PASADENA, California -- Romario of World Cup champion Brazil won the Golden Ball as the tournament's top player.


The striker finished with five goals in the World Cup and was an easy winner Sunday in the vote by 1,000 media members and a division of FIFA, soccer's ruling body.


Romario had 2,400 points in the voting. Italy's Roberto Baggio, the Silver Ball winner, was next at 1,500, followed by Bulgaria's Hristo Stoichkov, the Bronze Ball winner, at 450.


They will receive their trophies in January in Lisbon, Portugal.


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With the pressure of a nation on his shoulders, Claudio Taffarel gave 160 million Brazilians their wish.


When the World Cup came down to a shootout for the first time ever, when he and Italy's Gianluca Pagliuca were forced to duel it out like Wild West gunslingers before a world-wide audience estimated at 2 billion, Taffarel walked away the winner.


"I don't consider myself the hero of this team," Taffarel said. "Surely the heroes were all 11 of us."


Just a short time ago, many fans wanted Taffarel off the team.


In the passion-driven world of soccer, it's not unusual for a goalkeeper to be criticized in one country. Taffarel managed to be maligned in two.


Most of the year, the player, 28, is in Europe, where he has spent four seasons in the Italian first division. Parma, a middle-sized club, didn't want him after the 1992-93 season and dealt him to tiny Reggiana, one of Italy's underdog clubs. His contract ran out, and he has yet to re-sign.


"At the moment I am without job," he said.


Through all the criticism, Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira kept the faith. And on Sunday, his faith was rewarded. "I did it my way," Parreira said. "Without changing anything, without giving in, at no time was I worried."


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The world believes the United States overcame ignorance to become an inspired World Cup host.


On a day when an expected two billion people were gathering in front of television sets to watch Brazil and Italy battle for soccer's greatest prize, Britain's Sunday Telegraph newspaper called the USA 94 tournament a "smash-hit success."


European newspapers remarked that initial predictions of poor crowds, weak organization and irreverence towards a sport many hold sacred have been defied with this year's competition, bringing record attendance and a feast of goals.


"There was a festive atmosphere of which we have no idea in Europe. The American public vibrates, encourages, participates, it even becomes part of the spectacle," said the French sports daily L'Equipe.


(AP, Reuters)