Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - From our engrossed positions in front of the tele', (IN OUR OPINIONS), the best and worst of the 2003 Women's World Cup 2003.

WORST SUBSTITUTE DECISIONS -- A number-10 with only 195 minutes played?? Oh where, oh where has Aly Wagner gone?? U.S. head coach April Heinrichs may know where she is, and Shannon MacMillan and Tiffeny Milbrett. The American boss should have utilized her bench players more and still appears to always be one sub away from winning a major championship. Despite MacMillan's fitness level and Milbrett's exhaustion, both proved spark plugs whenever they entered play. Aly Wagner the next Mia Hamm?? Not if Heinrichs has anything to say.

BEST SUB DECISION -- Germany's Nia Kuenzer in the second half of the final match against Sweden. She came, she scored, goal, match, Cup.

PLAYERS THRUST INTO THE SPOTLIGHT: Following a 4-1 defeat to Germany in their opening game, Canadian back-up Taryn Swiatek displaced Karina LeBlanc as the North Americans' number-one while leading Canada to a surprising fourth-place finish. U.S. defender Catherine Reddick, who stepped up after Brandi Chastain went down with a broken foot. Solid at the back, her deft free-kicks even managed to garner a pair of goals. Not too bad for the only collegian on the States' side.

WORST NON-CALL: The soccer gods had other plans than the collective majority would have hoped during the United States' semifinal clash with Germany. The Americans' cause could have been helped, however, with a call on German 'keeper Silke Rottenberg. The 'keeper upended U.S. striker Abby Wambach in the penalty area in the 34th minute.

WORST CALL THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN: Romanian referee's decision to award Germany a free-kick just outside the area that resulted in the match and World Cup-winning goal. Sweden claimed a match official admitted that Romanian official Cristina Ionescu failed in awarding a free-kick which set up Germany's golden-goal winner in the 98th minute.

BEST GOAL: Hands down, Nia Kuenzer's 98th-minute header that won the World Cup for Germany.

BEST FANS: Perhaps in a bit of a biased statement, the winner is...the U.S. supporters -- who weathered agonizing defeat but still managed to return in droves and cheer on Team U-S-A in the third-place match -- a 3-1 victory over Canada.

BEST STATEMENT MADE: The fans in the stands who waved around 8 x 11 copies of SAVE-THE-WUSA!!!...they're right -- bring back the league.

BEST DEBUTANTE TEAM: The French. The first-timers even managed a win over South Korea and a draw against eventual quarterfinalist Brazil before their dream ended with a 2-0 defeat at the hand of 1995 champion Norway. Bravo!!! Love that Marinette Pichon. She's a gamer.

BEST DEBUTANTE PLAYER -- Abby Wambach. The ever-imposing Wambach left everything on the field (including a few opponents that are probably still peeling themselves off the pitch) en route to a three-goal performance and a place in the hearts of all blue-collar soccer fans everywhere. Props also go out to Canadian Kara Lang. Only 16, she capped off an impressive Cup run with a fearless run at the U.S. back-line...kudos and highlights for years to come.

WAVES GOOD-BYE TO: We will no doubt shed a tear in 2007 when the playing field is without Germany's Maren Meinert and Bettina Wiegmann, China's Sun Wen and the United States's Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain, Joy Fawcett and perhaps Kristine Lilly. But Mia Hamm will be missed the most. She has won our respect, aside from her all-world 144 goals in 245 international appearances. But also for the real, humble, self-made woman-athlete that she is.

MOST ENTERTAINING MATCH: The final. It had all the ingredients that a grand finale should have at this level. Great attacking, better defending and stellar goalkeeping. What's better?? -- An overtime golden-goal by a lesser-known sub who won the World Cup with her head, literally.

MOST ENTERTAINING TEAM: It was hard to pin this one down and despite a supporters vote to Germany on FIFA's World Cup web site, we're going to have to choose runner-ups Sweden. Not because we felt terrible over their final loss or chose this as a consolation prize, but because we believe they did so much with relatively little.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: China. Finalists in 1999, the Asians had an offensive blackout (three goals in four matches), and were ousted from the competition in the quarterfinals by Canada. Captain Sun Wen ultimately retired and the Chinese Federation felt the need to issue a statement documenting the team's demise.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Canada. They were winless prior to USA 2003 and ranked 12th out of the 16-team field. Upended heavily-favored China in the quarterfinals. Enough said.

BEST COACH: Canada's Even Pellerud. He took the Canadian team, winless at USA 1999 and ranked 12th at USA 2003, to semifinals and brink of finals. No coincidence that this proven winner led Norway to the World Cup championship at Sweden 1995.

COMEBACK PLAYERS: Norway's Hege Riise and U.S.'s Shannon MacMillan. Both players returned from debilitating knee injuries. MacMillan came back just four months after hers to play 42 minutes, while Riise -- Norway's fabled team leader -- played 36.

GRACIOUS HOSTS: The United States put together a world-class tournament in less than four months that averaged 20,000 fans per match amid a very crowded fall sports line-up. Kudos to U.S. Soccer and to the U.S. women in general. No matter the arena or level of competition, we love to watch 'em play!!!

BEST COMMERCIAL: Hollywood or the White House?? U.S. captain Julie Foudy would success no matter what career road she chooses next, but we always seem to get a good laugh over the team's courtroom commercial, starring Foudy in the witness chair. These girls have personality as well as mad skills.

OVERRATED PLAYER: Mercy Akide -- Nigeria, Despite stiff "Group of Death" competition, Marvelous Mercy didn't find the net in the tournament in three games and neither did her teammates

UNDERRATED PLAYER: Christine Sinclair -- Canada, Hooper and Lang may have grabbed the headlines, but Sinclair scored three times in the tourney including the go-ahead finish in the team's quarterfinal clincher over Japan

LAST THING: Tony DiCicco, you should have never left.