In a world of globalization the idea of a country some believe is starting to wear thin. They argue that the shape the world is taking and the ever movement of man from one place to another will make the notion of a nation obsolete. Technology and man's mobility is starting to smudge established borders on maps. For people like soldiers who are either defending or carrying their country's interests into foreign lands, the label of what a nation is, is extremely clear. To them it is a place where all their values have been established and a place where they love.
One of the greatest things anyone can ever do is serve their country in what ever that maybe. The Olympics and other world tournaments will continue to push the idea of nations and national pride and in no other sport to you see such a love for country than in football. To be cliche', football is the global game and it is fair to say most of the 195 odd countries of the world play the game. At the top there is the very best, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Holland, England and France then there is the very good like the Uruguays, the Ivory Coasts and the Belgiums of the world. In contrast to the great and the good there is the awful and San Marino and Anguilla certainly fit that bill. Somewhere in between there are nations like Iceland who trying to challenge the elite and distance themselves from the nobodies.
Iceland may literally sit at the top of the world but when it comes to moving a football between the white lines the European nation could do with wave good fortune. The kind of fortune that has followed their more illustrious Scandinavian neighbors over the years. Norway, Denmark, Sweden and even Finland have had wonderful moments on the international scene while Iceland have only shown sporadic periods of genius.
At the moment Iceland sits snuggly between the African nations of Togo and Morocco in 73rd. If your down with FIFA rankings that's great but I can't believe currently that Haiti and Libya are better than Iceland, so I have to call shenanigans of the way FIFA determines these positions. That being said Iceland are where they are and for a European nation that can't be too pleasing and if being ranked 73rd in the world doesn't seem to flattering, the Nordic nation's 131st position in April of 2012 must have been heartbreaking for the Icelandic. This was the lowest FIFA ranking Iceland ever held, a far cry from their loftiest place on the totem pole in 1994 when they were the 37th best team in the world.
Iceland's football history began in 1930, with a match albeit unofficial with it's lowly neighbor the Faroe Islands with the Icelanders coming out 1-0 winners. Iceland's first official game according to FIFA was against Denmark in 1946 with the Danes walking away with a 3-0 win in Reykjavik. I wish I could sit here and tell adventures about the Iceland's grand encounters in the Euros and World Cups of old but unfortunately the country hasn't even gotten near to either one of the major tournaments. Time and time again Iceland has failed to make it to the big dance but this time around the Icelandic are going well . Iceland are in Group E of UEFA qualifying zone for the 2014 World Cup that is going to be held in Brazil. Surprisingly as I write they sit second just behind the young lads of Switzerland and are holding off the likes of Albania, Cyprus, Slovenia and their Scandinavian rival Norway. Hopefully Iceland can hold on and actually make it to the World Cup as difficult as it may sound but with some luck they can make it and shouldn't be written off and do have some weapons that they can call on. For nation that hasn't really made a mark on the international stage, Iceland has produce some very handy players. Eidur Gudjohnnsen is one of the greatest forward the world will ever see and even at the tail end of his career he offers the Icelanders much needed quality. Not as good as Gudjohnsen but forever steady are the old guard like Heidar Helguson, Hermann Hreidarsson and Gretar Rafn Steinsson have all served Iceland extremely well and were mainstays in England once upon a time. As they fade the burden of Iceland now rests on the playmaking Gylfi Sigurdsson who is clearly one of the brightest talents in all of Europe. Backing up Mr. Sigurdsson is the midfield trio of Aron Gunnarsson, Eggert Jonsson and Johann Gudmundsson while Dutch based Alfred Finnbogason and Kolbeinn Sigporsson will look to scare opposition goalkeepers up top.
With the names mentioned here is no doubt that Iceland can give the world a player or two but can they produce a cluster of players to give it a go on the international stage? I don't know and they do get around to producing a virtuoso, the player seems to come around every leap or decade. The generational gap between Gylfi Sigurdsson and Eidur Gudjohnsen is so great that even having them in the same team doesn't help the country. There is no segue from the former to the latter and it hurts Iceland. The country may only have just over quarter of a million but there is talent and all they have to do is bide their time and grow a forest of fine players so they can at least match their Nordic neighbours.
Gylfi Sigurdsson
