2010 World Cup – The Best Ever.
By: Hannibal Najjar.
20-20 Hindsight, 2010 Insight
Hindsight is 20-20, and when something is great we score it out of 10. In hindsight, this just-concluded World Cup could have be referred to as, 20-20-10! Strangely, today is Tuesday July, 20, ’10, yes, 2010, the day that I made these reflections! Perfect numbering for a near-perfect World Cup!
Having seen almost every game of every World Cup ever since the Beautiful Game of World Cups was brought to our homes, I feel confident that this is an honest and correct assessment. The most entertaining World Cup however, would probably be the two played in same-soil, Mexico, in 1970 and 1986, won by Pele’s Brasil, and Maradona’s Argentina respectively.
Italy and France – Short-Lived Dance
All things considered, it is in my opinion that this was the best ever World Cup for all participating nations. Save the 7-0 drubbing by Portugal over North Korea , all other games were very competitively fiercely played. When one witnesses that, the two finalists of World Cup 2006, Italy and France were both eliminated in the first round, and more so, both finishing LAST in their respective groups, one begins to understand the reasoning of this claim. The notion that the “gap is closing” no loner exists, for it is now, “closed”, and full congratulations must go out to FIFA for its Goal programme and world-wide funding.
Upsets – A thing of the Past
No longer will we look at World Cup games and easily say that there is an upset in the making. Look at the Round of Sixteen, and the results of the First Round, one can see why every team had a legitimate chance of advancing. The list included Uruguay , South Korea , USA , Ghana , Germany , England , Argentina , Mexico , Netherlands , Slovakia , Brasil , Chile , Paraguay , Japan , Portugal , and Spain . Then, of the five CONMEBOL nations, the last to qualify, half-team Uruguay, was the only one in the semis, and the not-so-likely, Diego Forlan was, Golden Ball winner, and "freshman", Muller won the Golden Boot. Kaka, Messi, Ronaldo, Rooney, nor Torres and others, soared to the top.
Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies, and not Individuality Prevailed
The games were filled with strategies that suggested that coaches played an important part in the freedom and control tone of each encounter. This was not a tournament for stars, whether to be discovered or confirmed – brilliance surfaced but the play was dominated by sound techniques, amazing tactics, coaching strategies, and marvelous teamwork. Those teams that deviated from this failed rather miserably. In the end, it was a supreme Spain in all departments of the game that prevailed. They understood their departmental requirements thoroughly and each person attended to every detail with interest, quality, and a responsibility to the whole and the overall good.
Their play was always fulfilling the four most important ingredients in high quality performances –
They sought to play every play early, simply, and well i.e. quick, timely, and efficient
They were able to complement this with speed
They further complemented each high-speed, early, simple, and well play, with the solid warding off of the opposition i.e. those that were in immediate contention of the ball-handler, and those who were marking pass receivers
They did all these consistently
Thoroughly Deserved Victory and Confirmed Table-Top Ranking
Spain deserved their trophy, their place firmly back at the top of world football, and they did it with class, individual brilliance and pizzazz, and with solid offensive and defensive teamwork. They truly epitomized what genuine teamwork is about – when you think of the world-class players that sat the bench only to come on with pleasant faces, willing spirits, and hard-working attitudes (in the likes of Fabregas, and Torres, to mention a few) one understands Spain’s readiness for this ultimate occasion. Not even the rough, untimely, and unsavory tactics of the one-dimensionally focused Holland could impede their vision and mission. Long live Spain and its high-quality local and international football – truly the world’s best!
