Terry Maddaford: Referees the only disappointment in World Cup

nzherald.co.nz exclusive

After 64 matches the World Cup is over with Brazil claiming a record fifth championship.

Shrugging off a poor build-up -- the South Americans went through four coaches before qualifying for their 17th consecutive World Cup -- Brazil showed that class always wins through. Winning seven from seven in a 32-team tournament only emphasised their superiority. Their 1970 side was the only other cup-winner to come close, having won six from six in a 16-team tournament.

In beating Germany 2-0 in the final, Brazil showed they know what it takes to win on the world's biggest sporting stage. While the other South American finalists struggled, the Brazilians were unbeatable. In Ronaldo they had the tournament's top goalscorer. His eight goals took his tally from two World Cups to 12 equalling the Brazilian record of 12 held by the immortal Pele.

With an average of 2.57 goals per game, Brazil had the best attacking record. Only Germany, with an average of 2.0 (from seven games), Spain 2.0 (5) and Portugal 2.0 (3) came close. England, on the other hand, reached the quarter-finals but managed just 0.6 goals per game from their five games.

In the 64 matches, 161 goals were scored at an average of 2.51 goals per game. Only the 1990 tournament in Italy, won by West Germany, has had a poorer return with just 2.21 goals per game. Eight of the 32 teams averaged less than a goal a game. Defensively, Germany did best conceding three goals in seven games -- two of those in the final -- at an average of 0.43 per game. Brazil were not far behind at 0.57.

The top three goalkeepers were Germany's Oliver Kahn -- three goals in seven games at 0.43 -- ahead of his Brazilian rival Marcos who conceded four at 0.57 and England's David Seaman who picked the ball out of his net three times in five games for an average of 0.60.

Fifa awarded their Fair Play award to Belgium. Along with England, Japan and Sweden, the Belgians picked up six yellow cards -- and no reds -- in four matches. For some reason, Ireland, who were shown four yellows in four games, were overlooked for the Fair Play award which was worth US$50,000 to be used in football development programmes.

At the other of the scale, Turkey picked up 19 yellow and two red cards with Germany not far behind, with 18 yellow and one red.

But this World Cup was not about statistics alone.

It was about great stadiums, huge crowds, no security problems, great goals, and some huge upsets which showed just what a worldwide game soccer has become.

It was a huge money-spinner for Fifa.

Those benefits will be evident for years to come as Fifa chiefs play fairy godmother to all 202 member nations.

In looking ahead to the 2002 World Cup, Fifa boss Sepp Blatter said he expected a "celebration of peace and tolerance." He got that and a lot more. He also wanted attractive football, safe games and fair-minded fans -- and a great television spectacle.

They were all delivered. But in looking for "consistent application of the Laws of the Game by the referees," Blatter would have been disappointed.

The only blight surely was the standard of match officials which sadly in the end had an all too-important bearing on the Cup's outcome. Some of those decisions, shown all-too-clearly on television again dragged out the will they, won't they question of using technology to assist match officials.

While the Spanish and others who were aggrieved by some shocking decisions would probably lead the charge for "outside assistance" there are many, many more including Blatter who maintain there should never be such an "intrusion" into the "beautiful game".

There will be a host of memories from the first World Cup in Asia, including the first co-hosted tournament -- and that was a huge success -- and of course the magical Brazilians.

But the promise is already of bigger and better in Germany in four years. That surely will be a massive challenge but one which the Germans are confident of meeting.