Some thoughts on Germany 2006

So congratulations to Italy. Fine defending and timely goals were the keys to their success. Cannavaro barely put a foot wrong the entire tournament. I cannot recall seeing a player play so well over the course of so many crucial matches. He should get the Golden Ball, not Zizou. At least he came close in the voting. Another impressive aspect of the Italian squad is their depth. No, they are not the strongest Italian team in recent years, but their depth is remarkable. Unlike Pekerman and his use of Argentina's extensive list of talent, Lippi knew how to manage his guys and make the proper line-ups and substitutions. And thankfully Italy quit their acting and whining antics after the group stage; that factor made them much more tolerable to watch.

Speaking of tactics, line-ups and substitutions, England has to be the biggest flop of the tourny. We all kept waiting for them to break out and they never did. Sven was an absolute disaster and I can only hope that McClaren opts for some different angles in the future. For me, Frank Lampard embodied the English experience in Germany. Always out of sorts, often confused and never playing up to his usual standard. Rooney isolated up front was foolish and not taking another striker was a serious lapse in judgement. And just what was the deal with Theo Walcott??

I'm sad that Lionel Messi did not see more action for Argentina. I think that if he could have gotten some substantial minutes, he would have been the revelation that the tournament ended up lacking. One can only assume that he'll be around on 2010 but you never know - I hope he gets some time on the world stage with Argentina at some point. If not, we can at least be comfortable knowing that Frank Rikjard is wise enough to make sure he's in the Barca starting 11 whenever he's healthy. -Sanford