WORLD CUP 2010 REVIEW

The greatest show on earth is over for another four years, and we have our first new world champions since France lifted the trophy on home soil in 1998. Spain, the perennial underachievers of world football, finally put years of poor performances on the biggest stage of all behind them to lift the trophy. It was far from a vintage World Cup in terms of quality, but there was plenty of excitement, mainly thanks to Spain, Germany, Uruguay and Ghana. After a slow start with defeat against Switzerland, Spain conceded just one goal in the rest of the tournament, and was deserved winners as their stylish passing game eventually wore their opponents down. All their knockout games were won by a solitary goal, and this was perhaps symptomatic of the tournament. This tournament will be remembered for the underachievement of a number of the ‘big’ teams – France, Italy, England and ultimately Argentina and Brazil – while some of the world’s star players – Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Franck Ribery and Lionel Messi – failed to produce their best form. This left the onus on a new generation of stars, and the likes of Asamoah Gyan, Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller and Luis Suarez did not disappoint, in more ways than on. But overall, the first African World Cup can be viewed as a success, both on and off the pitch. It is now up to the continent to use that to its advantage, and not let Ghana’s story be as good as it gets. It is now time to look at the winners and losers from South Africa, in my World Cup Awards!

PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Diego Forlan.
This is perhaps a surprising choice, considering his team ‘only’ finished fourth, but his impact on the tournament cannot be understated. One of the joint top scorers, led the line superbly with partners in crime Suarez and Edinson Caveni. His fifth goals featured some truly remarkable efforts – he became the first player since Lothar Matthaus in 1990 to score three goals from outside the penalty area, and his goal in the third place play-off with Germany, a first time volley into the top corner, spoke of a player on top of his game. A complete stranger to Diego ‘Forlorn’ who pitched up at Manchester United at the start of the decade.

TOP SCORER – Thomas Muller.
The young German got the nod courtesy of his three assists, and a star has been born. The 20-year-old has had a splendid season, starring in the Bayern Munich team which reached the finals of the Champions League and won the German double, and his five goals in South Africa get him the nod ahead of Mesut Ozil, who faded as the tournament progressed. Muller keeps the game simple and took his chances when they came, and who knows if it would have been different if the winger hadn’t been suspended for the semi-final defeat to Spain.

GOLDEN GLOVES – Iker Casillas.
After a shaky start against Switzerland, ‘Saint Iker’ was exemplary for the rest of the tournament, conceding just the one goal, a deflected strike against Chile. He often had very little to do, as Spain keep the ball better than anyone, but when he was called into action, he did not disappoint. He made a crucial penalty save in the quarter-final with Paraguay when the match was goalless, and in the final, he made two splendid saves from Arjen Robben as Holland hit Spain on the break. He has now won it all, and he is not yet 30!

GAME OF THE TOURNAMENT – Ghana vs Uruguay, quarter-finals.
This game had everything- an African country looking to make history, a South American country looking to surpass their best World Cup performance in 40 years, goals, drama and controversy. Ghana took the lead on the stroke of half-time, with a long-range effort from Sulley Muntari. Diego Forlan continued his excellent World Cup with a brilliant free-kick, but it was towards the end of extra-time that this match became truly remarkable, as it reached one of the most remarkable denouement’s of any sporting occasion in history. In the final seconds of extra-time, a Stephen Appiah shot from a corner was cleared off the line by Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez. But as the ball rebounded out, Dominic Adiyah seemingly headed the winning goal for Ghana. Or so he thought. Suarez, with only one option to keep his team in the tournament, threw himself across goal to palm the ball to safety. The inevitable straight red card was produced by the referee, and Asamoah Gyan, Ghana’s star striker, stood a kick away from history. But his penalty struck the top of the bar with the last kick of the game, and the match went to penalties. Gyan, to his credit, stepped up first for Ghana, but Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera saved from Andre Ayew and Adiyah to spell a cruel end to Africa’s World Cup hopes.

WORST GAME – Paraguay vs Japan, second round.
There is not quite so much to write about this game. It seems the sense of occasion got to both these teams, as they barely mustered a presentable chance between them, leaving their fate up to the lottery of penalties. They were both aiming to qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time in their histories, but it was the Asian nation who went home disappointed, as Paraguay converted all five penalties to book a last eight meeting with Spain.

GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT – Fabio Quagliarella.
The goal may have mattered little, as the world champions crashed out in dismal fashion against Slovakia. But substitute Quagliarella’s goal, which briefly gave Italy hope, was quite superb, and the question must be raised to coach Marcello Lippi: why was he not on the field earlier. After a shot from Vincenzo Iaquinta was charged down, the Udinese striker shaped to hammer the ball goalwards. But instead, he chipped keeper Jan Mucha with a sumptuous shot, and the ball nestled in the top corner.

WORST MISS – Yakubu Aiyegbeni.
New Everton striker Jermaine Beckford will be relieved about his ability to make the step up to Premiership level, if this is the kind of finishing that is expected at Goodison Park. With Nigeria heading out of the World Cup against South Korea, Yakubu wasted a glorious chance to propel his team into the second round. Chinesu Obasi escaped to the by-line, but his cutback was somehow sidefooted wide by the Nigerian striker, with the goal gaping. Think Chirs Iwelumo against Norway for Scotland last Autumn, but worse.

‘STONES’ OF THE TOURNAMENT – Yakubu and Gyan.
A joint award here, as both these Africans showed tremendous courage after disappointing moments. Yakubu showed great bottle to step up and keep a cool head to convert a penalty just two minutes after his horror miss, will Gyan took Ghana’s first penalty of the shootout just minutes after his penalty miss in extra-time cost Ghana the chance to be Africa’s first World Cup semi-finalist. However, the efforts of Yakubu and Gyan were eventually in vain.

DIRTIEST PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Mark van Bommel.
It is a mystery how the Bayern Munich ‘hard man’ went through the tournament without getting suspended. If you were to put money on any player getting sent off in the final, it would have been van Bommel rather than Johnny Heitinga, but he seemed to have an amnesty with the referees in South Africa.

WORST PITCH OF THE TOURNAMENT – Port Elizabeth.
The South African authorities can be generally pleased with the state of stadiums and infrastructure at the first African World Cup. But the pitch at Port Elizabeth was, frankly, awful – maybe it’s no coincidence that England’s only win came there, against Slovenia (it must have reminded Fabio Capello’s men of Wembley!)

BEST DRESSED MANAGEMENT TEAM – Germany.
German coach Joachim Loew and his assistant clearly worked out their dress code before the games, but whether they had more than one set of black blazers and blue v-necks remains to be seen!

UNLIKELY HERO OF THE WORLD CUP – Paul the Octopus.
Ever heard of the octopus who predicted the results of the World Cup games (and got them right)? Well, Paul the Octopus, the newest star of German television, predicted who would win in Germany’s games throughout the tournament, although this caused a furore when he ‘said’ Spain would defeat Germany. And just for good measure, he also said Spain would defeat Holland in the final.

BEST CELEBRATION – Siphiwe Tshabalala and South Africa.
The opening match of the World Cup was lit up when left-winger Tshabalala hammered a glorious shot into the top corner. What followed showed we were in for a festival of football – in a clearly rehearsed routin, Tshabalala and his teammates performed an intricate and choreographed routine that delighted the crowd.

MOST UNLIKELY FOOTBALLER – Nestor Ortigoza.
Anyone who tuned into see Paraguay’s bore draw with Japan, will wonder quite how the naturalised Argentine has ever played professional football, let alone made it to a World Cup. He can’t run, he can’t pass and he can’t shoot. It’s little wonder Argentina didn’t want him!

BEST PUNDIT – Emmanuel Adebayor.
He was a breath of fresh air on the BBC, from his forthright albeit painful recollections of the shootings on the Togo team bus at the African Nations Cup in Angola, to the comedy of his phone going off in the middle of talking prior to a match. It was a shame when he returned to England after hi s wife gave birth, meaning we were stuck with the infrequently used Lucas Radebe and Marcel Desailly for our ‘African ‘ insight/

DISGRACE OF THE TOURNAMENT – France.
What can you say about the French tournament, both on and off the pitch? It made England’s campaign almost seem respectable! A goalless draw in the opener against Uruguay was not the end of the world, but it was all rapidly downhill from there. A dismal 2-0 defeat to Mexico virtually sealed their elimination, and it got worse. Reports of a bust-up between striker Nicolas Anelka and coach Raymond Domenech were leaked to the press, and this resulted in the Chelsea man catching an early flight home. There was talk of a strike, led by the disgraceful captain Patrice Evra, who also nearly came to blows with the French fitness coach, after the players refused to train two days before the final match. They returned to training the following day, but a 2-1 defeat to the hosts put the seal on a horrible two weeks for the 1998 champions.

THE WORLD CUP IN STATISTICS
You know what they say – there are lies, damn lies and statistics. And here are the top 14 statistics to sum up World Cup 2010.

1)Spain was the first team to win the World Cup after losing their opening match.
2)The 14 yellow cards in the final were the most in history – and thanks to Howard Webb for that!
3)Two former World Cup winners – Germany (well, West Germany) and Uruguay – were knocked out in the semi-finals by two teams who had never won the tournament before – Spain and Holland.
4)Johnny Heitinga was the fourth player to be sent-off in a World Cup final – after Pedro Monzon, Marcel Desailly and Zinedine Zidane.
5)The best South American performers – Uruguay – were someone other than Brazil or Argentina for the first time since 1950.
6)England’s 4-1 defeat to Germany was their heaviest in World Cup history.
7)It was the first time there had been two consecutive, different, European World Cup winners.
8)The first European World Cup winners outside of Europe.
9)Andres Iniesta’s 116th minute goal in the final was the latest World Cup winning goal
10)Iker Casillas was the first non-Italian World Cup winning goalkeeping captain.
11)Thomas Muller, at 20, is the youngest Golden Boot winner in history.
12)The first time two brothers have ever appeared opposite each other in the World Cup – Jerome Boateng for Germany against Kevin Prince-Boateng for Ghana (well half-brothers anyway!)
13)Three brothers were in the same World Cup squad for the first time – Honduras’ Wilson, Johnny and Jerry Palacios.
14) South Africa were the first hosts to fail to qualify beyond the first round - but boy did they enjoy the party regardless!

TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT

1) IKER CASILLAS – SPAIN.
The Spanish keeper carried his national form onto the world stage, despite a shaky start as he was partly culpable for Switzerland’s winning goal in the opening match. A series of fine saves, most notably against Paraguay and Holland, helped lead his team to the final.

2) PHILIP LAHM – GERMANY.
The Bayern Munich full-back rose to the challenge of replacing the injured Michal Ballack as captain, and it remains to be seen whether the returning Bayer Leverkusen midfielder will regain his place in the team. The responsibility was dished out across Germany’s young team, and Lahm lead expertly from the back, with his defending and attacking firmly establishing himself as one of the world’s best full-backs.

3) FABIO COENTRAO – PORTUGAL.
One of the bright sparks in a disappointing Portugal performance, the left back was a revelation with his marauding runs, while his pace helped him get back and perform his defensive duties. He put himself in the shop window, and his employers Benfica are certain to be fielding some offers for him this summer.

4) CARLES PUYOL – SPAIN.
Although he struggled against the pace of Arjen Robben in the final, the Barcelona centre-back was exemplary throughout, especially considering his young teammate Gerard Pique struggled with the pressure of the big occasion. He made a number of important blocks and clearances, and topped it all off with a late winner in the semi-final against Germany.

5) PER MERTESACKER – GERMANY.
So often derided for his lanky appearance and demeanour, the Werder Bremen centre-back came good when it mattered most, and helped his team concede only three goals up until the third place play-off. He was a commanding presence, strong in the air and the ground, and helped hold the defence together alongside captain Lahm, alongside a player inexperienced positionally (Arne Friedrich) and in general (Jerome Boateng).

6) BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER – GERMANY.

The Germany vice-captain is no longer the petulant youth who’s early career at Bayern Munich was blighted by disciplinary problems. He has reinvented himself as a holding midfielder of the highest quality, and barely wasted a pass as he set up Germany’s attacks. He was outstanding against England and Germany, and it’s astounding to think he’s only 25 still.

7) ANDRES INIESTA – SPAIN.
He is so often underrated against his midfield partner-in-crime Xavi, but he stole the show in South Africa, and the headlines with the winner in the final. His passing, as always, was without fault, and he deserves his moment in the spotlight.

8) WESLEY SNEIJDER – HOLLAND.
The Inter Milan schemer will have been disappointed with his performance in the final (apart from one brilliant pass through to Robben), but overall, he can be delighted with his last season at both club and international level. He was the key player as his club won the domestic double in Italy and the Champions League, and he was also the key man for Holland, as his five goals from midfield led them to the brink of glory, and he was always a threat from long range or from free-kicks. Still a candidate for FIFAs World Player of the Year.

9) DAVID VILLA – SPAIN.
Although he did not score in the semi-final or final, Barcelona’s newest signing was outstanding throughout the tournament in South Africa, and carried some of his teammates when they were struggling for form in the early stages. He scored five of Spain’s eight goals and was always a threat, despite spending much of the game’s out towards the left touchline. Fortunately for Barca, they bought him before the tournament – there is no doubt his value would have rocketed had they held tight until after the events had unfolded in South Africa.

10) DIEGO FORLAN – URUGUAY.
The former Manchester United striker showed Premiership fans what they were missing with some tremendous displays, which helped carry the country which was last to qualify for the World Cup (in a play-off against Costa Rica) to the brink of the World Cup final. He formed a brilliant partnership with Luis Suarez, but when the Ajax striker made the headlines for the wrong reasons, Forlan took the plaudits for his performances on the pitch as the goals kept flowing.

11) THOMAS MULLER – GRMANY.
The young Bayern Munich winger gets the nod over his compatriot Mesut Ozil due to his greater end product and performances towards the end of the tournament, as Ozil faded somewhat after his brilliant performance against England. Muller was the youngest tournament top scorer in history, and this despite being harshly suspended for the semi-final. A strong runner with plenty of energy, and a sound football brain, he matched this with good footballing ability, and he came to live in the knockout stages, with three goals against England and Argentina. And to think this time a year ago he hadn’t played for Bayern, and he had only scored one goal for Germany by the start of the tournament. He is probably unlikely to be another Salvatore Schillaci, though.


FLOPS TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT

1) HUGO LLORIS – FRANCE.
The Lyon keeper was so highly rated before the tournament – unfortunately, he got caught up in the mess which was France’s campaign, and his value will not have increased by his performances in South Africa. He gave away a penalty in the defeat to Mexico, but his worst game was against the hosts, where his decision making on crosses was terrible, and one such mistake led to the opening goal for South Africa. He definitely can’t be called ‘Saint Lloris’, as the French press were dubbing him following his brilliant performance in the play-off win over the Republic of Ireland.

2) GIANLUCA ZAMBROTTA - ITALY.
After a sparkling World Cup in 2006, age seems to have caught up with the AC Milanfull-back. He looked plodding and pedestrian, and didn't put in his usual array of qualoity deliveries as Italy crashed out in the first round.

3) PARTICE EVRA - FRANCE.
A disgrace, both on and off the pitch. He was part of the French defence which was taken apart in the second half by Mexico, and that proved to be his last contribution of the tournament. After Nicolas Anelka was controversially sent home following his bust-up with coach Raymond Domenech, Evra tried to instirgate a strike among the players from his position as captain. This ended with him being dropped for the final match with South Africa. New coach Laurent Blanc will do well to consider who should be his captain when he takes over.

4) FABIO CANNAVARO - ITALY.
A classic case of clinging on just too long at the highest level and being found out. The 36-year-old, following a poor season at Juventus, was awful at the heart of Italy's defence, especially in the defeat to Slovakia, where he was culpable for a couple of the goals. He has now retired from international football and will be playing in Qatar next season. But the glorious summer of 2006 will be tarnished by what followed four years later.

5) JOHN TERRY - ENGLAND.
England's former captain certainly believes his own hype. He was found woefully wanting in the 4-1 thrashing to Germany, as he was constantly pulled out of position by Miroslav Klose and Thomas Muller. That was possibly to be expected by the inexperienced and inadequate Matthew Upson, but Terry should have known better. It was amateurish.

6) GENNARO GATTUSO - ITALY.
Italy's midfield general looks to have lost the key element to his game - the bite and drive. With Andrea Pirlo missing for much of the tournament, he looked lost without his usual partner-in-crime, and was unable to give Italy a platform from which to build.

7) CRISTIANO RONALDO.
The world's most expensive player disappointed again when it mattered most. Save for a few long range shots and a goal against minnows North Korea, he offered little in a defensive Portuguese set-up, and as they crashed out against Iberian neighbours Spain, the preening Ronaldo looked like a lost boy.

8) KAKA - BRAZIL.
The world's second most expensive player also looked short of idea, as he carried his poor club form from his debut season at Real Madrid to South Africa. He showed flashes of brilliance against Ivory Coast, and again in the first half against Holland, but he failed to get on the scoresheet, and he was unable to lead his team to a recovery when they went behind against the Dutch.

9) FERNANDO TORRES- SPAION.
It's strange to have a player from the winners in the flops XI, but this was a truly wretched tournament for the great Torres. He failed to score in the first five matches, despite having a host of presentable chances, which led to him being dropped for the semi-finals and the final, where he appeared on the pitch for a combined total of 25 minutes. And to top it all of, he got injured with no-one anywhere near him in the final seconds of extra-time in the final.

10) WAYNE ROONEY - ENGLAND. The Manchester United striker was unhappy with the England fans who booed the team against Algeria in the dismal goalless draw. But Rooney himself deserved nothing less after a shockingly bad performance, where only against Slovenia did he carry anything like a goal threat. He has now failed to score in two World Cup's, and time is running out to make an impact on the big stage.

11) LIONEL MESSI - ARGENTINA.
A curious choice in the nominees for the player of the tournament award. True, he put in some good performances - but these were generally confined to the opening two wins against Nigeria and South Korea. He failed to score in South Africa, which to be fair was due to bad luck and good goalkeeping - but when it came to the crunch quarter-final against Germany, he was virtually anonymous as the young Germans ran rings round Argentina.