FIFA World Cup 2010: Losers
The World Cup ended in disappointment for some major names in the World of football. Team’s like France, Italy and England made people question if they really were as good as people thought they would be. France exited at the group stages, by ending up being at the bottom of their group with only one point as they just managed to score one goal.
Italy played like some amateur team for most of the tournament but managed to pick up the pace in the last ten minutes of their final group game against Slovakia, but by then it was too late for the team, the former World Champions left at the group stages at the bottom of their group as well.
When the World Cup draws were made, English newspapers called England’s group, 'easy' as an acronym for England, Algeria, Slovenia and Yanks ( U.S.A). However it proved to be anything but easy. England managed to qualify from the group stages but only barely. All of their half hearted efforts were swept aside by a terrific German performance.
Things looked great for the South American teams. They were playing with flair, great dynamics and were tactically sound in every area. Every European team other than Germany didn't even look half as good as the South American teams during the opening rounds of the tournament. However after the quarter finals were done with, it was a different story. Only Uruguay managed to make it through to the semi finals which consisted of one South American team and three European.
Netherlands could have been the greatest winners the tournament had ever seen. They performed exceptionally throughout the tournament. They had a hundred percent track record going into the finals and they even managed to beat the likes of Brazil along the way. They managed to progress by possessing a mixture of skill, luck and technique. But in the show down with Spain in the finals they let themselves down, their failure to try and take the game to Spain ultimately led to their down fall and they can only blame themselves for that. Neutrals usually tend to favor the Dutch because of the way they play, but this tournament the Dutch haven’t done much to be remembered for.
The biggest failures at this year’s tournament were the so called 'stars', who failed to live up to their names. Players such as Rooney, Ronaldo and Messi, went into the tournament with every one guessing as to what amazing feats they would produce during the course of the World Cup. Now that the World Cup is over people are wondering whether these players even deserved all the hype that they were given.
Rooney failed to register a single goal and Messi also went home without a goal to his name. Ronaldo may have gotten a goal but his over all performances were not even half as good as what people have come to expect of him. This tournament proved that big name stars never manage to deliver on the grandest stage of them all.
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