10 disappointments of the World Cup so far...

[AreliusIV]

I think that this World Cup has been one of the best yet. Cracking ding-dong-do's of flowing football, great goals and some quite frankly bizarre matches to boot. That said, this doesn't mean it has been without disappointment. Here are ten things that have let me down.

1. Zidane's performances for the French. I think it's fair to say that Zizou hasn't captured the viewers imaginations this summer. Of course, his age is against him, but compared with Figo of a similar vintage, he's looked jaded and lacking in ideas... so far...

2. Frank Lampard. He just hasn't got going yet has he? He seems like a player suffering from a lack of confidence, and he's certainly left his shooting boots at Stamford Bridge.

3. The Ivory Coast's early exit. It's a shame that the Ivorians came up against such tricky opposition early on. I would have preferred to have seen them in the second round over the likes of the Swiss or the duller than dull France.

4. Adriano. Just... hasn't really looked like one of the best strikers in the world.

5. Valentin Ivanov. Less his itchy trigger finger, and more the reaction to him. Of course, he lost control of the Portugal/Holland game early doors, but he wasn't entirely to blame. The actions of both sets of players were, at times, pitiful. Both teams dived and feigned more than I've ever seen, and two of the tackles (one on Ronaldo's thigh, the other in Robben's chest) were seldom mentioned. The match, thanks to Ivanov touched farcical, but a part of me is glad he booked all those cheating swine.

6. The lack of huge upsets. There hasn't been an equivalent this year to Cameroon's victory over Argentina in 1990, or Senegal's triumph over France in Korea.

7. Michael Owen's moodiness and injury. We all know how great Owen can be, and his injury denied us all the chance to see it again. Aside from that, Owen certainly seemed to carry a chip on his shoulder for the past fortnight, and in my opinion, was detrimental to the squad's team spirit. Part of me is glad to see him home, which is a real shame.

8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Again, another example of a player who is dynamite at club level, and failed to impress on the big stage.

9. Frank Ribery. After seeing him first hand playing against Bolton in the UEFA cup, I had big expectations of 'Le Scraface', but he seems to have suffered from inexperience and a lack of bottle during the World Cup. 2010 will be his I'll wager.

10. The New Ball. Far too many shots are bouncing off row Z. Did the players get a chance to train with these before the tournament started? I fear not.