Tough World Cup footballers shed tear or two (Feature)

By Ulrike John Jun 19, 2010, 12:52 GMT

Johannesburg - Real men cry after all. Footballers at the World Cup in South Africa are showing it.

The tournament is, among other things, a tearjerker. It begins with the national anthems before the start of a match. Tears flow, too, after bitter defeats.

As soon as a team is eliminated, its hardened pros will cry their eyes out in the dressing room. And players on the team that triumphs in the final on July 11 are sure to turn on the waterworks.

Fortunately, the World Cup trophy is made of gold. So rust from all the moisture is no problem.

Chilean defender Gary Medel, nicknamed 'El Pitbull,' got very emotional during his World Cup debut against Honduras.

'I wanted to cry when I came out onto the pitch, but I didn't because they would have said I was a 'queer pitbull,'' he said.

North Korea's brawny forward Jong Tae Se, often compared in Asia to England's Wayne Rooney, could not hold back his tears. Apparently moved by the solemn strains of the totalitarian regime's anthem, he sobbed uncontrollably before the kickoff of his side's opener against Brazil.

Jong's coach, Kim Jong Hun, had no comment on the crying. 'I didn't see it,' Kim said impassively.

'Your feelings go walkies with you,' as Germany's ex-coach Juergen Klinsmann would say.

South Africans wept tears of sorrow shortly before the World Cup had even begun, when Nelson Mandela's great grand-daughter, Zenani Mandela, was killed in a car crash.

'Flood of Tears' headlined the Pretoria News after South Africa's 0-3 loss to Uruguay. The hosts' performance was enough to make you weep.

Earlier, the Cape Town-based newspaper Weekend Argus had written: 'Exhilarating, electrifying and magical! The opening match was the culmination of six years of blood, sweat and tears.'

French coach Raymond Domenech's eyes were damp after La Grande Nation's embarrassing display against Mexico.

'I'm at a loss for words. I'm very disappointed and haven't got over it yet,' Domenech said.

Tears rolled down the cheeks of French captain Patrice Evra as soon as the Marseillaise was played.

Brazilian full-back Maicon was visibly moved by team-mates' celebration of his goal opening the scoring in the Selecao's 2-1 victory over North Korea.

'My first World Cup match and I scored a goal!' Maicon enthused, adding: 'I didn't cry but I was very emotional.'

Swiss skipper Ottmar Hitzfeld may have shed a tear of joy in private after his team's stunning defeat of European champions Spain. Many Bayern Munich fans can still remember the ex-Bayern helmsman's touching farewell, when he cried on the pitch in Munich.

Unforgotten, too, are the tears shed by German captain Michael Ballack when Italy beat Germany in the World Cup semi-finals four years ago.

And then there was Diego Maradona's tear-streaked face when West Germany defeated reigning champions Argentina 1-0 in 1990 World Cup final.

After two victories in two matches in this year's World Cup, Maradona, now Argentina's coach, is still laughing.