Before returning to our regularly scheduled programming, let's take a moment to look back on this last month of football nirvana. There are some things I'll miss—the level of play, the excitement, the sportsmanship and cameraderie, and all those fans out to have a good time. I won't miss the diving, the complaining, the whistling and booing fans (rather rude, IMO), my dad complaining about penalty kicks, and the commercials that have been ingrained on my brain despite liberal use of the mute button (though the adidas commercials were cute).
FIFA gives out the official awards for the tournament, but here are my unofficial awards for World Cup 2006:
Best-Dressed Coach: Kranjcar (CRO)
Worst-Dressed Coach: Pfister (TOG)
Most Animated Coach: Kranjcar (CRO)
Fittest Coach: Juergen Klinsmann (GER); Runner-up: Marco Van Basten (NED)
Coach Most In Need of a Personal Trainer: Bruce Arena (USA)
Best Team Nickname: Palancas Negras (Black Antelopes - ANG)
Best Team Kit: Spain (beautiful colour combination); Runner-up: Angola (colourful and form-fitting)
Most Impressive Physiques: Angola (even their fans are hot); Runner-up: Ukraine (especially Shevchenko)
Most Religious Team: Ghana; Runner-up: Tunisia
Best Player Nicknames: The Desert Fox (Jared Borgetti MEX); The Spider (long-armed Australian goalie); The Vacuum Cleaner (efficient midfielder); The Growl (Gattuso, Italy).
Most Mountainous Goalkeeper: Boumnijel (TUN) (He's the guy in green that makes the other players look like toys.)
Most Intimidating Defender: Cannavaro (ITA); Runner-up: Mellberg (SWE)
Most Watchable Midfielder: Ribery (FRA)
Most Predatory Striker: Klose (GER)
Happiest Goal Scorer: Lee Chun Soo (KOR)
Best Hair - Short: Romaric (CIV) - Long: Coloccini (ARG)
Best Beard: Mellberg (SWE)
Worst Beard: Khathran (KSA) (good player though)
Scariest Injury: Michael Owen's knee (especially scary when seen in slow motion)
Best Goalless Draw: Argentina-Netherlands (6/21); Honorable Mention: Sweden-Trinidad & Tobado (6/10)
Best Blowout: Argentina-Serbia & Montenegro (6-0)
Most Wild & Wooly Match: Portugal-Netherlands (12 yellow cards, 4 red cards); Runner-up: USA-Italy (spilled blood, 3 red cards)
Most Energetic Supporters: Korea Republic
Most Annoying Supporters: Korea Republic (because of their incessant loud drumming)
Best Stadium: Leipzig (it's located in a forest!)
I don't know about you but I can't wait until the next World Cup. Luckily I won't have to wait too long because next year the women will battle for global football supremacy. If you don't think women's football is as tough and exciting as men's, you're in for a surprise. I prefer watching the women—they don't dive and whine like so many of the men do. I wouldn't say they play cleaner though—they don't hold back one bit when they're after the ball. Only 427 days to go...
