World Cup 2010: One Final Review

Attention Turns Toward
Brazil For 2014 Event

The dust has settled; the confetti has fallen. The World Cup is over and fans of the great event must now wait until 2014, when Brazil will entertain the top 32 teams for a futbol fiesta.

Here are a few overall Cup reactions from four of the OGS writers:

Ben Jackey
The World Cup Final was indicative of the type of play fans had to endure for the majority of the tournament: Conservative and bogged down. The few exceptions were the final days of the group stage and when Argentina or Brazil were playing. Germany scored a lot, but it was mostly done on the counter, not from a lengthy build-up. Surprisingly, I know few people who say they are "hooked" after having watched this World Cup. Imagine if it was actually entertaining. The same criticism I had of this tournament three weeks ago still applies now in its wake. The 2014 event promises to be a little more exciting off the field because it's in Brazil. Let's hope we can say the same for what happens on it.

Mike Marshall
Best Cup ever in my opinion. Why? All the complaining about the ball, the refereeing or how the tournament started slowly ... those issues are present in every World Cup.

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A LOOK BACK: Complete World Cup Coverage

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Bruce Sholl
All of the excitement and buildup had fans frothing, but the first two games for just about every team brought few surprises and plenty of draws. As we entered the final games of pool play, and then the round of 16, things got much more interesting and showed what the tournament was all about. Until the boring final game.

Jake Yadrich
The greatest sporting event in the world delivered in its first appearance on African soil, and there were multiple moments that will stick with me when I look back on the 2010 World Cup:

+ The first goal scored by South Africa, and the subsequent celebration, was a moment all soccer fans could embrace.
+ Two global powers -- Italy and France -- quickly collapsed, including a near implosion of the French, right in front of a world audience.
+ The Jabulani, billed as the most accurate ball ever created, swerved its way into controversy from the start, making scapegoats out of goalkeepers.
+ Referees' decisions that were proved wrong time after time, especially in no-goal-scored situations, led to more discussion of instant replay in soccer.
+ Landon Donovan providing me with the best sports-viewing moment of my life with the stoppage-time goal against Algeria.
+ Asamoah Gyan's penalty-kick miss against Uruguay was the most heartbreaking thing I have ever seen in a sports event. + Players like Xavi, Forlan, Sneijder, and Mueller showing that superstardom, most notably Rooney, Ronaldo, and Messi, isn't required for success in a World Cup. + Spain, raising the trophy after two years of questions about their heart and ability to play as a team, and finally taking a seat at the table of World Cup winners.

The World Cup provides more drama and excitement that many other sporting events can even dream of. Every four years, we are all treated to a month-long celebration of athleticism, patriotism, pessimism and optimism that is unmatched by any other event in my eyes. And despite all the moments of insanity, passion and pain throughout the past month, the beautiful game delivered on its once-every-four-years promise: to put on a show for the whole world to enjoy.