WORLD CUP CONTEST - Winners & Prizes

Well the tabulations have been made and the results are in ... who knew it would be so much @#$%^ math to figure this out (I sure did't when I offered the contest.

However, it really came down to an interesting finish as actually 4 entries went down to the wire. Here are the results :

1. roofgod - 61 pts.

2. dayf - 43 pts.

3. Dan - 37 pts.

4. Captain Canuck - 32 pts. (tie)

4. Beardy - 32 pts. (tie)

5. Darkship - 14 pts.

6. Mttelkjel - 10 pts.

roofgod's pick of Hunduras' lows propelled him to the top. With two players in the goal scoring hunt for the golden boot, and both teams with the chance of a top scorer - it was neither that made the difference. (Villa and Sneijder)

So here are the prizes - (keeping in mind we are in a ressession) I will allow the first place winner to pick first choice, the second place pick what is remaining, and the third to take the left-overs (sorry I cannot offer more).

PICK FROM -

A. (20 different) 1990 Panini World Cup stickers (Italia 90) - won't tell you which they are, but you do the homework. Help finish / start your vintage Panini collection.

B. One unopened pack of (France 98) 1998 Panini World Cup stickers and ...

one 1998 Panini World Cup card.

C. One unopened pack of 2010 Panini Adrenalyn cards.

A, B, or C, That's it folks ... email your picks (in order of preference) with your addresses.

Thanks for playing.

I have thought about taking up the side bar (where the contest standings is listed) with a "hot top 10" soccer cards - both current and vintage. These would be updated weekly or monthly. Let me know your thoughts.

Who Needs Defense ... Not Argentina

As anyone who follows the "beautiful game" knows, that how a team plays is as important as winning. The Brazilians have made an art of this idea. The addage "the best defense is a good offense" has been Argentina's rallying cry at this World Cup tournament.

The critisism of the great Diego Maradona as coach of the blue and whites, was put to rest as Gonzalo Higuain open the flood gates of scoring 3 goals against South Korea. Higuain, who plays his club ball at Real Madrid, has been overshadowed by Argentina's other strikers - Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi - tallied the first hattrick of 2010 South Africa.

I said it before, and I am sticking with it, that this Cup will be won by a South American side. Uruguay's Diego Forlan (who I blogged about before) began the multi-goal perfomances with two against the host South Africa.

The sympathetic support may be there for all the African teams, but the reality is that they are their worst enemy. I will be surprised if one of the 6 African squads makes the quarter-finals.

Panini America has been good enough to heed my complaints and send me samples of their 2010 World Cup products. I will be reviewing them shortly, not only the traditional stickers but also the Panini Adrenalyn XL cards (example of Higuain above).

World Cup fact: The very first hattrick in World Cup history was scored by American Bert Patenaude (Fall River Marksmen) against Paraguay in 1930.

I managed to complete three sticker squads in the Panini virtual album despite my late start. Heavy trading yesterday resulted in finishing USA, Mexico and England - therefore obtaining the Federation badge for each.