Auckland City coach Ramon Tribulietx proved a strategic master planner. Photo / AP
Discounting a bronze medal at the World Club Champs, the pinnacle of achievement in New Zealand football is to be cited in the highly coveted Herald Annual Awards.
So, without anyone having to get their wallet out, let's now acknowledge the good, the bad, and the bizarre from 2014.
In four games in Morocco, Auckland City FC coach Ramon Tribulietx showed New Zealand Football what they had been lacking for the last four years; a strategic master planner who could turn a team of also-rans into a team of world beaters.
Defensively, Auckland were exceptional and they kept possession better than any Kiwi side to have played on the world stage. Tribulietx is now a man in hot demand and will likely be lost to the Kiwi game in the coming months.
But imagine what might have been possible if he had control of the All Whites during their World Cup playoff with Mexico last year.
Take a bow, Auckland City. The club spent $150,000 on Club World Cup preparations and trained 180 days out of the last 200; all based on an unwavering confidence that they could topple the Moroccan champions in their first game. What transpired is a credit to everyone involved with one of the best run clubs in New Zealand sport.
At 38 years old, Ivan Vicelich had no right to be playing in the middle of midfield at the Club World Cup.
But he made it look so easy. He was player of the match in their opening win and eventually named third-best player of the tournament, losing out to Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo. What a way to bring the curtain down on a great career.
Krishna scored 55 goals over 75 games for Waitakere United in New Zealand's amateur national league.
And it left most of his teammates and opponents bemused why he was not playing at a higher level.
Now, finally, at 26 years old, he has been given a chance and is one of the most exciting attackers in the A-League. All thanks to Scotsman Ernie Merrick's appreciation of local talent.
After conquering the A-League in 2013, Rojas faded into obscurity in Germany this year. Here's hoping 2015 brings with it a new club, some regular game time and a prolonged injury-free run.
And it should have been more. After impressing in a 1-1 draw with China, the All Whites hit rock bottom against Thailand. It was their worst loss - and performance - since the 2012 Horror in Honiara and gave footy fans who got up in the middle of the night to watch recurring nightmares.
From All Whites coach to All Whites assistant coach, to just Western Springs coach. He also gets the award for most harshly treated in 2014.
After losing their spot in the O-League for the first time in the club's history, Waitakere now sit in sixth place in the ASB Premiership. The five-time champions are no longer in a two-horse race with Auckland for the national league title, they are in a battle to make the top four.
Nelsen has responded to only one media request since being sacked by Toronto FC - a text message to Radio Sport saying he was "really busy".
A 19-year-old Te Puke teenager scored two goals to help engineer one of the biggest upsets in Dutch football history, as PEC Zwolle beat perennial giants Ajax 5-1 in the Dutch Cup final. Anyone see that coming? Other than Declan Edge?
The Herald's live blog of the Club World Cup semifinal registered a staggering 113,000 page views. It was the website's fourth-most popular sports story of the year and ranked above any All Blacks match report, live blog or story.
The audience is out there.
New Zealand's voice of football.
Australia's voice of pain.
Before all the other oldies got chopped in favour of the new youth policy.
Versus San Lorenzo. Not only would it have further boosted Auckland City's coffers, but had he hit the target on a one-on-one late in the semifinal, his team would have had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend 90 minutes chasing Real Madrid shadows.
It's probably easier to list the number of Premier League clubs Reid hasn't been linked with this year. And yet he remains a Hammer.