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Will miracles never cease? Colombia revels in temporary peace, soccer success
MANIZALES, Colombia (AP) -- Victor Aristizabal walked off the field, a hero to his team and his country, and stopped to dedicate the goal that had led Colombia into the final of the Copa America. But there was a subtle edge to his message. "I dedicate the goal to this beautiful country we have," Aristizabal said. "I dedicate it to a happy people that could be one of the best countries in the world." It could be, if it weren't for the violence that nearly aborted the tournament before it began. And the success so far of the Copa America has given Colombians a distraction from their problems and a chance to feel good about their country again. "A Cup full of joy," read the headline Friday in El Tiempo, Colombia's biggest newspaper. In the caravans of honking cars draped in Colombian flags and the legions of jubilant fans decked out in red-yellow-and-blue jerseys and body paint, the joy was mixed with relief -- even vindication -- that the tournament had come off at all. It nearly didn't. The kidnapping of a top soccer official by leftist guerrillas two weeks before opening day led the South American Soccer Confederation to suspend the tournament. Then, in a stunning turnaround, the confederation reversed its decision and the Copa began on July 11 as scheduled. But Canada and Argentina didn't come, and some top international names also stayed home, citing their worries about safety. Fans complained that without Argentina the quality would suffer, and play began on an uncertain note. Providentially, the last-minute replacements played inspired soccer. Costa Rica reached the second round and saw fan clubs spring up for high-scoring Paulo Wanchope, and Honduras became the tournament sensation with upsets over Bolivia, Uruguay and mighty Brazil. More importantly, the Colombian team was simply perfect. Heading in to Sunday's final with Mexico, the hosts had five straight wins and hadn't allow a single goal. Aristizabal scored in every game and held the individual scoring lead with six goals. The feared political violence at the Copa didn't happen, although apparently it wasn't only because of the massive police presence at the venues. The country's biggest guerrilla group said its members were soccer fans and wouldn't disrupt the tournament. "We are lovers of sports and especially of the Colombian team, which we root for every game," said Hernan Ramirez, a high-ranking member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. "It doesn't bother us at all." The tournament even has been a financial success, with organizers saying it will more than recover costs. The government hopes the Copa will win it some good will at home and maybe defuse the violence. President Andres Pastrana has called it "the Peace Cup," and organizers plan to distribute colored cardboard at Sunday's final so fans can form a Colombian flag and a white one representing peace. "The success we have achieved with the Copa is the best demonstration that we are the majority of Colombians," Foreign Minister Guillermo Fernandez de Soto said. "We are capable of uniting to achieve a goal." Still, if the tournament so far has been peaceful, the violence hasn't gone away. On Thursday, armed guerrillas invaded an apartment building and kidnapped 15 people in the southern city of Neiva. A former state governor and three Germans also were kidnapped during the tournament. It's not clear what lasting benefits the Copa will bring Colombia. Poverty, unemployment, drugs and crime will go on as before. But Colombians are grateful to their national team and to coach Francisco Maturana for the breather they have provided. "In a question of days, Maturana has given us back the joy that they take away on all sides," sports columnist Daniel Samper Ospina wrote in El Tiempo. "We should thank him for giving us, for a few days, the chance to be happy in this land of death."
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