Whose World Cup will this be?

[Steel Icarus]

I don't necessarily mean the player who will be voted the best of the tournament. I'm thinking of the player who World Cup 2010 will be forever associated with. I know the final is still to come, and there's time for a player to create an enduring image like Tardelli in 1982, but usually WCs have had a definite "player" before the final. I'm thinking of

70 - Pele
74 - Cruyff
78 - Kempes
82 - Tardelli
86 - Maradona
90 - Gascgoine/Scillacci
94 - Baggio
98 - ?
02 - Ronaldo (the original and best )
06 - Zidane

Who are your contenders? Because there's been, for me, no stand-out player...so far.

 

[TrippyLondoner]

i think forlan.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Villa.

Fuck it, or Torres - the script is written for a final showpiece...

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Villa or Robben I guess. Depends what happens Sunday!

 

[TrippyLondoner]

robben hasn't really played enough.

 

[kained&able]

i'd go with either Wesley Sneijderr or orzil.

No ones really stood out as THE best player in the world cup part 4 but those two have had the best tournaments i reckon.

Oh and zidane wins the award for 98 if not him then thuram, who was amazing, especially in the semi final.


dave

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Ozil was pretty much snuffed out as a threat tonight.

 

[TrippyLondoner]

how can you not vote for forlan? just cause he aint in the final???

 

[ericjarvis]

There's a lot to be said for rating Schweinsteiger as the most influential player of the tournament so far. There's also still time for Pujol to do something heroic in the final and stamp his name on the tournament other than as scruffiest player in Europe.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Schweinsteiger was snuffed out tonight as well.

Someone posted on another thread before the game that the Germans 'didn't like it up them'. Spain showed that tonight. I think Uruguay would have beaten them too. Maybe even Paraguay.

 

[kained&able]

every german player was snuffed out, doesn't alter the fact that at least two of em have had a great world cup.


dave

 

[marty21]

Villa, he'll knock one in in the final I reckon.

 

[kabbes]

Thomas Muller had a great world cup. I do think Germany missed him last night.

I sense a little weeny bit of revisionism in the Germany-Spain game. There is a tendancy to plaise plaudits on the winner of a match and grind the losers into dust. But I thought it was pretty even and could have gone either way, actually.

Orzil has been the player of the tournament for me, with Schweinsteiger, Forlan, Villa and Schneijder following closely behind.

 

[100% masahiko]

Poor, poor WC imo.
No outright stars. Kaka, Messi, Ronaldo, Rooney were all flops.

Kevin stuck out for me (Prince Boateng).
And that Japanese guy, Honda (without the E).

 

[kabbes]

Yeah, Honda was excellent, actually.

 

[stavros]

Oh and zidane wins the award for 98 if not him then thuram, who was amazing, especially in the semi final.


dave

I'd go for the whole back four of Thuram, Desailly, Blanc and Lizarazu, plus Deschamps just in front.

And although I wasn't born at the time, from my reading '74 would be a shared award between Cruyff and Beckenbauer.

 

[kained&able]

never been a fan of lizou, not sure why. Rest of em were all immaculate but thuram was just a different class that world cup.

dave

 

[Silva]

Thomas Muller had a great world cup. I do think Germany missed him last night.

I sense a little weeny bit of revisionism in the Germany-Spain game. There is a tendancy to plaise plaudits on the winner of a match and grind the losers into dust. But I thought it was pretty even and could have gone either way, actually.

Orzil has been the player of the tournament for me, with Schweinsteiger, Forlan, Villa and Schneijder following closely behind.

When the game was 0-0, Kroos had a loose cross that Thomas Muller would easily (judging from his present form) send past Casillas. that was the best goal chance in all game for both sides...

 

[stavros]

never been a fan of lizou, not sure why. Rest of em were all immaculate but thuram was just a different class that world cup.

dave

Agreed. Thuram was one of the few players of recent years to be truly world class in more than one position, playing CB for Parma and RB for France. Ironically, Desailly took the CB berth for France, whilst playing as the holding midfielder for Milan.

 

[Obnoxiousness]

Robert Green.

Or perhaps that bloke who scores goals, David Villa.

 

[London Eye]

I don't necessarily mean the player who will be voted the best of the tournament. I'm thinking of the player who World Cup 2010 will be forever associated with. I know the final is still to come, and there's time for a player to create an enduring image like Tardelli in 1982, but usually WCs have had a definite "player" before the final. I'm thinking of

70 - Pele
74 - Cruyff
78 - Kempes
82 - Tardelli
86 - Maradona
90 - Gascgoine/Scillacci
94 - Baggio
98 - ?
02 - Ronaldo (the original and best )
06 - Zidane

Who are your contenders? Because there's been, for me, no stand-out player...so far.

Tardelli might have an enduring image, but I don't see how anyone other than Paolo Rossi could be associated with 1982. Hat-trick against Brazil after not scoring and everyone writing him off.

1998 was definitely Zidane. Two goals in the final saw to that.

And fair enough 2006's abiding image is the Zidane head-butt, but fot me the moment was just before the second goal Italy scored against Germany, when the player of the tournament, .

 

[Kaka Tim]

Villa and Forlan.

 

[Maltin]

when the player of the tournament, .

Cannavaro didn't get that accolade!

 

[stavros]

I think Cannavaro got World Player of the Year, but Zidane got the Player of the Tournament.

 

[London Eye]

Cannavaro didn't get that accolade!

Always assumed he did. Well it was for pity that Zidane got it then, cos no doubt in my mind who the player of 2006 world cup was. All through he was exceptional, but especially against Germany. Should have quit as world cup winner on 100 caps. His ending as a 37-year-old has-been embarrassed by a bunch of second-rate no-hopers was sad indeed.

 

[Maltin]

Always assumed he did. Well it was for pity that Zidane got it then, cos no doubt in my mind who the player of 2006 world cup was. All through he was exceptional, but especially against Germany. Should have quit as world cup winner on 100 caps. His ending as a 37-year-old has-been embarrassed by a bunch of second-rate no-hopers was sad indeed.

I think if it had been voted on after the final, Cannavaro would have won it.

 

[ericjarvis]

I'm awarding this one to Pujol. For dedication to the cause. For a great semi final goal. Above all for a truly lousy hairstyle.