World Cup 2006 Top 10 Moments

4) The Overrated and the Underrated

In every major tournament, there will be stars who fail to shine and unknowns who lit up the tournament. The following are 10 players who i thought are overrated/underrated.

1) Ronaldinho of Brazil (Overrated)
He has set the footballing on fire with his superlative skills for Barcelona in the La Liga and Champion's League. While he may be arguably the best player on the planet right now, Ronaldinho failed to repeat such form on the biggest stage of all. Failing to shine in any single match throughout the tournament, Ronaldinho ended his campaign being taught a lesson in playmaking by legend Zinedine Zidane.

2) Miroslav Klose of Germany (Underrated)
He scored 5 goals in 2002, he scored another 5 in 2006. He won the Golden Boot in both tournaments. Yet Klose does not seem to be recognised as a world class player. Maybe it's because he's a late bloomer to the game. Maybe it's because he's playing for the unfashionable Werder Bremen. Maybe it's because he's unspectacular in his play. Whichever the case, Klose proved himself to be a real goal poacher, decent with both feet and strong aerial ability. It's sad that Man Utd, destined to lose Van Nistelrooy, decided to look at Fernando Torres, a player who has never played in the Champion's League and unproven despite scoring 3 goals in World Cup 2006, rather than Klose.

3) Ronaldo of Brazil (Overrated)
He was non-existent against Croatia, provided an assist and nothing else against Australia, bullied minnows Japan with 2 goals, scored 1 against Ghana thanks to the unbelievably naive defending from the Ghanians and finally, in the match against France, Ronaldo's performance came full circle as he disappeared again just like against Croatia. 3 goals and becoming the all-time World Cup goalscorer do not cover up the fact that Ronaldo is a fading force. Frankly speaking, Ronaldo is no more No. 1, he's just a fat has-been.

4) Lucas Neili of Australia (Underrated)
A defender comfortable in both right full back and center back, Neili came into the World Cup brimming with confidence after he helped Blackburn into 6th place in the premier league which earned them a Uefa Cup spot. During the World Cup, Neili proved to be just as hard and uncompromising as he is in the league, with the pace to compete against the speedy attackers. Neili was a rock in the Australian defence and instrumental in his team progressing into the last 16. A pity that Neili's campaign ended with a harshly judged penalty conceded by him which ended Australia's resistance against eventual winners Italy.

5) Adriano of Brazil (Overrated)
Recall the Confederation's Cup 2005 in Germany, when Adriano was leading the line for Brazil. A powerful left foot shot, an imposing physical presence which did not seem to compromise his pace and skill. Adriano seemed unbeatable then and was rightfully involved in the brazilian first team ever since. Now back to the World Cup 2006, his physical presence became cumbersome, his powerful left foot nowhere to be seen, his skills and pace disappeared. A drastic drop from his prime in 2005, it is sad that the only memory I had about Adriano in Germany was not his 2 goals but his ever-expanding waistline.

6) Philip Lahm of Germany (Underrated)
Move over Roberto Carlos, Lahm is in town. During this World Cup, we saw how the title of "the best attacking left back in the world" changed hands. Pacy and packing a sting of a shot, what makes Lahm even better is that he is actually right footed but that did not hinder him in his role of left-back as he cleverly mixed up his options between cutting inside or heading for the byline, often leaving opposing full backs bewildered. Comfortable with both feet, young Lahm has a bright future ahead of him.

7) Kaka of Brazil (Overrated)
Kaka, together with Shevchenko and Pirlo, form the focus of AC Milan's attacks. Other than Shevchenko, Kaka is the key goalscorer for the side,being able to tap in goals from 5 yards or score stunning goals from 30 yards. His direct approach aided by his pace and skills made him one of the stars in Italy despite just 2 seasons in Serie A. Kaka was expected to shine in Germany but after a promising start when he scored a stunning match-winner against Croatia, Kaka faded away as the matches came thick and fast. Failing to stamp his authority, kaka was often mere passengers in games which is almost unforgivable considering the talent that he obviously have in abundance.

8) Torsten Frings of Germany (Underrated)
Torsten Frings of Werder Bremen was almost unheard of to most neutral fans before the tournament but most people would remember his name after World Cup 2006. A tenacious midfield enforcer, Frings provided Germany with a platform to attack, often dropping back to cover the inexperienced German defence and allowing Ballack to impose himself in the final third of the field. Frings also posed a threat, as he proved with a stunning long range effort against Costa Rica, showing that he is more than a "Makelele" for Germany. If the statement that "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is to be believed, Frings' absence in the semi-final against Italy, which the Germans lost, certainly made many in football realise his importance to the German side.

9) Juan Riquelme of Argentina (Overrated)
On his day, Riquelme has the ability to dictate the pace of the game with his range of passing while his set piece delivery is often deadly. However, here lies the problem: on his day he can be the best, but he can be a passenger for the rest of the other days. We saw the best of Riquelme in the group stages, where he managed to impose himself in matches and threading through balls for his forwards. However, when the pressure really started in the knockout stage, Riquelme's influence dwindled, which might be possibly a reason why Argentina failed to repeat their impressive form in the latter stages of the tournament. When Riquelme failed to convert the spotkick against Arsenal in the Champion's League semi-final, I told my friends that Argentina would not win the World Cup if Riquelme was to be their main man as he was not a man for the big occasions like for example Steven Gerrard. How right I am.

10) Fabio Cannavaro of Italy (Underrated)
Cannavaro, along with Alessandro Nesta, are often touted as the best central defence pairing in the world today. However, popular views suggested that Nesta was better than Cannavaro and as a result, Cannavaro was often not in the limelight. Not at this World Cup though. Nesta's injury proved to be a blessing for Cannavaro as he proved to the world how he could singe-handedly marshall the water-tight Italian defence. What was more incredible was that Cannavaro had to play with 4 different defenders in central defence whcih further highlighted his leadership. Cannavaro's leadership coupled with his personal ability made him fundemental to Italy's World Cup win.