Which Players most impressed you at this World Cup?

So FIFA have announced their nominees for the 2010 World Cup Golden Ball award, given to the player of the tournament. Here are the esteemed names:

• Diego Forlan
• Asamoah Gyan
• Andres Iniesta
• Lionel Messi
• Mesut Özil
• Arjen Robben
• Bastian Schweinsteiger
• Wesley Sneijder
• David Villa
• Xavi

An impressive list I’m sure you’ll agree, but by no means definitive. As Tom Dunmore points out at Pitch Invasion, no defensive player makes the list at this World Cup. Which is odd when you consider the inherently destructive, caution-over-creation mentality of a large number of the teams.

In fact, pragmatism has so haunted this World Cup that even one of the finalists, The Netherlands, hitherto more respected for it’s footballing philosophies and traditions than arguably any other nation this side of Brazil, has had to defend against claims of… defending too much. If ever a tournament seemed ready made to celebrate the defensive minded player through individual accolades, this was it (although admittedly few goalkeepers spring to mind).

Nonetheless FIFA have spoken, though far be it for us to unquestioningly agree with whatever they say. So with that the question on Just Football is, who would make your list?

A few names stand out for me. Nigel de Jong and Mark Van Bommel certainly deserve credit as two parts of Holland’s outstanding defensive shield. While the likes of Sneijder and Robben win awards for their ‘piano and shoeshine’ football, as South Africans might describe it, De Jong and Van Bommel have been key components of a Dutch side that is one step away from history.

In a similar vein other defensive midfielders to have fine tournaments were Anthony Annan and Sami Khedira, the latter of whom probably deserves his place amongst any FIFA-endorsed player of the tournament shortlist. Khedira has had a fine tournament, one which appears to have drawn interest from Real Madrid, and has emerged as a player truly capable of performing at the highest level. His winning goal against Uruguay caps an impressive month. Annan is another who showed tenacity and strength in linking Ghana’s midfield and protecting the defence, and he too will no doubt be the subject of enquiries from wealthy European outfits. Diego Perez also shone in that role for Uruguay.

In terms of defenders, Portugal’s Fabio Coentrao has been excellent at left back as has Uruguay’s Maximiliano Pereira. Brazil’s Juan also stood out for me, making more tackles at this tournament than anyone else bar Jorge Fucile.

Other players off the top of my head (I’ll be compiling a team of the tournament after the final) – Thomas Müller of course, how he didn’t make the main shortlist is beyond me considering he was comfortably one of the tournament’s 10 best players. Chile’ Alexis Sanchez, Fabio Quagliarella, perhaps the only Italian player to emerge from this World Cup with any credit and one who can now look to make more of an international career that has to this point been fleeting, Keisuke Honda, Kevin Prince Boateng and Javier Hernandez.

And you?

(photo credit: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images via Flickr)

Andres Iniesta, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Best XI, David Villa, Diego Forlan, Mesut Ozil, World Cup 2010, Xavi