By Tony Becca - On The Boundary 
THE World Cup of football is over and congratulations to champions Brazil.
Winners of the tournament on four previous occasions, Brazil are used to winning. This one, however, was probably the sweetest of them all.
After a string of defeats in the qualifying round, Brazil limped into the finals with victory in their last match, and but for their army of diehard fans, hardly anyone gave them a chance of winning the Cup.
In a wonderful and at times dazzling performance, however, Brazil, the country that produced masters like Pele, Vava, Didi, Garrincha and Zagalo, Gerson, Rivelino, Tostao, and Carlos Alberta, Zico and Socrates, rose to the occasion, stamped their class on the proceedings and won every match on their way to a stinging 2-0 victory over Germany in the final.
The Brazilians were magnificent, and none more so than defenders Roberto Carlos and Cafu, goalkeeper Marcos, striker Ronaldo and mid-fielder Ronaldinho who provided two of the lasting memories with his magical dribble and his brilliant free-kick against England.
To win is one thing, to win against the odds is something special however, it is what defines greatness, and although man for man, skill for skill this Brazilian team falls short of the class of 1970, even though the many upsets robbed the fans of seeing them in action against some of the big guns of world football, Brazil were great.
They not only went and conquered, they not only brushed aside all those who stood before them, but in playing beautiful, attacking football, in displaying their amazing skills, they also did it in style.
Brazil versus England was one of the best matches of the tournament. Brazil were so brilliant against Germany that they could have won by a handful of goals, and it is a pity that they did not lock horns with the likes of France, Argentina and Italy.
That was one of the disappointments of World Cup 2002. The reason for that disappointment, however, was the surprise
performances of other teams. Apart from Brazil's class after their earlier troubles, apart from Germany's performance after losing 5-1 to England in the qualifying round, and after barely squeezing their way into the finals, that is what made the tournament such an exciting affair.
No one, probably not even their own fans, their coaches or their families, gave the likes of Senegal, Paraguay, USA, Japan, and South Korea a chance of moving out of the first round.
Playing some good football, however, they did that and more, with South Korea, Senegal, the USA and also Turkey getting to the quarter-finals and South Korea and Turkey as far as the semi-finals.
Senegal, it must be remembered, knocked off France in the opening match, and by doing that, they were the ones who probably inspired the underdogs.
The giant killers, however, were South Korea. They were the ones who prevented Brazil from meeting some of the big names - they were the ones who took out Portugal, then Italy, and then Spain.
One of the matches that did not happen was Brazil versus Argentina - and it did not happen because of a surprise. It did not happen because England knocked out Argentina, and although Argentina are not as timid or not as scared as England, although they are blessed with more skilful players, with Brazil, thanks to Ronaldinho's brilliance, knocking out England after conceding a penalty, it may not have mattered.
World Cup 2002 has come and gone, it has left behind some lasting memories, and apart from Ronaldinho's gems against England, those memories include Bernd Schneider's free-kick in Germany's 8-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, Dario Rodriquez's free-kick in Uruguay's 1-2 loss to Denmark, Oliver Neuville's free-kick in the final, the performance of Germany's Oliver Khan, Senegal's Tony Sylva, and Marcos in goal, the dribbles of Japan's Jay Jay Okocha, Sweden's Freddie Ljungberg, and Nigeria's Ifeanyi Udeze, and Henrick Larsson's finish after a lovely dribble in Sweden's 2-1 victory over Nigeria.
In the background is the sea of red during South Korea's matches. There probably has never been a home support to match the Koreans. It probably was what motivated South Korea and what destroyed Portugal, Italy and Spain.
