany to stomach. Spain’s shocking 1-0 loss to Switzerland and Germany’s 1-0 defeat by Serbia showed how these Europeans could simply choke in the winter altitude anytime.

Choke they did and the latest fallen comrade in the second round included the Three Lions that became lambs slaughtered by the ruthless Germans. The English returned home to criticism from the melodramatic press (no surprises) which in the first place heaped praises and pressure on the team before the tournament, labelling them the golden generation. With Emile Heskey, the Aston Villa striker who managed 5 goals for the entire season in the English Premier League, there’s nothing gold, silver or glittery about Fabio Capello’s squad.

Amid the banality befitting the World Cup (think England’s goalless draw with Algeria, France’s half-hearted displays and Cristiano Ronaldo’s no-show at the tournament except for a farewell spit), there’s still a glimmer of hope that things will turn for the better because sports, above politics, above show business and above contrite Hollywood movies, makes people believe in the impossible.

A belief that beauty, technique and God’s work shall prevail in Lionel Messi dribbling with the ball glued to his feet, Mesut Ozil slicing a pass through the Australian defence like butter and Arjen Robben sidestepping defenders before stroking the ball into the net.

This belief and hope exist.

Such is the unadulterated hope and infectious joy of every football fan in watching the Spanish play tiki-taka football, the Brazilians exulting samba while balancing Dunga’s pragmatism, the organised Germans counter attacking swiftly, the Dutch mesmerising us with Total Football, the Argentineans attacking and attacking with careless abandon under the spell of their legendary coach who is unfortunately, or rather uncomfortably wrapped in a fancy suit, and just about every South American team making meatballs (or picanha) out of the European continental masters.

Goals imploded (David Villa and Gonzalo Higuain have four goals each), returning players like Robben showed glimpses of brilliance, back-to-back action flowed (Germany vs England, Argentina vs Mexico) and the Asians fared admirably with South Korea and Japan advancing to the second round. Even the beautiful free kicks were translating into goals.

Finally, there is life breathed into football, magic instilled in those blessed legs and a sense of wonder that more is to come in the last 7 matches of the tournament. UrbanWire waits with bated breath at the sight of open, magnetic football between Brazil and the Netherlands and at the juxtaposition of liberating and counter attacking between Argentina and Germany.

In just over a week, the world will come to terms and mourn the end of a sporting event that dazzled many, berate poor refereeing decisions, curse under-performing players, chant the names of goal scorers, whisper prayers for victories and healing injuries, and celebrate the 2 deserving teams that will play their hearts out in the finale in Soccer City. This time, the cries, chants and prayers will shake the grounds much louder than the vuvuzelas.

Ronald Wan is a contributing editor. For more match reports and news, and the chance to win the Jabulani soccer ball, visit our World Cup microsite at http://www.theurbanwire.com/worldcup