Moments
Time magazine is running a video slideshow of its Top 10 Moments Of The World Cup So Far. It's very nice... but it's not my top 10.
Here's my (by no means complete) list, with links to the games:
1. Game 1:
Siphiwe Tshabalala's goal to open the tournament.
2. Game 3:
Gabriel Heinze's flying header against Nigeria.
3. Game 5:
Robert Green's unintentionally hilarious - and now world famous - howler against the USA.
4. Game 9:
Denmark defender Simon Poulsen's outrageous goal-saving overhead kick to save a goal against the Netherlands.
5. Game 9:
Denmark defender Simon Poulsen's horribly misdirected header a few moments earlier, which bounced in off team-mate Dan Agger's back to give the Netherlands the lead.
6. Game 14:
Nobodies North Korea almost holding Brazil to a draw.
7. Game 28:
Nobodies Italy holding New Zealand to a draw.
8. Game 30:
Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a fluke goal against North Korea... which is only a fluke until you realise it was one of seven goals his team scored in the game.
9. Game 34:
Universally despised French coach Raymond Domenech refusing to shake hands with South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira after their final Group A game. Domenech was still offended by something Parreira had said a couple of months ago about France not deserving their place at the World Cup because of that Thierry Henry handball incident... Somebody's going to have to tell Crazy Ray that if he doesn't like people who think that, he ain't going to be shaking many hands.
10. Game 38:
Landon Donovan's last-minute goal against Algeria. Drama, drama.
11. Game 47:
Spain's David Villa scoring into an open net against Chile... from, like, 35 yards out.
(And if you're wondering why my 10 goes up to 11, you've obviously never seen This Is Spinal Tap.)