Hats off to the Spaniards who certainly were the better team yesterday, besting Holland in the final. Now that the month-long extravaganza is over, following is one man's opinion on the best and the worst of the 2010 World Cup.
The Total Soccer Fitness & Training World Cup Bext XI:
Goalkeeper -- Iker Casillas, Spain.
Outside Backs -- Fabio Coentrao of Portugal and Giovanni van Bronckhorst of Holland.
Center Backs -- Carles Puyol of Spain and Diego Lugano of Uruguay.
Midfielders -- Wesley Sneijder of Holland, Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger of Germany, Xavi of Spain.
Forwards -- Diego Forlan of Uruguay and Miroslav Klose of Germany.
On our Bench -- Maarten Stekelenburg (GK) of Holland, Phillipp Lahm and Thomas Mueller of Germany, David Villa, Sergio Ramos and Andres Iniesta of Spain, Arjen Robben of Holland, Maicon of Brazil.
Worst Coaching Job (heretofore to be known as the Raymond Domenech Award): Since France's skipper cannot win his own award, the trophy goes to Marcello Lippi of Italy. The defending champs were in the easiest group and couldn't get out of their own way. What a horrible job of 1) selecting the wrong players and 2) game coaching.
Best Coaching Job: Oscar Tabarez of Uruguay. His team got into the tourney courtesy of a qualification playoff win over Costa Rico. Came in with the rep of being a dirty, yellow-card happy squad. All his boys did was play the most entertaining soccer of all the squads, good enough for a fourth-place finish.
Worst Performance by a Super Star: Wayne Rooney in a rout. Rooney did nothing. Honorable Mention: Rooney's teammate Frank Lampard. (Note: This World Cup proved a doubt that when you talk English soccer you start and end with the classy Steven Gerrard).
Best Player: Diego Forlan! For once, the voters got it right. Forlan was simply outstanding throughout Uruguay's run to the semi-finals.
Best Game: Germany vs. Uruguay in the Third-Place match on Saturday.
Worst Game: Sunday's final between Spain and Holland. The Dutch were running around looking to foul someone and the Spaniards did what they do as well as anyone...Flop!
Worst Performance by a Group: This one's a tie -- all the executives at FIFA (especially Sepp Blatter), the referees and anyone who owns a vuvuzela.
Best Moment I: Siphiwe Tshabalala scoring the first goal of the tournament, sending the home crowd South Africans into a frenzy.
Worst Moment I: Siphiwe Tshabalala scoring the first goal of the tournament, sending the home crowd South Africans into a frenzy. And thus beginning the relentless sound of those annoying vuvuzelas!
Best Moment II: Although it is in all honesty totally jingoistic, Landon Donovan scoring in extra time, to lift USA to the Group title!
Worst Moment II: Although it is in all honesty totally jingoistic, Landon Donovan scoring in extra time to lift USA to the Group title and thus perhaps saving Bob Bradley's job as USA Coach.
Best Performance by a Television Announcer: Roberto Martinez, the Wigan Athletic coach did a wonderful job of analyzing games. Would love to play for this guy. Consider me a Wigan fan.
Worst Performance by a Television Announcer: Consider this a note to the executives and decision makers at ESPN. Please keep Ruud Gullit and Steve McManaman off the announcer's list for World Cup 2014.
Worst Prediction: Another tie -- 1) Me picking the Italians to defend their title. 2) Me telling USA Coach to start Jose Torres in central midfield. Oh well.
Best Prediction: Me telling USA Coach Bob Bradley not to start Ricardo Clark. He did. Clark stunk. USA got knocked out.
Best Prediction II: Me telling you now that Germany will win World Cup 2014.
