By Myles Palmer
IT’S OVER.
Time to wrap up a few final thoughts and filll in the holes in last month’s 8-man World X1.
Can I sum up Korea-Japan 2002 in ten lines?
France’s ancien regime proved decadent. Italy were too defensive, Senegal were thrilling.
Spain were unlucky without Raul against South Korea, whose energetic team play was thrilling in a different way.
Turkey, Europe’s best-balanced side, deserved to finish third.
Sven-Goran Houllier will have to go back to the drawing board. A tournament novice, he should have stayed out there to watch Turkey and learn.
Coming back with his team made Sven look hen-pecked,or lacking emotional stamina.
Roger Lemerre should have revitalised his team with younger players long ago.
He should not have looked backwards to Dugarry and Djorkaeff but forwards to Cisse, Carriere, Gallas, Lauren Robert and others.
French reporters have said, but not written, that some senior players behaved like Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack in Las Vegas:casinos, late nights, girls, girls, girls.
They say Barthez spent more time on the Riviera than in Manchester last season.
Trezeguet booked ten rooms in the team hotel for his friends, against the express instructions of Lemerre.
Thierry Henry had a big row with Lemerre, saying he did not want to play on the left.
The players begged the manager to play Makelele in a midfield three, to let Vieira push forward more.
France missed Robert Pires badly. As an international playmaker Pires is better than Sas, Totti or young Ronaldinho.
So sad to see Zidane with his thigh heavily bandaged like that.
France,like England, had no Plan B.
Bielsa crucified Argentina’s most gifted players by nailing them to his rigid and deeply misguided 3-3-1-3 system. They should get a foreign coach, perhaps Sven,for the next World Cup.
Best goal?
I loved Robbie Keane’s equaliser against Germany for spirit and the sheer drama of its impact. And Ronaldinho’s free-kick will become legendary.
But my favourite was SALIF DIAO, because it was such an electrifying counter-attack: four passes, eighty yards,a classy final ball from Fadiga.
That is how football should be played.
I’m sure the speed of that move brought a smile to Arsene Wenger’s face. Unstoppable!Brilliant!
But not as awesome as Shevchenko’s cannonball against Juventus.
It was, for me, a World Cup of absent friends.
There was a hole in France where Pires should have been. A hole in England where Gerrard should have been. A hole in Portugal where Rui Costa should have been.A hole in Brazil where Emerson should have been. A hole in Argentina where Ayala should have been.
MY BEST ELEVEN?
Rustu commanded his box and recovered bravely when dropping the ball.He saved a Rivaldo shot in the group game which was more scary than the one Kahn spilled.
I’ve dropped Rio for claiming that goal. His header was not going in. It was a Sorensen o.g., whatever FIFA say.
Bobby Moore was a true sportsman who would never have claimed that goal. Bobby would have laughed if anybody had urged him to claim it.
I haven’t picked Ronaldo.
I was Massimo Moratti, or Hector Cuper, I would be VERY worried when RONALDO says his next big target is the Olympics in two years time.
Ronnnie’s agent is teasing Madrid, saying: Come and get us. And telling Moratti they want a pay rise beyond his £3 million a year!
I think ASHLEY COLE was a lot better than Roberto Carlos.
World X1 in 4-3-3 formation:
1. Rustu Turkey
2. Puyol Spain
5. Edmilson Brazil
6. Lucio Brazil
3.`Cole England
7. Zanetti Argentina
4. Vieira France
11.Bouba Diop Senegal
8. Ronaldino Brazil
9. Vieri Italy
10. Sas Turkey
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3rd July 2002.