A Brazilian boost for Iraqi soccer fans

Tens of thousands of fans poured into the streets of Baghdad on Wednesday in celebrations that lasted well after dark -- a novelty in the violent capital. Why? Because Brazilian Jorvan Vieira is coming back to coach Iraq's national soccer team.

Saif Rasheed and Tina Susman on the L.A. Times' Babylon & Beyond blog have the story:

The stale-smelling room where U.S. and Iraqi officials hold most press conferences is not normally stuffed with giddy reporters, but the ones who gathered there Wednesday to hear that Brazilian Jorvan Vieira was coming back to coach Iraq's national soccer team made no attempt to hide their excitement.

Iraq is mad for soccer, especially in light of the country's unexpected victory in July 2007 at the Asian Cup under Vieira's guidance. In the midst of some of their country's most violent days, and as Iraq's political leaders showed no signs of working through the sectarian distrust crippling the country, the ethnically and religiously mixed team beat Saudi Arabia, 1-0, to claim the cup....

Vieira became a hero to Iraqis, but he stepped down after the event. Two subsequent coaches, a Norwegian and an Iraqi, failed to lead the team to success in World Cup qualifying matches. The Iraqi, Adnan Hamad, stepped down in June after a loss to Qatar ended Iraq's hopes of making the World Cup finals in 2010. It would have been the country's first time playing in the World Cup since 1986.

-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City

Photo: Iraqi police join fans in celebrating the Asian Cup win in 2007. Credit: Saad Khalaf / Los Angeles Times