World Cup Diary July 12: My team of the tournament

They are a truly great side who have dominated the world game for three years, maybe a touch longer and, just as importantly, have consistently played proactive football. For the world game as a whole, meanwhile, there must be concern that we are slinking back into reactivity after a relatively open decade: the success of Internazionale and the fact that three out of four semi-finalists were essentially counter-attacking teams returns us to the position we were in back in 2004 after the successes of Mourinho's Porto and Rehagel's Greece. Then, attacking football still triumphed; who knows what may happen with Mourinho at Real Madrid.

Before we start contemplating what's to come, though, let's wrap up these diary entries with my team of the tournament. The formation is 4-2-1-3, essentially system used by Spain and a close cousin of the 4-2-3-1s that came to dominate the tournament, and the team and squad has been picked as realistically as possible - that is, it's not just
stuffed , as so many of these teams are, with attacking players.

Goalkeeper was arguably the hardest position with players much easier to rule out than to rule in. In the end the selection went with the three keepers who got the furthest without making an obvious howler, with Eduardo just getting the nod for a handful of excellent saves against Spain.

It has not been a tournament of great attacking full-backs, and to an extent the choice came down to the players who achieved the best balance of pushing on without leaving their winger unmarked (the general switch from 4-4-2 to 4-2-3-1 having pushed wingers forward onto the full-back). The two Spanish full-backs, Sergio Ramos and Joan
Capdevila, can perhaps think themselves a little unlucky to miss out, but Phillip Lahm's superior defending and the job Jorge Fucile did on Giovani dos Santos got them the nods, with the more attacking options of Maicon and Carlos Salcido in reserve.

Lucio has transformed himself into a splendidly unpleasant centre-back, probably the best stopper centre-back in the world, and he maintained that form in South Africa. He's partnered by Gerard Pique, who remains the best ball-paying centre-back around, with Ryan Nelsen, magnificent in all three of New Zealand's games as a blocker
and organiser making the squad alongside Carles Puyol.

There were countless possibilities for the holding midfield slot, for this has been the tournament of the midfield anchor. Nigel De Jong and Victor Caceres came close, but Bastian Schweinsteiger, for his energy and Xabi Alonso for his passing got in, with Mark van Bommel and Javier Mascherano on the bench. Xavi, the best playmaker of the past decade, edges out Wesley Sneijder to complete the midfield triangle.

On the right, Arjen Robben has been the Netherlands's brightest creates spark, so pushes Lionel messi to the bench; David Villa gets in for his inventiveness and finishing, with the muscular option of Asamoah Gyan in reserve; while Diego Forlan, both creator and finisher in this tournament, starts in a loose left-sided role, Carlos Tevez taking the final squad berth as a versatile cover-all option up front.

Eduardo (POR); Phillip Lahm (GER), Lucio (BRA), Gerard Pique (SPA),
Jorge Fucile (URU); Bastian Schweinsteiger (GER), Xabi Alonso (SPA);
Xavi (SPA); Arjen Robben (NED), Diego Forlan (URU), David Villa (SPA)

Manuel Neuer (GER), Iker Casillas (SPA), Maicon (BRA), Carles Puyol
(SPA), Ryan Nelsen (NZ), Carlos Salcido (MEX), Javier Mascherano
(ARG), Mark van Bommel (NED), Wesley Sneijder (NED), Carlos Tevez
(ARG), Lionel Messi (ARG), Asamoah Gyan (GHA)

Tags: Diego Forlan, Iniesta, World Cup betting, World Cup players, World Cup team of the tournament, Xavi