Winning through Faith.

The English Premier League is back. Love it or loathe it, the Premier League’s growth as a global brand means that it has people tuning in from all over the world. Its 20 clubs rake in revenues exceeding £4.8bn. Last season, cumulative audiences for live Premier League programming were said to be 1.35 billion. Both the league’s riches and its reputation as one of the best in the world make it an attractive place to play for the best of the best.

Last season’s title race was one of the most exciting ever, as it went to the last game of the season. A neck-and-neck battle between two exceptional teams in Manchester City and Liverpool. The title was won by one point and, ultimately, one goal.

A winning goal from an unlikely source

City’s penultimate game of the season was at home against Leicester, typically a game that they would be expected to win. But Leicester’s doggedness and resilience made life difficult for City and, as the game wore on, it was clear that only a mistake or a moment of magic was going to break the deadlock in City’s favour. If they were going to win the league, they needed to win the game.

Their attackers had been shutout by Leicester’s defence and couldn’t find the necessary space to create and convert chances on goal. With 20 minutes to go, defender Vincent Kompany picked up the ball far from goal. As a defender, he had both time and space. He wasn’t heavily marked.

He looked up, took a couple of touches and then let rip with a shot that went straight into the top corner of the Leicester goal. Deadlock broken. The stadium erupted into jubilation. It proved to be both the game’s winning goal and the league’s winning goal. The winners of a league of 38 games were decided by a single moment that lasted a matter of seconds.

The magic came for City, but a Vincent Kompany goal from outside the box was one of its unlikeliest sources.

“Where did that come from?”

Kompany hadn’t scored for City in over a year and he had never previously scored from outside the box since joining the club in 2008. The interviewer’s first question to him at the end of the match: “Where did that come from?”

The first two words of his response: desire and belief. His belief came in spite of the unbelief of others, as he could clearly hear teammates shouting “don’t shoot, don’t shoot!” before he unleashed his match winning shot. Even his Manager, Pep Guardiola, renowned for his belief in his players, admitted to telling him not to shoot.

“No shoot, Vinnie, no shoot… He was smart – don’t follow my thoughts. Incredible goal. Incredible.” – Pep Guardiola

For 15 years of top level football, midfielders on his team had told him not to shoot from outside the area, but to pass the ball to other teammates instead. He’d told them that one day he was going to score from outside the box and that they’d be really happy when he did. When Kompany’s shot went in, the entire team and its fans were in ecstasy. “Happy” proved to be an understatement.

“One day I’m gonna have a shot from outside the box and I’m gonna score a goal, and you’re gonna be really happy with that one…” – Vincent Kompany

Kompany’s tears at the end of the match were indicative of the fruits his faith, which had been tested and proven true when it mattered most.

Faith isn’t wishful thinking

Doubters might call it a fluke, a lucky shot or a coincidence. But to those who understand the meaning and power of faith, it was no coincidence at all.

Faith is often misunderstood to be mere wishful thinking or dogma. It’s neither. Faith is comprised of hope, perseverance, effort, experimentation and courage.

The best definition I know of faith is found in the Book of Mormon: a hope for things which are not seen, which are true.

“And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.” – Alma 32:21

Faith can be likened to a seed. It needs to be planted, nurtured and protected from things that might harm it. Hoping for something which is unseen but true requires experimentation – action – otherwise it will never produce fruit. Faith that is tested and proven to be true then graduates to become knowledge.

Through Vincent Kompany’s faith, others now know of his shooting capabilities outside of the box.

We, too, can win through faith

Football and other sports can serve as useful case studies in demonstrating the meaning and power of faith, but faith is applicable to all aspects of life. We don’t have to be on a sports team to win through faith.

Through faith we can do more, achieve more and be more. We can learn and develop our craft, using our own unique talents and abilities. And, ultimately, we can realise our hopes and dreams.

Fear and doubt will prevent us from reaching our full potential and realising our dreams.

When those around us are telling us not to take the shot, our faith can guide us to keep going, to take the shot and win.