New Delhi: Once the curtain finally fell on the 2010 World Cup, we realised that this month marked many changes in football. The first World Cup in Africa was a very successful event, held in a carnival mood. Until now the event had only gone to developed nations in Europe, the Americas and in Asia.
South Africa has become the reason why FIFA, I believe, should start consider awarding the World Cup not only to developed countries but to ambitious nations. What a World Cup does is to help a country and a region make big strides in football and sport as well as general infrastructure and the manner in which the world looks at it. South Africa can now confidently think of staging an Olympic Games.
Yes Spain was finally crowned World Champion after decades of underachieving. Regardless of the result, I believe Spain has been the most spectacular team in this tournament. They are a complete side, brimming with quality from goalkeeper to defenders, with dazzling midfielders and strikers. This is really Spain's golden generation team. The exceptional individuals have gelled as a unit and played the most attractive football of any other team in this World Cup.
It may then surprise you to hear that, in my mind, the best match of this World Cup does not feature Spain but England and Germany. The round of 16 match may have ended 4-1 but it was not a one-sided contest, England had their moments too. There were great goals in there, quality football and something that kept the journalists happy too, a big controversy about the Frank Lampard goal that was disallowed.
That was just an example of the general refereeing at the tournament. I am not saying they were poor but they were involved in some shocking decisions which completely changed the course of the games. It is now obvious referees do need the help of technology especially on the goal line and offside rule. Technology's time has come.
The World Cup came to an end with Shakira's Waka Waka, and during the semis and final we realised all the complaints about the Jabulani had vanished. Those players and coaches, who made the most noise, were watching the final on TV while on their holidays. David Villa, Diego Forlan, Sneijder and Oezil scored some exceptional World Cup goals with that very same ball. Just as the big names like Rooney, Ronaldo, Kaka faded, we saw players like Villa, Thomas Muller, Mesut Oezil, Wesley Sneijder, Asamoah Gyan, Diego Forlan emerge. They are the new stars of the game.
Football fans will tell you that build-ups apart, what they really love the most are the solo goals, that show individual brilliance. Since most of the stars who can produce these kind of goals faded and underperformed, the great individual goals was rare. If I had to pick one, my best goal, it would have to be David Villa's first against Honduras. If I close my eyes, I see it all over again. He received a long diagonal ball on the left flank, and made up his mind to take on defenders. Then he beat two players with lightning speed and skill just outside the penalty area, twisted and turned around a third inside the box before placing the ball near the far post, leaving the goalkeeper flatfooted.
To me, it is why Forlan, Villa and also Sneijder stand out in this tournament as top performers. The best player must be highly skilful, someone who influences his team and with his own consistent performance is able to push his team ahead in a high-pressure event like the World Cup. Xavi, Iniesta, Muller and Schweinsteiger are those kind of players but Villa, Forlan and Sneijder have taken their teams all the way. Between them, I would pick Sneijder as the player of the tournament because he made such a big impact for the Dutch.
Not only did he build up attacks, he played an important part in set pieces and despite being a mid-fielder, was one the leading Golden Boot contendor with Villa and Muller.
The all European final may have surprised a few but it is not as if the Latin Americans failed. There is always competition between the two continents and the World Cup has switched hands every time – in 2006, it was Italy, before that it was Brazil in 2002. In the quarter finals, we forget there were four South American teams and three European. But I think the Argentinians didn't have an alternative plan, so were outplayed by Germany and Brazil were stuck in a very negative, defensive system. In terms of tactics, the Europeans were ahead.
On that count I would actually name Joachim Loew as the coach of this World Cup. Despite one of the youngest teams in the tournament, he was the only one could successfully use the 4-2-3-1 formation in an attacking, attractive style rather than the boring, defensive use of the formation we saw from many other teams. His team won by big margins, scoring four goals in three different games and in the World Cup pressure cooker, he managed to be composed during games and in press conferences.
Africa's first world cup was wonderful, even though to my mind its saddest moment came when Ghana exited because they were denied a goal in the dying minutes by striker Suarez's goalkeeping abilities in the quarter-final. They deserved to progress to the semi-finals and no wonder Suarez got booed every time he touched a ball at the Cup after that. Personally though I wouldn't have have been surprised had the French team's behaviour off-the-field got a few boos as well. We will not forget the vuvuzelas now, and I find them noisy but I do respect the fact it is part of the South African tradition of team support. I'm sure every foreign fan in South Africa would have left for home with one of the those trumpets as a souvenir.
The future of the World Cup now moves across the Atlantic. We know that the 2014 competition in Brazil will simply be magical. As for me, I already plan to be there with my wife and kids, whether on a professional assignment or just as part of my holiday. The only thing I wish for is that both India and Morocco qualify for Brazil, so I could cheer loudly for them!
(The author is chief coach of Salgaocar FC and an expert on CNN-IBN's Football World Cup special show The Beautiful Game.)
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