World Cup 2010 Best of round 1: Second team

1st team

And here is the 2nd team:

Goalkeeper:

Tim Howard - USA



He didn't make any mistakes and had many good saves in a game where his team was under a lot of pressure. Just not quite as difficult ones, or as many I don't think, as Enyema in the Nigeria goal.

Another candidate was Swiss keeper Benaglio but overall I thought the other two prevented more clear chances.

Left-back:

Siaka Tiene - Ivory Coast



Had trouble finding suitable candidates for this position but he edges out Portugal left-back Coentrao cause he offered more forward in that game, as well as take care of his defensive duties, including, at least some of the time (he was drifting around) dealing with C. Ronaldo. Which he did very well.

For Argentina and in general it's always a good thing when Gabriel Heinze doesn't have an erratic game. He was solid defensively but I have to think about how I should rate good Argentina fullback performances when they rarely go past the halfway line. But at least, unlike compatriot Gutierrez on the other side, he is taking of business defensively.

Maybe Bastos the versatile out of position Brazilian could also have been a candidate but I just can't give out too much praise for having a good game against North Korea.

Centreback:

Bruno Alves - Portugal



Another centreback from a team who lost the midfield battle but then handled the ensuing pressure from the opponents (Ivory Coast) very well preventing many chances.

Carvalho his partner also did well but in this particular game Alves work in the air handling the very strong Ivory Coast players was extra impressive I thought.

Centreback:

Kolo Toure - Ivory Coast

Very close here between several players. Mensah, Godin, Lugano, Carvalho, Chiellini and even Cannavaro and Terry (and probably many more including various Koreans!) were people I think you could make a case for, but Toure had one of those very commanding games where he completely dominated Portugal striker Liedson.
He also looked very good starting attacks with runs or passes and generally showed good leadership.

Right back:

Steven Cherundolo - USA



Edges out Duri from South Korea and Isla from Chile, because he faced and beat tougher opponents than they did.

Maybe his direct opponent Milner was sick and not at his best but forcing him out of a game like that is still something you rarely see and an achievement in itself almost.

Then later he dealt with whatever else was thrown at him from the England bench and all in all made an important contribution earning a point against a very good opponent.


Midfielder:

Gelson Fernandes - Switzerland



Tough to say who really did the best all important job on the Swiss defensive midfield.

You can't really put a finger on either of Gokhan Inler or Huggel, but I did notice Fernandes defending both wing and central at times while looking comfortable.
He also covered possibly more ground than anyone else so far in the tournament at 12244 meters (someone should check). And he even scored the goal.

Over the years I haven't seen him consistently but whenever I have he has always looked very promising. Didn't make it at Manchester City though.

Midfielder

Yaya Toure - Ivory Coast



Quite simply the major contributor in winning the midfield battle against a Portugal team normally responsible for creating many chances through their passing and pace. That just didn't happen against the Ivory Coast and the pressure Toure put on both ways, defending and going forward, was very important.

Midfielder:

Anthony Annan - Ghana

He did the holding midfielder anchor role close to perfection against Serbia. Supported the defenders, the midfielders and passed the ball around very well.

If this just happens to be something he does often then I don't think he'll be at Rosenborg for very long, since it's something a lot of clubs seems to be looking for.

Forward:

Thomas Müller - Germany

Has definitely become one of my favorite players this season and is superb without the ball which we saw again this round.

Great work-rate and movement, he helps defend and he attacks. Has pace and strength. Anything good he does with the ball is just a great bonus and against Australia he did plenty.

Müller's piercing runs and Özil's passing finding him could terrorize defenses this world cup.

Forward:

Giovani Dos Santos - Mexico



Has been a positive surprise the recent games where I've seen him (including some of Mexico's many friendlies that hopefully won't end up costing them) and it is obvious that he feels much more at home playing for Mexico than what we've mostly seen in European club football.
He continued his good form in the opener against South Africa and with his pace and skill created many dangerous situations for himself and others.

Forward:

Robinho - Brazil

Lineup for this 2nd team doesn't really make much sense, which isn't a priority either, and I have a hard time finding good candidates for the last couple of forward spots and maybe I should have added another midfielder instead.

Diego Forlan was also good in his opener against France but will be a much stronger candidate next time around. Gervinho from Ivory Coast perhaps another decent candidate.

Robinho I think could easily become one of the stars of the tournament being a key player in Brazil's attacking game. Against North Korea with excellent skills he was one of the few Brazilian positives creating for himself and others.

Coach:

Kim Jong-Hun - North Korea



Edges out Rajevac, Bradley, Eriksson and Bielsa (just for being Bielsa) who all did very good things with their teams.

But most credit of all goes to Kim Jong Hun (whatever the method..) for installing exemplary teamwork into his players. Hard work, correct movement in attack and defense. And all the right passes too! Especially in transition.
Without those ingredients this team wouldn't be able to do much at all. Instead they just gave mighty Brazil a pretty close match. Well done.

World Cup 2010 Best of round 1: First team

No the list isn't dead but any hope of finishing it before the World Cup obviously is...

Right now I'm living and breathing the World Cup 24/7 so realistically I don't know how likely new list entries will indeed be. Probably not all that likely to be honest.

I might write something about the World Cup though, but already do plenty on forums or blogs...

But what I will and can do (right now) with every country having been in action is put down my 1st round of fixtures all star team. A first and a second team of the players and coaches I think have been performing the best.

I'll compile these teams for each round of fixtures right till the very finish with the final itself and the 3rd place game.

By then of course there won't be many performers left to choose from but hopefully at the end, if nothing else just by looking at who has the most Long throwins all star entries, we'll have a very good idea of who (according to me!) the real stars have been this World Cup.

It also goes without saying that the accompanying writeups will be a nice excuse to put some thoughts down on both players, teams and matches that have been played.

FIRST TEAM:


Goalkeeper:

Vincent Enyeama - Nigeria



A number of keepers made bad errors these opening matches. Enyeama made none and then quite simply, and quite clearly I think, was the keeper with the highest number of spectacular and difficult saves to keep his team in a match were they were under a lot of pressure.

The Nigeria team recently taken over by longterm Sweden national coach Lars Lagerbeck didn't really yet look like one of the rigid 4-4-2 Sweden teams. One those that put a stop to Bielsa's exciting 2002 Argentina team. Something for which Lagerbeck rightly feels proud.

This however was a far cry from that and there were plenty of holes between the Nigerian defensive lines to exploit for the Argentinian attackers, and more than anything it was down to Enyeama that Nigeria stayed alive in the match right until the very end.

Unfortunately for Nigeria though that didn't result in them getting a point, but that's no fault of Enyema who was outstanding.

Left-back:

Phillipp Lahm - Germany



Contrary to the right-back position I had enough trouble finding excellent left-back candidates, that I'm going to cheat and put the best right-back in the first round, on the left instead.

On that note I've always felt Lahm was more excellent on the left anyway.

I'm not sure why exactly but it could be that I don't really see Lahm as the type of fullback who is relying on being dynamic or athletic limiting himself almost to the type of play where the great fullback-life objective is to deliver crosses into the box from his natural right side, not that there is anything wrong with that, but Lahm is more than that.

I like him more getting lots of touches, including cutting inside more central, and with his excellent technique and intelligence be very involved in possession. Then good things happen.

That can happen on the right as well of course but I just feel he is more of a standard fullback out there, while on the left his craftsmanship makes him unique.

With all that being said though, playing on the right he definitely had a very good start to this World Cup.

He defended with his usual class (when it comes to defending actually I do think it's safe to say he is more comfortable on the right) and in true Lahm style he was consistently able to occupy the right-midfield and there, like I just talked about what I love from on the left, with skills and intelligence make great (or simply very constructive) contributions whenever Germany were in possession.

Centreback:

Antolin Alcarez - Paraguay

Italy didn't really have trouble getting the ball in and around Paraguay's box area in the sides 1-1 draw and I thought clearly won the midfield battle in front of a defensive line pushing high up.

Where they didn't win however, despite wide forwards moving central to increase pressure further, were the individual matchups against the Paraguay defenders.

Alcarez in particular was good and while scoring a good goal, which he also did, isn't a qualification itself, it certainly doesn't hurt!

Centreback:

Isaac Vorsah - Ghana



In Ghana's match against Serbia he completely matched giant opposing striker Zigic in strength and outplayed him in all other areas, taking completely out of Serbia's game what playing with two strikers was perhaps the only getaway for their outnumbered - under pressure midfield.

From early on it was apparent that feeding Zigic with longer passes was going to get them nowhere and instead Zigic was forced on an uncomfortable mission seeking passes further back in midfield, away from where his true strengths are, trying to help out his midfield in different ways.
Predictable to no avail though and Ghana could control most of the match. When Antic finally acted and brought on Lazovic a player providing different movement than big Zigic and potentially able to help out the outgunned midfield, it proved too late with a red card soon after and then Ghana scoring with Serbia not able to come back.

All in all then a clear effect on winning the game by a centreback. I like it.

Right-back:

Maicon - Brazil



Many good candidates here and I'm gonna mention them when I get to the 2nd. team.

Lahm was probably the best but like I said I'm cheating and placing him on the left, which then leaves Maicon as the right-back prime candidate.

There really isn't a more dominating right-back in world football and after a slow start to the season he has been back to his best for a while now, marauding up and down the right wing, with not least power, but good skills as well.

In a largely uninspired Brazilian performance against a North Korea team showing exemplary team work it was from Maicon's qualities that Brazil were at their most dangerous throughout and eventually where they broke the deadlock as well through an extraordinary goal.

I have a feeling this won't be his last appearance.

Midfielder:

Sebastian Schweinsteiger - Germany



The versatile midfielder has played a new deeper central role all season and with Ballack missing out on injury it was "Schweini's" time to take control.

In midfield for Bayern he has helped control games all season and predictably enough Australia were not the team who was going to put a stop to it.

Hard working, disciplined combined with decent skills from his attacking midfielder background and then that very good range of passing means this probably won't be Schweinsteiger's last appearance either.

Midfielder

Ji Sung Park - South Korea :



Fantastic trademark two-way performance. Park controlled central midfield outworking and outplaying any nearby Greeks and then in his usual relentless style managed to contribute just about everywhere else both attacking and defending. Can't ask for more and don't need to.

Attacking midfielder:

Mesut Özil - Germany



Already a star in the Bundesliga and just like that, one World Cup match performance doing what he usually does, and now a star everywhere!

Supremely gifted playmaker who creates and scores goals.

Right-forward:

Alexis Sanchez - Chile



He did all the things I was hoping to see for Chile and with a striker presence around him which was lacking in Chile's first game, unfortunately Suazo was out injured, I think Sanchez can be even better.

Like I said in the profile of him in that "2oo best players in the world entry, this is a cannonball of a player. Very explosive and skilled making him a persistent danger in Chile's dynamic attacking game.

He is also very hard working and therfore also a real defensive asset in Bielsa's high pressing game where he'll often win the ball back quickly.

Left-forward:

Lukas Podolski - Germany

As always he is coming of yet another terrible club season but as soon as he puts on the Nationalmannschaft jersey he becomes great. Go figure!

No I don't really think it's some strange psychological effect. Overall he is just a great fit for the way Löw wants to play and many of the players surrounding him. Not least Klose of course.
Though that doesn't explain then, as I remember it anyway, that when they were together at Bayern, Podolski still wasn't able to perform.

So yeah, maybe after all this born Pole is just a great German patriot saving himself for national duty!

Forward:

Lionel Messi - Argentina



This was Messi's best performance in an Argentina shirt for a long time.

Probably the best ever for Maradona, by some distance, and while it may not have been anything extraordinary by Messi's own godly standards, I think it's fair to reward him for finally getting over that very frustrating hurdle.

With two other forwards in the Argentina lineup (both Higuain and Tevez) there were finally somewhat similar conditions to Barcelona with people around Messi making runs, being threats, being dynamic with their movement, creating space so that Messi himself could work himself into positions where he was fronting the goal.
Messi consistently with his back to the goal is just something that should make everyone who loves football sad and it seems finally Maradona (or Bilardo) had seen enough.

Now unlike at Barca there isn't a Xavi to find him like that almost anywhere no matter where he is, in comparison Argentina's passing game is much slower (thank you Veron), so sometimes he had to come quite deep before he would get it. The truly amazing thing though was that almost where ever he would receive the ball, just as long as he was fronting the goal, with skill and pace, he was able to create a dangerous situation for himself or someone else. Time and time again. From out wide or some way back central, it somehow never failed. No one else in the world could have done that. He has to be on the team.

Coach:

Ottmar Hitzfeld - Switzerland



We just saw Switzerland pull of a great upset by beating Spain. I don't really know if what we saw were true defensive greatness or just the day where everything went well for the Swiss and the final touch never for Spain.

No matter what though, it was a very good defensive performance and no doubt organized by the veteran master on the sidelines.

Stopping the World Cup favorites who have gone from victory to victory and doing it with exactly the same tactics that so many have tried yet in the end failed with, IS an achievement. No matter what.
Therefore it just has to be Hitzfeld then, who steals the 1st team coach spot on the last day.

I'll post the perhaps more interesting 2nd team tomorrow.