Signing Another Superstar

On the night China Team came from behind to defeat the United States 4–2, the Confederations Cup Final also crowned its champion.

Brazil defeated Spain 2–0 in the final with a brace from Fabiano, smoothly taking the Confederations Cup title. Spain finished runner-up, while China defeated the United States to claim third place.

This was the first time China had finished among the top three in an international tournament at the senior national-team level. It was the best result in the history of the Chinese senior National Team, leaving domestic fans tremendously excited and the whole country celebrating.

Brazilian superstar Kaka, who had just officially announced his move to Real Madrid, took home the award for best player of the Confederations Cup. His performance throughout the tournament had been outstanding, and winning the Golden Ball Award was richly deserved.

The Silver Ball Award went to Brazil's Fabiano. He had scored five goals in the Confederations Cup, ranking second on the scoring charts, while also claiming the Silver Boot Award.

The Bronze Boot Award, however, did not go by convention to a player from runner-up Spain. Instead, it was awarded directly to China's superstar Yang Yang, who had finished third with his team. With six goals in the tournament, Yang Yang also won the Golden Boot Award.

Public opinion largely approved of the official selections. In particular, in the third-place playoff, Yang Yang had led China to a dramatic second-half comeback and a 4–2 victory over the United States. He had scored a hat-trick and provided an assist all by himself, delivering a breathtaking performance that was unquestionably the best of the Confederations Cup.

As legendary player Beckenbauer summarized in his column, if Yang Yang were excluded, China's overall strength would probably rank near the bottom among the eight teams in