Editorial: World Cup attains most of its goals

We now have to wait four year for the next world cup.

So the music's over.

The globe's most-watched sporting event is in hibernation for another four years.

In our household the tournament sparked arbitrary affiliations, a raft of trash talk, scores of 4am Milos and lazy weekends.

From a non-footballer's perspective, here's a hastily cobbled wrap.

Most Inspiring: Goal-keeping. The unequivocal showpiece of the tournament. The art of foiling a goal can be as spectacular as scoring one.

Most Improved?: Dives. Appreciably fewer than the previous tournament in South Africa.

Most Memorable: Suarez's cannibalism. Another example of the oft' seen sporting paradox, where talent goes hand-in-glove with lunacy.

Most Lamentable: Brazil's fair-weather fans. Booing their own Samba Boys during the heavy semifinal loss and 3rd/4th place playoff is the supporters' version of an own goal. A crowd fully undeserving of a win.

Most Annoying: Not enough net time. There were simply too many playing minutes without scoring. This can be attributed to the aforementioned skill in goal-keeping, but rising at 4am loses its attraction when a goal-less 30 minutes' extra-time is added to a goal-less 90 preceding it.

Most Salient:This is a game for cool heads. What South American footballers have in passion, they lack in mental fortitude. The ideal player would be half Euro steel, half Latino zeal. (Perhaps one precludes the other.)

Most Enjoyed: Glide Time. From 9am-9.35am yesterday the newsroom phone didn't ring. Not once. That's unheard of. The province was content to start the working week with a break.

Most Encouraging: National interest. All that fervour and the All Whites weren't even in the mix. Bring on 2018.