LAST night, while I was watching Broadbeach FC gallantly struggle to a 1-0 loss against a somewhat tired-looking Gold Coast United, President Barak Obama was addressing the Muslim world in Cairo.

"Assalaamu alaykum!" declared Obama, which means "Peace be with you".

This form of greeting was ordained by the prophet Mohamed, replacing earlier expressions such as 'God grant coolness to your eyes' and 'May your morning be happy'. It contains within it the word "salaam", which is one of the "excellent names of Allah"

So it was an extremely well-chosen and diplomatic greeting, particularly for someone wanting to reach out to Arab moderates and temper the anger of radical Islamists around the globe. Can you imagine the same expression coming from the mouth of George W. Bush? He wouldn't have even been able to pronounce it!

President Obama is now working furiously to repair the damage done to US-Muslim relations over the last eight years.

"So long as our relationship is defined by our differences," he said, "we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, and who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. This cycle of suspicion and discord must end."

Well, amen to that, brother! Just keep it real, OK?

One of the great things about sport is that it provides a peaceful forum within which differences of all kinds can be hammered out. It's an outlet for aggression, a dance floor upon which the emotional gyrations of whole nations can be manifested, impartially judged, and exorcised without undue violence.

The pinnacle of sporting success is a kind of Nirvana in its own right. Even defeat can have a tangible sense of ecstasy.

Moreover, sport is a marketplace where the common folk of this world can meet and greet, sharing a common sense of solidarity, whatever the shape and size of their communities. It encapsulates all our hopes and dreams, provides a surrogate vehicle for our imaginary lives, and lets us harmlessly vent our daily frustrations in a safely defined physical setting.

So even while it divides us, sport unites us. And no sport in the world today does that more than football.

At next year's Word Cup, players from all parts of the globe will salute each other as equals. Rival fans will join together to cheer both teams off the field. Whole nations will admire each other's achievements with delight.

In short, the world game does not separate us, it brings us all closer together. In fact,  a sense of community is the very essence of football.

But not everybody understands that. Some people become so focused on winning that they lose sight of the real game.

Sure, rivalry has it's place. And encouraging rivalry is a big part of modern sports marketing, not only between teams, but also between sports.

But stretching rivalries too far risks alienating the very people you seek to embrace. There are a lot of potential Gold Coast United supporters in NSW, for example, and a lot of them might even like rugby and AFL too. Similarly, our new A-League opponents in North Queensland deserve our respect on and off the pitch. You all know what I'm saying.

The relationship between football teams should not be defined by our differences, but by our shared love of the game. As President Obama, a former community organiser, might say: "This cycle of suspicion and discord must end."

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I went to the Broadbeach game to catch our new Brazilian trio in action alongside Bas Van Den Brink. The first half was lively, with the three Brazilians basically owning the game. But maybe jet-lag was catching up with them, because their finishing touches were nowhere to be seen. The winning goal came from Steve Lustica, a promising youth team player who was with Sydney FC last year.

The second half saw Gold Coast's domination continue, but they were clearly missing their strike force of Smeltz, Minniecon and (coming soon) Joel Porter. Broadbeach deserve credit for a great defensive effort. Zenon Caravella was once again the driving force in midfield, and it will be interesting to see how he fits into the team when Culina comes on board.

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Peace be with you all, my friends. Assalaamu alaykum!