The surprises began on day three in Group D, as unfancied Saudi Arabia hit back after trailing 1-0 against an Argentina team on an extraordinary run, hitting two second half goals to win 2-1 and turn the form book on its head.
There was also a highly creditable 0-0 draw for Tunisia against Denmark that day, and another stunning result came through the following day as regular World Cup high achievers Germany were beaten by Japan, who also came back from 1-0 half time deficit to finish 2-1 winners.
Canada pushed hard against Belgium, ranked two in the world, before the European side came out on top by a solitary goal, and there was a swashbuckling display the following day from Ghana against Portugal (led by Ronaldo), with the Black Stars refusing to give up and finishing slightly unfortunate to be on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline.
After England’s powerhouse 6-2 thrashing of Iran in their first group game, few would have predicted they would look second best against the USA, and the game finished 0-0 with the Americans more deserving of the win.
And we’ve had more shock results today (day eight of the group stage), first with Costa Rica grabbing an unexpected 1-0 triumph over Japan (Keysher Fuller’s goal was the South Americans’ first shot on target in the tournament), and then, even more notably, with Morocco striking a decisive blow for African football with a landmark 2-0 win against Belgium, giving them a great chance of progressing into the knockout stages.
Every team goes into a major international tournament aware of expectations. Some are just glad to be taking part. Some hope to impress and show how far they have come. Others expect to compete for the trophy.
Often the surprises come when one side’s desire and will to win is simply greater than their opponents on the day, even if the opposition’s players are clearly better.
The Bible carries many stories of triumph against all odds, whether it’s well-known examples like David and Goliath, Daniel in the lions’ den or Joshua and the Israelites putting God’s plan into action to take the city of Jericho.
Those apparently strong can be overcome by those who appear to be weak, and the wisdom of the world can be shown to be foolishness. A church begun by those on the fringes of society turned the world upside down thanks to the power of God’s Spirit, and the willingness of believers to have faith in God despite the circumstances.
And of course the greatest comeback of all time remains the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, three days after his crucifixion.
So we shouldn’t be surprised when the unexpected happens in the sporting arena. As human beings made in the image of God, who offers us life in all its fullness, we have unlimited potential to exceed others’ expectations …