World Cup Finale...

There is one thing that has made me real happy about the end of the world cup. Diego Forlan has won the Golden Ball as the MVP of the tournament. If there was one player who defined what it meant to raise a team with his performances, it was Forlan. Uruguay may have finished fourth, but Forlan’s contribution cannot be sidelined. He was poacher par excellence, apart from turning into a playmaker in a position he is not familiar in. English football fans will be wondering if this is the same player who flopped at Manchester United back in the early part of the decade. And some of the more high profile players who complain of being played out of position can learn a thing or two from him. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him when his final kick of the tournament, off a free kick, hit the crossbar and denied Uruguay a goal which would have taken the 3rd place match to extra time. It would have given him, deservedly, the Golden Boot as well. As it stands, it is Muller who gets it by virtue of having more assists.

If Uruguay had one thing going for them, it was their deadly strike force. Both Suarez and Forlan are golden boot winners in Europe, though they were not playing for the highest profile clubs. Despite attempts to paint Suarez as a villain, he just did what anyone would have done at the time and he got punished for it. Like their coach asked, what more should be done?

Coming to which, the most poignant moment of the cup for me was Asamoah Gyan at the end of that heartbreaking quarter final loss to Uruguay. He was such a colorful and passionate character till then and epitomized Ghana’s fearless approach to the tournament, you couldn’t help but feel for him. He showed he had the character by taking the first kick in the shootout right after he missed the penalty. As I’ve said before, they will be back stronger. Another moment was North Korean striker Jong Tae Se’s tears during their anthem, and his subsequent exciting display against the Brazilians.

The most disappointing aspect was all those big name players who just couldn’t do it. Apart from Messi, to an extent, messrs Ronaldo, Rooney (and most of the England team for that matter) just couldn’t cut it. England played probably the most boring match of the tournament in that goal less draw with Algeria.
Shocking results? There were a couple but the best was when completely unheralded Slovakia knocked out the aging Italians in one of the best matches of the tournament. Cannavaro cut a sorry figure as he trooped off for the last time on the world stage.

My favorite goals of the cup:
1. Suarez’ second goal and the winner in their second round match against the plucky South Koreans. A class act.
2. Maicon’s thunderbolt from the narrowest of angles against North Korea. One of the few moments which reminded us why everyone used to love the Brazilians.
3. Tshabalala’s opening goal of the tournament for South Africa against Mexico. It raised the roof of the stadium and the South Africans started dreaming.
4. Van Bronkhorst’s belter in the semi final for the Dutch against Uruguay.
5. Keisuke Honda’s and Yasuhito Endo’s free kick goals against Denmark. After all the complaints against the Jabulani, these guys showed how it is to be done, while totally outclassing a toothless Danish side.
6. Villa’s 40 yard strike against Chile. It may have been an empty net after the keeper came way out, but didn’t take away from the fact that Villa casually and confidently struck from that distance. This was a striker at the top of his game.
7. Italy’s second but ultimately fruitless goal against the Slovaks by Quagliarella
8. For sheer drama, Landon Donovan’s injury time winner against Algeria. The US were on their way out until Donovan showed his class and deservedly put the Americans through.

Oh, and a nice piece of trivia. When the Dutch lost their final, it left New Zealand as the only team to leave South Africa unbeaten with three draws from their matches. For a team that was expected to be cannon fodder for the other teams, their passion and determination in the face of superior opposition reminded everyone what it is about the world cup that everyone loves so much. They may not have had the quality to beat Paraguay in their final match and progress, but in terms of endearing themselves to football fans around the world, they came second to none.