Best and Worst of 2010 World Cup

Best individual performance:

Diego Forlan

Fans of European club soccer knew that Forlan was among the best goal scorers in the world, but Forlan formally introduced himself to the rest of the world in South Africa. He tied for top scorer with 5 goals and was the lynch pin for a Uruguay side that punched above its weight to finish 4th.


Worst individual performace:

Wayne Rooney

How do zero goals, zero assists, barely a shot, and no impact whatsoever sound? Multiply that by 10 because Rooney is supposed to be one of the top 5 players in the world AT LEAST. He is certainly not the only reason for England's lacklustre campaign, but you expect more from a player of this quality.

Best moment:

Tshabalala's opening goal for South Africa

Opening game against Mexico, raucous home crowd, first world cup game in Africa, and Tshabalala latches onto the end of a through ball to perfectly rocket the ball into the corner of the net. Africa was rocking to the beat of the Bafana Bafana. Sure they ended up drawing that game, and didn't make the knockout stage, but for a brief moment, Tshabalala put South Africa on top of the world.

Worst ref:

Coulibaly (USA-Slovenia)

Blaming the ref is one of sport's oldest excuses, but come on now, this Malian was bad. The world may never know why Maurice Edu's go ahead goal against Slovenia was disallowed. Was it the multiple fouls committed against USA players in the box? Because he also missed those. There was also an offside goal earlier which was disallowed. Overall a terrible game for Coulibaly, and this will do nothing to dispel American's feelings that refs are out to get them on the world stage.

Worst diver:

Andres Iniesta

There were multiple candidates for this most prestigious award, including drame queens such as Arjen Robben, C. Ronaldo, and nearly the entire Spanish team. To be fair to these guys, diving is part of the game and nearly everyone does it. Iniesta is my pick of the litter however, simply because every time he touched the ball in the final, his body found the ground. Sure the Dutch set out to kick them off the field, but the Spaniard's embelishment didn't help matters, and they were never punished for it. Iniesta's dive to get Heitinga sent off was dubious indeed, even though the ref needs to share part of the blame as he was completely fooled.

Most clutch performance:

Luis Suarez

He made the save of the tournament, one which gave Uruguay a dim hope at advancing, but without it there was no hope whatsoever. He may be scrutinized, but that's a bit unfair as he did what every other footballer would do with a semi final spot on the line. He did his best Tim Howard impression and lets be honest, if Gyan did what he was supposed to do, this wouldn't even be remembered. As it stands, Suarez' quick thinking was undeniably a clutch (although morally questionable) decision that will live on in World Cup folk lore.

Biggest cheat:

Luis Suarez

He made the save of the tournament, except he's not a goalkeeper. Cynics will always claim that the red card given to Suarez along with a penalty is not enough. They'll say that a goal should just be given in such a circumstance. As it stands, Suarez found a way to beat the system, and it only really paid off because Gyan clanked the penalty off the bar. Still, Suarez is a polarizing figure who is both loved and hated equally for his action. One thing is for sure, he may not want to return to Africa again.

Biggest heartbreak:

Gyan's penalty miss with Africa's hopes on his shoulders

This was like nothing I've ever seen. It wasn't just one country's hopes but the whole host continent was on his shoulders. He had put away penalties against Germany and Serbia earlier in the tournament, but shanked the most important one he'll likely ever take. Even though I was bitter about Ghan beating the US, this was incredibly painful to see. We also must say that he manned up and cooly put home the first penalty in the shootout to somewhat redeem himself. Africa won't soon forget the penalty which broke their hearts.

Worst stadium:

Mandela Bay Stadium

This is the World Cup, why are they playing semi final matches on a dirt patch? To think this monstrosity of a field is named after one of the most inspirational figures in our lifetime. Even from the start the field wasn't up to par with the high standard which is to be expected. This wasn't the only pitch that was torn up, but it was certainly the worst.

Best stadium:

Soccer City

The pitch still had it's nicks, but overrall Soccer City was a splendid surface. The outside design was beautiful to the eye as well. By all accounts this was a worthy centerpiece to the tournament.

Best villain (object):

Jabulani ball/Vuvuzelas

There can be nothing other than a tie here, as both are equally maligned. The Jabulani ball had it's share of critics, which included pretty much everyone, while the vuvuzelas gave people the world around a collective headache. And though players adjusted to the ball (it's still round!) and we adjusted to the vuvuzelas (it's still annoying!), we will never forget the swerving and buzzing of these two objects. The real enemy here should perhaps be plastic, as both demon items are made of the synthetic substance.

Best villain (individual):

Mark Van Bommel

Good old MVB earned his fair share of haters throughout the tournament. Whether he was trying to go through a player with his sharp studs or complaining to a referee, he just did not rub people the right way. Shame too as he was a HUGE reason the Dutch made a run to the final. Van Bommel provided the steel in midfield which they needed to shield a shaky back line. Still, MVB is someone fans just love to hate.

Most entertaining team:

Germany

Why not Spain? I never fell in love with their pass-pass-pass-pass back to defense-pass-etc. approach. I love a good counterattack more than anything, and the Germans were the kings of this. Ozil, Schweinsteiger, Muller, and company formed a lightning quick counter which destroyed Australia, England, and Argentina with 4 goal displays. The best is yet to come for this young team however, which is good news for any neutral fan.

Least entertaining team:

Greece

It wasn't any suprise to see Greece play so abysmally. We knew what they wanted to do. Try nip a goal and then sit 11 men back. Problem is they can't score goals and teams have figured them out since they won the Euros in '04. It took a Nigerian to be sent off for the Greeks to score not 1, but 2 goals! A new Greek record I think! They also put in two of the worst offensive displays in the tournament against South Korea and Argentina.

Best suprise team:

Uruguay

Forlan and Suarez led the Uruguayans to an improbable run to the semis. Although I picked them as a darkhorse, even I didn't expect them to do this well. The South Americans were a cohesive side with a strong defense and great attack. Forlan in particular lifted up the team with his swerving free kicks, while Suarez won the South Korea game with 2 goals of his own. Not only were they a suprise team, but they were also an entertaining team to watch. Good on ya Uruguay, you're welcome back anytime.

Biggest disappointment:

France

I almost picked Italy here, but really neither of these teams should've expected much based on their loony coaches. Still, the fact that France completely fell apart on and off the field was a major disappointment to anyone following the team. The current squad proved incapable of putting problems aside on the field with pathetic losses to Mexico and South Africa. The mutiny orchestrated by the players was just the icing on the cake to ensure that France was the laughing stock of the World Cup. They shouldn't have even shown up (Ireland anyone?).

Funniest storyline:

The French soap opera

Though it was sad and pathetic, the storylines which surfaced became farcical by the end as you could hardly believe this much could go wrong. A failed mutiny, an idiot coach, a crop of underachievers who can't even get along, the French soap opera was something we've never seen on such a grand scale. All you can really do is shake your head and laugh at what a joke this talent rich country has reduced itself to.

Worst game:

Brazil and Portugal's 0-0 draw

Perhaps the premier example as to why a game such as this should be scheduled first in the group. As it stands, both teams knew they didn't need to do much of anything to advance. Brazil and Portugal should produce a good game of football, instead we got this uninspiring mess.

Best game (group stage):

Slovakia - Italy

A 3-2 win for Slovakia knocked out the defending champs. Italy looked done and dusted but nearly pulled off a stunning comeback. This game had it all from high stakes, scoring, drama, and controversy. If only every group game was like this.

Best game (knockout stage):

Uruguay - Ghana

How could it be anything but this one? We may never see a more crazy finish than this. From Suarez's infamous handball and subsequent red card to the ensuing penalty which was missed by Gyan in the dying seconds. The penalties which decided it are almost an afterthought to this drama, but Uruguay stole a victory in the end which Africa will never forget.

Best manager:

Maradona! Just kidding. Joachim Lowe

Lowe managed a youthful German side which made it further than most expected, playing with brutal efficiency along the way. He dealt with injury and inexperience in stride and every move he made seemed to work.

Worst manager:

Raymond Domenech

This really goes without saying. Questionable squad selection, poor tactics, inability to motivate, being a complete idiot, he gave it his all that's for sure. When you are so bad that you inspire a mutiny, you may have a problem. Look for Raymond's new book, 'How Not to Manage a Football Team' at a bookstore near you very soon.

Biggest Winner:

Africa

This World Cup was a chance to showcase what Africa had to offer. A chance to prove that they can stage the world's grandest tournament. A chance to introduce itself as a world power. Africa delivered. Sure the tourney had it's problems, from annoying vuvuzelas to the maligned ball, to some poor playing conditions. Still this didn't dampen the mood in the slightest. Nothing could stop this continent's chance to shine. South Africa and the continent as a whole was a gracious host and we won't forget the memories made in the dark continent.