CANOE -- SLAM! Sports - Soccer - South Africa 2010 - Gallery

When it comes to the MVP of South Africa 2010, we present to you -- drumroll please -- Paul the Octopus. Paul the Prognosticator went 6-0 with his selections in this World Cup, including Spain's semifinal victory over Germany's Miroslav Klose and friends. Octopi that pick games? Do Detroit Red Wings fans know about this? Paul's heroics aside, there have been a number of actual players who have been stars here in South Africa. Mike Zeisberger offers up his look at the top picks. (REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay)

David Villa (Spain): For such a talented team that somehow struggles to score, Villa has been the hero at crucial points in matches. His game winners against Portugal and Paraguay are primary reasons the Spanish will play on Sunday. (REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko)

Diego Forlan (Uruguay): On such an offensively challenged team, the man with the flowing blond locks and invigorating smile somehow managed to keep finding the net even when the opposition's primary game plan was to snuff him out. (REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach)

Miroslav Klose (Germany): On a team of kids barely old enough to shave, his four goals in this tournament were one more than he scored all year with Bayern Munich. His 14 World Cup goals ranks him second all-time, one behind Brazil's Ronaldo. Something magical happens whenever he tugs on that German jersey. (REUTERS/Eddie Keogh)

Luis Fabiano (Brazil): Had a number of moments where he showed off his electrifying game-breaking skills, although not consistently. Might best be remembered for his goal against Ivory Coast when the ball went off his arm twice before he put it in. (AFP/Antonio Scorza)

Gonzalo Higuaín (Argentina): Went missing in action in the 4-0 quarterfinal loss to Germany but so did the rest of his team. Up to that point, he showed the type of flair that had manager Diego Maradona delivering smooches to him after every game. (AFP/Daniel Garcia)

Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands): Heading into the final, there are suggestions that he has been the best player in the tournament. Hard to argue, especially with his cache of game-winning goals. (REUTERS/Dylan Martinez)

Andres Iniesta (Spain): At some points in the 1-0 victory over Germany, he looked like a cat playing with a pack of mice, just toying with the Germans and daring them to get the ball off him. They couldn't. (REUTERS/Eddie Keogh)

Xavi (Spain): One of the best pure passers in recent memory. He is the straw that stirs the Spanish drink, a beverage that likely will be champagne with a victory in the final Sunday. (REUTERS/Eddie Keogh)

Thomas Muller (Germany): It's scary to think that, at just 20 years of age, he helped ripped the hearts out of both England and Argentina. His four World Cup goals are just the tip of the iceberg. (AFP/Philippe Desmazes)

Lionel Messi (Argentina): He didn't score once. He was ineffective against Germany. And yet, every time he touched the ball, you held your breath. (AFP/Javier Soriano)

Arjen Robben (Netherlands): He is one of the best players in the game. He can change any game in a matter of seconds. So why all the diving? (REUTERS/Dylan Martinez)

Bastien Schweinsteiger (Germany): In the past, the scouting report was simple: So talented, so lazy. Busted his butt in South Africa though. (JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP)

Keisuke Honda (Japan): Watching him rocket free kicks was worth the price of admission. (JUAN MABROMATA/AFP)

Mesut Ozil (Germany): So fast. So young. No wonder all these English teams are throwing money at him. (MARCELO DEL POZO/Reuters)

Carles Puyol (Spain): Often overshadowed by Lionel Messi and the other flashier stars with FC Barcelona, but he is the glue that has kept the Spanish defence together at the back. And while star scorers such as David Villa couldn't find the net in the semifinal 1-0 win against Germany, it was his header that punched Spain's ticket to it's first ever final. (GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP)

Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Netherlands): He may be a fossil in cleats at age 35, but this defensive rock seems to get better with age. And his rocket from 35 yards out that whistled into the top corner to open the scoring in the semifinal versus Paraguay was one of the most spectacular goals of the tourney. (CARLOS BARRIA/Reuters)

Maicon (Brazil): The Samba Kings may have been booted out of the tourney earlier than expected but don't blame that on Maicon, who was a rock at the back end. His goal against the North Koreans in a 2-1 victory showed he has some offensive flair too. (FRANCOIS-XAVIER MARIT/AFP)

Fabio Coentrao (Portugal): If the overhyped Cristiano Ronaldo had played with the same passion as this 22-year-old defender, maybe the Portuguese might have been able to stick around a bit longer in the tournament. Really had a coming-out party during the 1-0 defeat to Spain. (KARIM JAAFAR/AFP)

Philipp Lahm (Germany): Having taken over from Michael Ballack as captain, he held this young German team together. His scampers down the right flank often ignited those dangerous German counterattacks. (JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP)

Iker Casillas (Spain): The best in the biz. Maybe he doesn't get peppered with as many Jabulanis as some other keepers, but he always seems to come up with the big saves when needed. His penalty stop on Paraguay's Oscar Cardozo preserved a scoreless tie and was the turning point in Spain's 1-0 quarterfinal victory. He did the same in the semi against Germany, thwarting Toni Kroos just minutes before the Spanish scored the only goal of the game. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP)

Eduardo (Portugal): No one made more highlight reel saves in South Africa 2010 than this guy. Recorded three consecutive shutouts and did not allow a goal until Spain's David Villa beat him in the 1-0 loss in the knockout stage. (FRANCISCO LEONG/AFP)

Maarten Stekelenburg (Netherlands): Yes, he looked a bit shaky on Forlan's long-range goal in the semis. But without his fingertip stop on Kaka in the 2-1 victory over Brazil, the Dutch would not even be this far. (MIKE HUTCHINGS/Reuters)

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