Saving the good for last, here comes the worst (a list that has, fortunately, been a bit difficult to make!):
10. Paraguay not becoming World Champions, to be summarized in one name: Larissa Riquelme...
9. Not having played football once during the year.
8. Time difference: Living in Venezuela has made it difficult to watch many mid-week matches, as they are in working hours.
7. FC Copenhagen doing so well; as a Brøndby fan I am green of jealousy! But of course, it is impressive!
6. Ghana's defeat in penalty kicks to Uruguay: so close, and yet so far from being the first African team in a World Cup semifinal! An emotional roller-coaster of a match that I watched with hundreds of people in Brussels!
5. People who normally don't watch football, who suddenly become all too passionate during a World Cup.
4. Argentina's elimination from the World Cup, which was more painful as I had really hoped for the best for them under Maradona. I do admit though, that his choice of tactics against Germany was poor.
3. FIFA and refereeing: although some small changes have been made, there is still too much conservatism and lack of openness in making refereeing better. In the World Cup, although in general good, some lousy decisions still haunt all fans.
2. The Octopus
1. Brøndby: not only that they are generally doing bad, but I was hugely disappointed for their loss to Sporting Lisbon.
And now, the best, a list much harder to limit!
10. BBC's World Football Phone in: the best football show ever.
9. Inter Milan's impressive victory of the triple. Although not a popular team, they had José Mourinho, whom I consider the world's greatest coach.
8. Germany: impressive in the World Cup with a diverse, young and entertaining side, and the Bundesliga has also improved to become one of the leagues in Europe with most excitement and most goals!
7. That Valencia CF are back in the Champions League, and have done well.
6. I have not been to many matches this year; a couple of Copa Libertadores matches in Caracas, but Benfica-Braga in Lisbon, was surely the best!
5. The way FC Barcelona have been playing in the second half of the year, notably their 5-0 victory against Real Madrid, which I watched in the office, was a truly impressive display of awesome football.
4. Spain as World Champions made me most happy for all my family and friends there!
3. The marvelous Black Stars and their performance in South Africa, and in particular their fans!
2. A wonderful World Cup in South Africa! South Africans were the best hosts ever!
1. Watching World Cup football in five different countries, with friends, family and drinking beer!
Merry Christmas to everyone!
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