Perhaps nobody was more surprised than Cristiano Ronaldo
himself when he was awarded the official FIFA man of the match
award during Portugal's 0-0 draw with Cote d'Ivoire. After all,
other than one delicious shot that rattled the woodwork, he had a
quiet game by his standards. Meanwhile the likes of Gervinho and
Kolo Toure, and even an out-of-position Didier Zokora, all seemed
better for the Ivorians.
To find the answer as to why CR7 topped the charts, we need to look
at how the man of the match was chosen. The answer is, by text
message and online vote.
New Era
For the first time, is chosen by the fans.
Previously such votes existed on the FIFA website, but the official
Man of the Match, whose name would be immortalised in the record
books, was selected by a committee known by the somewhat Orwellian
name of the FIFA Technical Study Group.
Now that this panel of experts has been replaced by democracy,
there have been both complaints and plaudits levelled at FIFA.
Those on the side of the vote believe that previous systems were
elitist, based on exclusion, and often shrouded in needless
secrecy. The fans, the lifeblood of the game, were not afforded the
privelege of choice. Meanwhile others will contend that voting can
comprise a mere popularity contest, or is open to abuse from
spoilers.
Which system is correct? Well, both, which is why
Goal.com offers the pair. From our worldwide
readership comes the wisdom of crowds and the true feelings of the
fans on the ground. Meanwhile our editorial team strives to offer a
balanced, technical, and wholly unbiased view of proceedings. Most
fans, of course, do likewise, but at the same time there are
certain loyalties that can come into play. And of course as there
is little barrier towards voting,e ven people who didn't watch the
game can have their say!
Now that each team has played one match, here we have compiled a
table indicating the Man of the Match awards from FIFA fans, the
Goal.com editors, and of course you, the readers. Some conclusions
to draw from the below:
