The festivities are over, vuvuzelas (meter-long plastic trumpets) thrown away and 12 soccer stadiums in South Africa were left behind by fans who had flocked to the venues during the month-long soccer extravaganza that ended Sunday (early Monday Jakarta time).

South Africa answered global questions on its ability to host such a big event — the second largest after the Olympic Games — by attracting almost 3 million people to the stadiums. The country is now eyeing a bid for the Olympics — and may propose Durban as a host city for the 2020 games.

South Africa’s success in hosting the quadrennial event, despite some missteps, shows that FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s idea of rotating the host city from one continent to another works. South Africa’s icon Nelson Mandela showed up at the closing ceremony and praised the organizers for boosting the national pride, while Columbian chanteuse Shakira performed the World Cup’s official song Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).

As in any good story, spectators hope for surprises.

The World Cup met that demand, albeit in ways some supporters found frustrating. 2006 champion Italy and runner-up France made first round exits to the shock of many.

England and Argentina succumbed to Germany’s young squad but Spain clinched its reputation as a soccer powerhouse thanks to its beautiful offensive performance including a 1-0 final match victory over the Netherlands.

The tournament itself was not without criticism. The 145 goals scored by teams this year was lower than the 2006 total of 147 and 2002’s 161. Many players disliked the Jabulani ball, saying it often went wild in the air and forced goalkeepers to work harder.

This year’s World Cup showed Europe’s domination in soccer. All three top finishers — Spain, the Netherlands and Germany — show that solid domestic leagues and long-term development programs are the best formula for success.

Another secret? The three countries exported players to the best leagues in Europe, such as the English Premiership, Italy’s Serie A, Germany’s Bundesliga and Spain’s La Liga where they could exchange knowledge and gain experience.

The world governing body FIFA gave away US$250,000 bonuses to every member, including the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI), during the World Cup thanks to the body’s $196 million profit in 2009. PSSI is expected to wisely use the bonus for soccer development at home so that we, Indonesians, can support our national team competing at the World Cup.

Almost 60 PSSI officials witnessed the South Africa’s extravaganza last week. Hopefully, they understand our dream, learned something from the winning teams and will work hard to make it true.

With four years to go, Indonesia should not crash in the first round of the qualification for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Otherwise, Indonesia will remain on the sidelines of the World Cup.

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