By Steven Goff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 11, 2006; E06

BERLIN, July 10 -- The day after the World Cup ended, referees packed up their tattered yellow and red cards, Zinedine Zidane stopped making rhinoceros charges at opposing players and FIFA, the sport's governing body, counted tens of millions of euros from another wildly successful tournament.

German supporters rejoiced in their national team's resurgence and pleaded for "Klinsi" (Coach Juergen Klinsmann) to stay on the job. Brazilian fans didn't stop dancing to the samba beat, oblivious to their squad's quarterfinal exit, and the Italians beamed with pride after recapturing the world championship following a 24-year pause.

There were stirring late-game dramas, sensational goals and stadiums jammed full of both spectators and festive atmosphere. But on Monday morning, as departing visitors scoured souvenir stands for half-price merchandise and international flights clogged runways at Tegel Airport, there was a sense that, in many ways, this World Cup was a bit disappointing.

Scoring was at its lowest since the abominable 1990 tournament, but of greater concern, free-flowing soccer was largely absent and teams bogged themselves down with cautious tactics.

Even the Brazilians, who have brought joy to the game for decades and promised a carnival of creativity and goals, did not distinguish themselves from inferiorly talented teams. And what does it say about the play when Portugal, heavily criticized for its diving and complaining, was voted the tournament's most entertaining team?

French legend Michel Platini, now chairman of FIFA's technical and development committee, called it "the World Cup of tactics."

In a refreshingly candid evaluation on FIFA's Web site on the eve of the final, he said: "To some extent, that's a trend that has carried over from other competitions. Things have changed, because 20 years ago, it was the players' World Cup. . . . I'm not saying the football is poor, it just depends more than ever on what the coaches come up with. And in this tournament, you have to admit the formations have been rather defensive. I don't think Germany 2006 will go down in the annals."

The championship game was symbolic of the tournament as a whole -- flashes of brilliance interrupted by disjointed play, defensive fortitude, controversial calls and wayward behavior.

Zidane's red card with about 10 minutes remaining -- appropriately assessed by Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo after the French superstar head-butted an Italian defender in the chest -- marked an inglorious end to an otherwise splendid international career.

After the ejection, Zidane descended a concrete stairway between the benches and was not seen again, not even at the postgame medals ceremony. He had announced before the tournament that this would be his final official international competition.

Besides Zidane, many other big names will not be around when the 2010 World Cup is held in South Africa. The Brazilians, too heavily reliant on veteran players here, are sure to usher in a new generation. Argentina, the favorite heading into the elimination stages, will unleash forward Lionel Messi, 19, who was startlingly held out of the quarterfinal loss to Germany.

Ghana and Ivory Coast, having shown promise in their World Cup debuts, could carry the hopes of an emerging continent. South Africa will receive an automatic berth, but after failing to qualify for this year's event, the host will have a difficult time getting beyond the first round.

After overachieving four years ago, when it reached the quarterfinals, the United States badly underachieved this time. The Americans should not have any trouble qualifying for the World Cup for a sixth consecutive time, but change seems certain. Coach Bruce Arena's status remains unresolved and several veterans will not return.

As for Germany and Italy, the future is bright. Klinsmann's decision to put young players in crucial roles paid off handsomely, and now Bastian Schweinsteiger (21), Lukas Podolski (21), Per Mertesacker (21), Philipp Lahm (22) and David Odonkor (22) are in position to lead the Nationalmannschaft for years to come. The big question is whether Klinsmann will return, or decide to pursue other opportunities, perhaps as U.S. coach.

Italy -- which pocketed $20.7 million for winning the title -- will experience some turnover as Francesco Totti and Fabio Cannavaro reach the twilight of their international careers, but with an abundance of talent surfacing every year and a boost of confidence from this championship, the Azzurri will continue to embody European excellence. A match-fixing scandal in the country's domestic league poses the biggest threat to the sport's stability back home.

"Our secret has been the group," midfielder Andrea Pirlo said, "and our desire to go all the way."

World Cup Note: Despite his ejection Sunday, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's most valuable player. Cannavaro was second in the voting of media members, and Pirlo third.

Italy's Gianluigi Buffon was given the Yashin Award as the top goalkeeper. Germany's Miroslav Klose won the Golden Shoe (formerly known as a the Golden Boot) for being the top scorer with five goals -- the fewest by a tournament leader since 1962.