I’ll remember it as a festival of football
GOOD organisation, fantastic atmospheres everywhere you go, and not a hint of trouble, South Africa 2010 will go down in many people’s book as a tremendous festival of football.
I’ve been privileged to have witnessed it first hand and experience the joy that hosting the World Cup has brought to the people of South Africa.
On the field, I think we’ve seen better, but it’s still been fascinating to watch and the right team came out on top in the end.
Here are my highs and lows of a memorable month in the Rainbow Nation.
Highlight – Well, it’s a lowlight if you’re Asamoah Gyan, but the moment he missed that last-gasp penalty against Uruguay in the quarter-final, encapsulated the emotional rollercoaster that is the World Cup. Heartbroken Gyan bravely stepped up to score in the ensuing shoot-out, but Ghana lost and the tears just kept coming.
Low point – England. If South Africa 2010 is remembered for one thing, it won’t be for the performance of Fabio Capello’s men. We were shocking from the word go, and deservedly perished after our heaviest-ever World Cup defeat, against Germany.
It was also noticeable just how the so-called big guns failed to shine. Rooney, Ronaldo, Messi, Torres, Kaka – none made an impact.
Breath of fresh air – Uruguay. Inspired by Diego Forlan, the south Americans shocked everyone to reach the semi-finals and gave a tremendous account of themselves.
Goal of the tournament – Giovanni van Bronckhorst for Holland against Uruguay in the semi-final. In the penultimate game of his football career, it was certainly one to savour.
Man of the tournament – There are plenty of candidates; Iniesta and Xavi of course, Sneijder, David Villa, but for me it has to be Diego Forlan in his starring role for Uruguay. He put an extra nought on his value and was a deserved Golden Ball winner.