Back to the Soccer Newsfeed

U-!7 World Cup: Nigeria's late rallies mask deeper issues

The Golden Eaglets are perfect so far in Brazil, but their ability to come back late in games is hardly sustainable

In football, as in life, everyone loves a comeback. The only thing people love more than a comeback is a late comeback.

It is probably the closest thing to operatic theatre, and is a narrative that can appeal to even the casual observer, not altogether interested in football but able to relate to a triumph against the odds.

The timing of the comeback also heightens the feeling of euphoria, concentrating it right at the end for an eruption of emotion, and thereby mostly erasing the negativity that might have built up during the earlier parts of the game.