Soccer victory unites divided nation

BAGHDAD — It was a day Iraqis will remember for years to come.

Millions watched Sunday evening as the underdog Iraqi national soccer team won their first Asian Cup, beating three-time champions Saudi Arabia 1-0.

Fans took to the streets to celebrate across Iraq -- in Kurdish areas in the north, Shiite holy cities to the south and several neighborhoods in the capital.

Revelers painted their faces with the colors of the Iraqi flag and threw candy, lighted fireworks and ululated in triumph. Iraqi soldiers waved from passing Humvees. Honking cars clogged the main route into Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, home to the Iraqi government, U.S. Embassy and U.S. military posts.

Sporadic gunfire, much of it deemed to be celebratory, could still be heard hours after the game ended. At least two civilians were killed in clashes with Baghdad police and two more in gunfire after the game, police said.

Khadim Lafta Alwan, a government worker, was among those shooting in the southern city of Basra.

"It's a triumph and unity for Iraqis, a glorious day. Why not celebrate?" Alwan, 37, said.

Leaders from various sects, including Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, a Shiite Muslim, President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and members of the main Sunni Arab bloc congratulated the team on its win, as did Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq.

"This is a gift to the united Iraqi people, to the different spectrums of the Iraqi people," midfielder Nashat Akram said as he stood on the field in Jakarta, Indonesia, drenched in sweat.

Back in Baghdad, fans lionized their team, known as the Lions of the Two Rivers after the Tigris and Euphrates. Shiite Muslim Mohammed Hussein, a laborer, said the victory offered a glimpse of Iraq's potential.

"These players helped us keep our faces up," Hussein, 43, said. "They showed us what the real Iraq is and how we can work hard to be something."

Across town, Shakir Hamza, a retired Shiite teacher, prayed for the team as he watched the match with his wife and four daughters.

"Many nations win championships of Asia or the world, but no one has the circumstances of the [Iraqi] players and the people," Hamza, 60, said. "Despite the tragedy that their families are living, they proved that the Iraqis cannot be beaten."

Although parliament remained in session Sunday, it was eclipsed by the game. Political blocs put their squabbles on hold, with the largest Sunni party postponing a major statement in light of the event.