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Editorial July 2010
Soccerphile Editorial - July 2010
Farewell To A Confusing World Cup
The history books may have closed on the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but one question remains: was it a good World Cup or a bad one?
That partly depends on what you read, and not surprisingly the English press has focused prominently on the 4-1 thrashing dished out to Fabio Capello's team by a rampant Germany in the second round.
For a tournament which begun with so much promise for the Three Lions, it ended in sheer disaster at the hands of a superb German side, sparking heated debate about Capello's future as England manager and the impact of the Premier League's foreign legion on the English game.
Germany's stunning defeat of England was the catalyst for Africa's first World Cup to awake from its slumber, after fans dozed through a procession of boring group-stage encounters marred by defensive tactics and the preponderance of the 4-2-3-1 formation.
It's a formation which German coach Joachim Löw paradoxically used to good effect, but his team's stunning run to the semi-finals came to a halt against the kings of possession football, as Carles Puyol's thumping header propelled Spain into their first ever World Cup final.
While Germany became renowned for their counter attacking football and Spain were all about keeping the ball, the Netherlands were suddenly cast as villains for their pragmatic approach and the cynical fouling of captain Mark van Bommel.
Dutch legend Johan Cruyff blasted the Oranje's tactics after the tournament, as the Netherlands failed to make it third-time lucky by adding to their World Cup final defeats in 1974 and again four years later.
That Spain ultimately triumphed in extra-time following a nervy final at Soccer City was perhaps the right result for football, but it wasn't a match that will live long in the memory, as Andres Iniesta's dramatic late winner settled a bruising and often dour encounter.
Neither Spain's Iniesta, nor Dutch winger Arjen Robben received individual plaudits, as Uruguay's ace striker Diego Forlan was named the tournament's best player.
Four players finished the tournament with five goal apiece - including Spain's David Villa and Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder - but ultimately it was German youngster Thomas Müller who lifted the Golden Boot award, nudging out Forlan in the process by virtue of his assists.
Uruguay's run to the semi-finals provided a touch of romance, although they were also involved in the tournament's most dramatic encounter after they knocked out Ghana in the most contentious of circumstances.
Africa's last standing repesentatives looked set to book a place in the final four following Luis Suarez' now infamous hand ball on the goal line, however Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan stepped up to blast the resultant spot-kick against the crossbar in the final minute of extra-time.
The eyes of a stunned global audience were fixed squarely on Gyan as he subsequently converted his penalty during the shoot-out, however it Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera who proved the hero, with two spot-kick saves sending the South Americans through in unprecedented circumstances.
The tournament will be remembered as much for Suarez' act of gamesmanship as it will for refereeing blunders elsewhere, and none was more obvious than Frank Lampard's disallowed ‘goal' against Germany.
The Chelsea midfielder saw his strike incorrectly ruled out despite the fact that it had clearly crossed the goal line, and FIFA have belatedly been compelled to act, with rumours abounding that video technology will now be in place for the next World Cup in Brazil in 2014.
After all the misgivings, South Africa ultimately proved warm and accommodating hosts, with all the pre-tournament talk of violent crime and transport chaos unfounded.
Yet, as smoothly as the first World Cup held on African soil was run - and that's to say nothing of the inevitable logistical problems which arose from hosting the tournament in a country as vast as South Africa - it remains to be seen what kind of legacy the world's biggest sporting event will truly leave.
Whether the fractious relations between black and white South Africans improved as a result of hosting the World Cup is doubtful, while the economic windfall anticipated never really materalised.
It was that kind of tournament - good, without ever really being great - and one that arguably leaves us with more questions than answers.
So it's farewell to a confusing 2010 World Cup then, with already attention set to switch to the tournament's next enigmatic host nation, Brazil.
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