This years world cup was certainly the most strangest i've ever known. The teams favourite to win the trophy we're all pretty much knocked out in the group stage. The team who ended up winning the cup were not even favourites to win it this year which was a rather big shock.

The early stages of the tournament were certainly the largest shocks where current European and World champions, France got knocked out of the cup without winning a match and not even scoring 1 goal. This started the ball rolling with teams like Portugal and Argentina also being knocked out in the group stages. Throughout the group stage the co-hosts Korea and Japan both went through topping there groups and getting a place in the last 16 of the World Cup. The fans were extactic as you can imagine and even more so when England played and they got to see their favourite player 'in the world' David Beckham. For him he experience his best ever moment when he scored the penalty against Argentina to win them the match and help towards knocking them out of the cup. The rest of the group matches saw Senegal go through to the last 16 in their first ever World Cup Finals, and of course Brazil and the rest of the teams. That was the group stage in brief.

So onto the next round, round 2 (the last 16). The teams that were at this point was not at all similar to the last world cups last 16 or infact did not represent one that has ever been seen before. Teams such as Korea, Japan and Senegal have not been this far for a long time, if ever. This world cup was proving to be some what different to what many people were imaging it to be. No France, no Argentina and no Portugal in the last sixteen. How strange. But this did not mean that is was to be a boring and lack in goals, it was far greater than that. Plenty of goals, lots of action and non-stop excitement surrounded these last teams.

The teams then had to get knocked out, Sweden another big team knocked out by world cup first timers Senegal, Denmark another favourite knocked out by England, Paraguay by Germany - not much of an upset there really, Republic of Ireland who did so well to get this far got knocked out by the ever great Spain, Mexico who did very well as well became the next to be knocked out by another under achieving side of USA, Belgium conceded to Brazil and left for home, second co-hosts Japan were next to leave but they didnt have a long way home defeated by Turkey, and fianlly another major upset was that Italy lost 2 - 1 to the superb Korean Republic. What a tournament, more great teams were dropping out and England looked like they had a chance to maybe win the cup.
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Onto the quarter finals, a place which has become all to familiar to the English team and so many times has it proven to be the halting point of their championship advancements. This time they faced Brazil, possibly the hardest game they were likely to have in their careers. Things looked good, oh so good for the English team as they went one nil up fairly early on in the first half, golden boy Micheal Owen kept his cool and scored the goal. But as fate had it, Rivaldo scored to make it one a piece just before half time. The second half England were out played by the pure skill of the Brazilians. A free kick in a non threatening position direct from the kicker was given. Ronaldiniho took it, Season stepped forward, then back and before he knew it, the ball was in the back of his net. Game over, tears were shed, pain must have been at an all time high. England were out and David Seaman had played his last match of his career, not the way he wanted to go out thats for sure.

The other matches went almost went as predicted apart from the fact that Korea had now advanced to the semi-finals of the World Cup, they beat Spain in a contraversal match where the matter of dodgy referring had again been brought to the attention of FIFA. Korea marched on. Germany defeated the USA in a thrilling match that ended 3 -2 to the Germans and now they had their eyes firmly set on getting to the final for a chance to become World Champions once more. The last match of the quarters saw Turkey put out Senegal after an amazing run in their first ever World Cup Finals, I am sure this was a beginning for many World Cups to come for them. Turkey were through to the semi's.

[click for second phase & quarters results]

The semi-finals, the final awaits 2 of the 4 teams left in what had turned out to be the most bizarre yet exciting World Cup i have ever witnessed. Germany against Korea and Brazil against Turkey. After all of the strange results seen in this world cup, these ones turned out to be more of what you would have thought not seeing the previous results.

Germany beat Korea one nil and put an end to the excellent run they had in this world cup, and Brazil beat Turkey one nil as well putting an end to there World Cup dreams. Both of the teams knocked out were to meet in a 3rd place play-off the day before the world cup final. The score for that match was Korea 2 - 3 Turkey. A good match, probably one of the best seen but in the end both teams can be happy with how they have performed in this world cup, i'm sure they will never forget it.
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The world cup final, Germany VS Brazil. These teams had never met before and had no idea how they would react to each other. Brazil had the 2 top scorers of the World Cup so far, Ronaldo and Rivaldo, and Germany had the on form goal keeper Kahn, he had been stopping no end of important and most likely match winning and saving stops throughout the championship.

The first half was goal-less and was looking to be so close that the golden goal or penalties would be the only way to decide who would be the winners of the 2002 Fifa World Cup. Then, on the 67th minute Ronaldo struck scoring past Kahn. He was now the top scorer in the world cup and if no one else was to score soon he would win the world cup for his country and win the golden boot award for himself. Brazil were in depand from then on and then on the 79th minute, that man again Ronaldo scored what was to be the winner and crowned his country as the worlds best once again. Brazil were champions and rightly deserved to be on the podium collecting the world cup.

[click for semi-finals and final results]

Overall Opinion;
This world cup was not at all what i was expecting it to be like. I thought that the last world cup winners France would certainly make it past the group stage but this just shows that things don't always turn out the way you expect them to. Looking back now i am glad that France did get knocked out as it proved to be the most interesting world cup i have experience, seeing teams like Senegal, Japan and Korea up there with the big teams really made a change to your usual last 16 in the world cup. This was a very good world cup, roll on the 2004 European Championships!

Number of goals scored: 17/20
Quality of goals: 19/20
Quality of Goofy and Big Teethed tits: 20/20
Standard of french football: 3/20
The amount of female streakers: 4/20

63%
"i think that the streakers and french let it down, good football though"

Review Written by Ryan - KENTs
ryan.kent71@btopenworld.com