Brazil emerges as ‘foosball’ champion in Korea

Brazil may have suffered a humiliating 7-1 defeat to Germany in Wednesday’s now infamous World Cup semifinal, but perhaps Brazilians can find a little solace in their country’s victory in a “foosball” competition at the British Embassy on Thursday.

Splayed pizza boxes, condiment-strewn hotdogs and lots and lots of Heineken were delivered to the British Embassy’s Aston Hall for the European Chamber of Commerce Korea’s Table Soccer Championship 2014.

With dozens of national teams vying for the gold trophies, the competition was fierce. It was anyone’s tournament to win.

After hours of doubles play ― not to mention a grueling drinking regimen ― the Italian duo of Stefano Invernizzi and Giuseppe La Torre playing as the Brazilian National Team eventually took home the gold cups.

They defeated in the final match Belgian couple Sophie Demotte and Remi Delitte who, although taking a Korean National team farther than it has ever gone in any real World Cup, could not push their winning streak to ultimate victory.

The Taeguk Warriors matched Brazil 5-5 after staging an unbelievable comeback, but Brazil finally got the best of them amid cheers, hollers and chants of “Dae-Han Min-Guk!!”

The ECCK invited 24 two-person teams to take part in its first “ECCK Table Soccer Championship 2014” as a way to celebrate the 2014 World Cup.

Win or lose, the teams and their supporters had a lot of fun celebrating the beautiful game.

It was the first time that the ECCK has organized such an event, and some 12 envoys from five diplomatic missions participated.

(ephilip2014@heraldcorp.com)