27th: GREECE

Few will mourn the elimination of Greece. And although they weren't as dastardly as the French, the way Rehhagel likes his teams to play wins few admirers outside Athens and the surrounding sun-soaked islands, towns and cities.

I guess they make the most of what they have though, and they certainly weren't humiliated at any stage, and could have still qualified from their group right up until Argentina scored midway through the second half of the final game.

But there's no attacking flair, no attempt to take the game to the opposition. It's all sit back sit back, soak up soak then breakaway breakaway. Any opponent with any tactical nous will know how to negate this way of playing and eventually pierce the resistance. And so it was.