The Mail & Guardian’s Ryan Hoffmann gives his highlights and lowlights of the Soccer World Cup.
Young Player of the Tournament
Thomas Müller
There were quite a few bright young players who made names for themselves at this tournament, but none achieved this as emphatically as the Bayern Munich midfielder. The 20-year-old is in his first full season as a professional, and what a season it has been. For a big man he possesses pace, vision and technique, which saw him being given the Golden Boot award for the top scorer, with five goals. While there were a few other players with the same number of goals, it’s Muller’s record for assists that saw him receiving the coveted award.
Most disappointing Player of the Tournament
Take your pick
Before the tournament started the likes of Wayne Rooney, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba and Lionel Messi were all being tipped to turn on the magic in South Africa. But, apart from Messi (who himself was well below his best), the fan favourites hardly set the tournament alight and struggled to get a goal between them. Analysts suggest their poor performance could be due to the crammed schedule of European football, but less forgiving fans might be tempted to concluded that the players’ massive egos are behind their poor performances.
Player of the Tournament
Diego Forlan
After being written off as “unsuitable” for the English Premier League, Forlan quietly went about rebuilding his reputation in Spain and arrived in South Africa with something to prove. His performance at the tournament has been nothing short of a revelation, and his efforts have been rewarded with the World Cup’s top individual prize, the Golden Ball, previously won by the likes of Diego Maradona, Romario, Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane. Forlan scored five goals in South Africa, powering Uruguay to an unexpected semifinal appearance. Given his inspirational passing and off-the-ball movement, it is no surprise to see how he is the first player who did not play in the final to receive the award.
Team of the Tournament
Uruguay
Uruguay were the last team to qualify for the tournament, by way of a play-off, and few pundits gave the South Americans much chance of progressing past the second round. However, under the guidance of Oscar Tabárez, the team reminded the world just what a rich football pedigree Uruguay possess. They made it all the way to the semifinals, pushing The Netherlands all the way to the final whistle. Critics might argue that the team didn’t exactly cover itself in glory, and accusations of cheating have been thrown around, but it cannot be denied that Uruguay played an open, expansive style of football that was pleasant on the eye and left fans wanting more.
Fans’ Favourite Team of the Tournament
Ghana
With the tournament being held in Africa, the continent was desperate for an African team to do well. Seeing that South Africa were never really going to set the tournament alight, the expectations fell on Ghana, and until they came up against Uruguay’s win-at-all-costs strategy, it seemed as though the Black Stars might just do the impossible and become the first African team to advance beyond the quarterfinals of the Soccer World Cup. Ghana built on their impressive performance at the 2006 tournament in Germany and displayed a free-flowing style of play that won the hearts of fans on the continent. The Black Stars came within an inch of being the first African team to ever qualify for the semifinals, but were denied by Uruguay striker Luis Suarez.
Cheat of the Tournament
Luis Suarez
Coming in to the tournament on the back of a fantastic season where he scored bucket loads of goals in the Dutch league, Suarez showed the nastier side of his game in South Africa. The 23-year-old must surely be the player African fans most despise after his flair for the dramatic led to the elimination of both South Africa and the continent’s last hope, Ghana. Suarez was responsible for Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune being shown a red card with a well-timed dive during their group match, and his helping hand on the goal line denied Ghana a historic spot in the semifinals.
Goal of the Tournament
Fabio Quagliarella (Italy vs Slovakia game)
Italy might have been bundled out of the tournament at the first hurdle, but Quagliarella regained some pride for the Azzurri with his wonder strike in their final group match against Slovakia. The Napoli forward conjured a moment of brilliance out of nothing and had the Slovakian keeper beaten with his inch-perfect chip shot. Alas, it was too little too late for the Marcello Lippi’s men.