Given the intensity of Europe’s top soccer leagues, it is little wonder that international friendlies are often met with apathy and opposition from players and coaches. The physical and mental endurance required to succeed in top-flight domestic leagues every weekend is truly world class and seems almost superhuman when you consider league cup, Champions League, and other midweek fixtures. That being said, adding another midweek match, in the form of an international exhibition (or “friendly”), seems rather foolish. Players risk injury, jetlag, falling out of sync and into poor form, and for what? As fans, we’re conditioned to believe that these games are meaningless, if nothing else to temper the disappointment of our favorite superstar players not being included in the squad.

Fortunately for us, however, the series of friendlies played on Feb. 9 felt less like the usual conservative kickabout and more like the genuine displays of sublime skill and national pride we’ve come to expect from international football.

First, at the Stade de France in Paris, the site of the 1998 World Cup Final, France played host to Brazil, hoping to reestablish themselves as a global powerhouse after making a premature exit in South Africa last summer. Despite the heroics of recent Chelsea signee David Luiz and a revitalized Robinho, Brazil was unable to exorcise its French demons and Les Bleus dispatched them yet again.

Then, in a back and forth affair, the world’s two best players (Lionel Messi of Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal) faced off in Buenos Aires. The two galacticos headlined star-studded squads, most of whom had made the long trip from western Europe. The contest did not disappoint, as Messi coolly converted a penalty in the 89th minute to secure a 2-1 victory for the Albiceleste.

Despite all of the thrilling results, perhaps the most intriguing match was the one that never actually occurred that day. Egypt was scheduled to host the United States in Cairo just as the political turmoil there was reaching its boiling point. In light of the unrest, cancellation of the match was agreed upon by all parties involved, says FIFA.com. Obviously, this was the smart move, but for a match as tantalizing as this, one cannot help but ask, “What if?”

From a soccer standpoint, this was a golden opportunity for the Pharaohs to make a statement, both to the US and the entire global soccer community. In 2009, the US national team cruised to a 3-0 victory over Egypt in the Confederations Cup en route to their best-ever finish in a major tournament, elevating expectations for World Cup 2010 into the stratosphere and sending the Egyptians packing. Despite their early exit, the Pharaohs were intent on returning to South Africa the following year. However, they failed to qualify. Undeterred, the Egyptian squad went on to win the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations in the winter of 2010, and peaked at a FIFA ranking of 10th in the world in early January 2011. However, despite their stellar play, the uncertainty surrounding the nation’s future caused FIFA to reconsider that decision, and in less than a month’s time, Egypt’s ranking plummeted from 10th to 33rd in the world.

Rankings aside, this was sure to be a tight game. A combination of talented youngsters and veteran stars (including Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and goalkeeper Tim Howard) would have been featured in an experimental but solid American side. Likewise, the Egyptians, led by defender Ahmed Al-Muhammadi (of Sunderland in the English Premier League), do not hold the title of African champions for nothing. With the Pharaohs eager to prove a point after being spurned by FIFA, a repeat of the dominating performance put forth by the U.S. in ’09 would have been astounding.

For those of us who unabashedly and unapologetically romanticize the impact of sports on the world, the real story has nothing to do with FIFA, the US national team or any one outstanding player. If--and this is a very big if--they had played the game without incident, the story would have been the healing and unifying power of the world’s game. We’ve heard time and time again that soccer can encapsulate the state of an entire country. In 1998, a World Cup-winning French side led by Zinedine Zidane (of Algerian roots) and Thierry Henry (of Caribbean ancestry) was the ultimate “justification” for the nation’s growing multiculturalism. Their triumph transcended sport and took on a significance in the political and social spheres.

In 2010, when South Africa became the first African nation to host the World Cup, it was often insinuated that it was only then could we say with absolute certainty that the imprisonment and presidency of Nelson Mandela were not in vain. And now in 2011, Egyptian footballers, most of whom have lived their entire lives under the reign of Hosni Mubarak, could restore a sense of stability to a nation in disarray, if only for 90 minutes. Or perhaps the Egypt-USA match would have provided a forum for protest, leading to the toppling of a regime two days later.

It’s probably for the best that these scenarios were not able to play out, if nothing else because it prevented us Americans from taking credit for Mubarak’s resignation (even more than we already are with Facebook, Twitter, and Google). Even so, what a story it might have made.