JOHANNESBURG -- Just before the Christmas shopping season commences, FIFA will no doubt crank out a DVD highlighting the best moments of the 2010 World Cup, one that will be filled with the tournament's heroes willing their side to victory. Yet as with most World Cups, not everything was sweetness and light. Here are those moments bound to be omitted by FIFA's selective editing.
1. The fall of the 2006 finalists
Given France's shaky qualification campaign, one that included Thierry Henry's handball assist against Ireland, plenty of pundits predicted that Les Bleus would not advance out of the first round. Yet few could have anticipated the totality of France's implosion. Striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home after verbally abusing manager Raymond Domenech at halftime of France's game with Mexico. Then the players boycotted a training session in protest. The team's on-the-field performance was just as embarrassing, as it garnered a solitary point in three matches.
Although Italy's fall lacked France's pyrotechnics, in some ways it was just as humiliating. When the tournament draw was announced back in December, Italy's group containing Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia was thought to be among the cushiest in the competition. Instead, the Azzurri contrived to finish at the bottom with two points. Yes, even New Zealand finished above them. It all served to reveal the folly of manager Marcelo Lippi's reliance on an aging lineup that included 36-year-old defender Fabio Cannavaro. Clearly, Lippi's successor, Cesare Prandelli, will need to rebuild this side from the ground up.
2. The goal that wasn't
Let's be clear. Soccer is a terribly difficult game to officiate. But by missing Frank Lampard's goal, the officials made FIFA's Luddite-like insistence on avoiding goal-line technology even more baffling. With Germany leading England 2-1 in their second-round match, a perfectly legitimate goal by England midfielder was ruled not to have crossed the goal line when television replays clearly showed otherwise. Given Germany's superb form in recording a 4-1 win, it's easy to think the game wouldn't have turned out differently, but no one can say for certain how Lampard's apparent equalizer would have affected things.
The incident made a mockery of the business adage that "There's no such thing as bad publicity," as FIFA's stance against goal cameras or additional officials became untenable. It seems a lock now that FIFA will adopt one of these measures before the next World Cup, which will come as small comfort to England fans.
3. The big stars disappoint
If you had placed a wager before the World Cup that Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney -- arguably the top three players in the world -- would score one goal combined, you probably could retire to a picturesque seaside villa in Cape Town. Instead, soccer fans everywhere are wondering how such a talented trio could be so ineffective.
Some will no doubt blame the long European club season for the subpar form of these three players. Yet it didn't seem to bother the likes of Dutch master Wesley Sneijder, Spain midfielder Xavi and Uruguay striker Diego Forlan. A more likely reason is that, particularly in the cases of Rooney and Ronaldo, the supporting casts were simply not good enough.
4. FIFA's not-so-Masterpiece Theatre
Diving is bad enough, but the shameful theatrics of players such as Ivory Coast midfielder Kader Keita and Spain defender Joan Capdevila show that FIFA should take a good, hard look at suspending players who con referees into sending off opponents. Keita's falling to the ground in apparent agony after Brazil's Kaka raised his arm as the Ivorian ran into him was a complete and utter joke, one that saw Kaka ejected for his second yellow card. The same was true for Capdevila's reaction to alleged contact by Ricardo Costa that resulted in the Portuguese defender seeing red.
If FIFA began suspending players for such absurd behavior, it would disappear in a heartbeat.
5. The performance of African teams
No continent disappointed more than Africa. Ghana was the only African side to safely navigate its way past the group stage, while some of the continent's five other representatives flamed out spectacularly. Cameroon failed to garner a single point. Algeria didn't score a single goal. Nigeria failed to progress from what appeared to be one of the easier groups, leading that nation's government to issue a threat -- since rescinded -- to shut down the team for two years.
Clearly, talent isn't the issue given the many players plying their trade in elite leagues. Stability among the coaching ranks is another matter, however. The fact that both Nigeria and Ivory Coast fired managers four months before the tournament speaks to the knee-jerk mentality afflicting many African federations. Paul Le Guen was in charge for only a year with Cameroon. It also doesn't seem accidental that Ghana had Milovan Rajevac in charge for two years and managed to reach the quarterfinals.
6. Vuvuzelas
South Africa, you deserve top marks for the beauty of your country, the friendliness of your people and delivering a well-run World Cup. However, the threat of permanent hearing loss is one thing I won't miss. And count me among those who think that something is lost amid the constant blaring of those horns. The singing of two sets of fans is for me one the game's most appealing aspects. With the vuvuzelas around, that passion is diminished.
tupo KIMICHEZO zaidi wadau....!!!!! karibu tuHABARISHANE machache tunayokusanya pembe zote
