2010 FIFA WORLD CUP

[Nebuchadnezzar]

You forgot Sneijder!!!!

 

 

First scorer the German guy (can't spell it lol!!) because he played less time & he had more assists.

 

MVP : Diego Forlaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!

[Glen]

By the way my top three players of the world cup are

 

1. Andres Iniesta

2. Diego Forlan

3. Bastian Schweinsteiger

 

Each of them were magnificent.

 

Cheers

[Geoff]

I was kidding on that one but my (other) argument is VERY STRONG I didn't see any comment on the Ghana - Australia match. Kisses!

You mean in the game where Australia didn't win and it contributed to them going no further in the competition? The ball that hit Kewell so high on the shoulder that there is valid argument for whether it was actually a hand ball or not, and was most certainly not an intentional hand ball. Two totally different occasions there, mate.

 

Anyway, disappointing result in the final. I didn't have much hope for Holland before the match and they started slow, but there was a time they were right in it. I know the game has it's skirt covered rules and has to abide to these blouse-ridden rules, but I saw no problem with any of Holland (or Spain's) contests for the ball, bar the obvious boot to the chest. But that was just good ol' fashioned fun anyway. I still don't think it's a red card offence, unless there is intention to harm. That was just an accident. No harm done, play on.

 

At the end of the match, was there a Dutch player on the field without a yellow card to his name?

 

Listening to the commentators whine about Holland playing a game almost like Rugby Union (they obviously haven't see the sport before) rather than soccer just made me fume even more. Everyone associated with this sport on a professional level needs to toughen up. I played soccer for about 10 years and in that time contesting the ball was never an illegality, and it looks like that's the way they're taught in Holland too. End of the day, Spain dropped more tears and had the better acting coaches prior to the match. What about that poofter who dropped near the sideline and wasn't even noticed until play stopped and the ref saw him rolling around like a piece of shit? So ref walks over to him, just assumes it was worth a penalty and gives a Dutch guy a yellow card, without even seeing the incident? F*ck off. You call this a proper sport? F*cking jesters everywhere.

 

Anyway, end of the day I guess Spain deserved it. Both teams had amazing opportunities, especially those two breaks by Robben... but it was not Holland's day. In the end I was hoping for a penalty shoot-out. As cruel a way as it is to end a championship, I thought it was Holland's best shot.

 

Oh, and I agree, Glen. I thought this was meant to be a "Gentleman's Game?" If that's the case, why are all these clowns constantly blowing up in the ref's face about every decision he makes? Surrounding him like an angry mob and making their princesses demands? I didn't mind the Dutch overall, but I really wasn't into their tirade at the ref after the final whistle. What was that supposed to achieve? To be honest, I think they had a valid point when that black fella was dropped by the two Spaniards just outside Spain's box. Based on the rest of the match, that should have been a penalty. I guess he just didn't roll around on the ground and carry on about it in true Spanish fashion and it was overlooked? But either way, right or wrong, carrying on about it after the match was quite embarrassing.

 

Now it's time to start getting some proper sleep again...

[whiplash1972]

Well, first and foremost, congrats to Spain. It was an ugly bitch of a game, but in the end, the better overall team won. Spain has been dominant since the run up to Euro 2008, and are definitely the best team in the world at the moment.

 

Also, I've got say that under the circumstances, I think Howard Webb did a really good job, as there could have easily been MORE yellow cards than there were. He let both teams play hard for the opening 10 minutes or so, and then he finally had to buckle down after that wild De Jong challenge. While I don't think it was malicious, it would have almost certainly drawn a red card from 99.9% of the officials in the game.

 

Alright, Spain are world champs.... when does Euro 2012 qualifying begin???

[Glen]

 

Also, I've got say that under the circumstances, I think Howard Webb did a really good job, as there could have easily been MORE yellow cards than there were. He let both teams play hard for the opening 10 minutes or so, and then he finally had to buckle down after that wild De Jong challenge. While I don't think it was malicious, it would have almost certainly drawn a red card from 99.9% of the officials in the game.

 

 

well said that man.

 

Holland pretty much disgraced themselves and the game of football.

 

They certainly won no fans with their 'kick em' tactics. A very poor showing.

[Wotty]

What an over-hyped disappointment that was.Congrats to Spain,the most un-exciting winners,in recent memory.To me,they just had no "buzz",but as for Holland,they just turned into a bunch of "petulant bully-boys",who in reality got what they deserved,nothing !!!!!!

[melodicrockoz]

Congratulations to Spain

[Glen]

What an over-hyped disappointment that was.Congrats to Spain,the most un-exciting winners,in recent memory.To me,they just had no "buzz",but as for Holland,they just turned into a bunch of "petulant bully-boys",who in reality got what they deserved,nothing !!!!!!

 

Every world cup final ive watched in recent history has been as dull as dishwater....there's just too much at stake for it to be an open free running game.

 

If you want that watch the 3rd-4th play off.

[Nick C]

The inlaws phoned up last night after the match and even in Almayate .... which is a pretty quiet place, you could hear all the celebrations outside over the phone.

 

Congrats Spain, a few in this house were pretty happy.....but a very bitty game both teams struggling to find any form.

I think thrills wise this has been a pretty disappointing WCup!

[Swazi]

What an over-hyped disappointment that was.Congrats to Spain,the most un-exciting winners,in recent memory.To me,they just had no "buzz",but as for Holland,they just turned into a bunch of "petulant bully-boys",who in reality got what they deserved,nothing !!!!!!

 

Every world cup final ive watched in recent history has been as dull as dishwater....there's just too much at stake for it to be an open free running game.

 

If you want that watch the 3rd-4th play off.

 

... which was a good game, with a winner that well deserved it !!

[Faron]

By the way my top three players of the world cup are

 

1. Andres Iniesta

2. Diego Forlan

3. Bastian Schweinsteiger

 

Each of them were magnificent.

 

Cheers

 

Would agree with that

[Nebuchadnezzar]

I was kidding on that one but my (other) argument is VERY STRONG I didn't see any comment on the Ghana - Australia match. Kisses!

You mean in the game where Australia didn't win and it contributed to them going no further in the competition? The ball that hit Kewell so high on the shoulder that there is valid argument for whether it was actually a hand ball or not, and was most certainly not an intentional hand ball. Two totally different occasions there, mate.

 

 

It's the definition of penalty, sorry but you have to accept the rules. Otherwise better watch a different sport let's say volleyball... It's exactly the same.

 

 

 

What an over-hyped disappointment that was.Congrats to Spain,the most un-exciting winners,in recent memory.To me,they just had no "buzz",but as for Holland,they just turned into a bunch of "petulant bully-boys",who in reality got what they deserved,nothing !!!!!!

 

Every world cup final ive watched in recent history has been as dull as dishwater....there's just too much at stake for it to be an open free running game.

 

If you want that watch the 3rd-4th play off.

 

... which was a good game, with a winner that well deserved it !!

 

A big candle to Uruguay's goalkeeper for the 2 gift-goals...

 

 

As far as the final. Maybe the worst final in history (worst than Brazil-Italy in 94 or Germany-Argentina in 90) with the all time loosers (God has been slept against Brazil) against the team with the worst total on goals (7) in Mundial's history. Of course Spain has won fairly but Germany-Uruguay would have been a more fair final for me. I doubt that in that hypothetical case the match would be so great as the 3rd-4th play off but that's the destiny of the big finals I guess??

[Geoff]

 

Also, I've got say that under the circumstances, I think Howard Webb did a really good job, as there could have easily been MORE yellow cards than there were. He let both teams play hard for the opening 10 minutes or so, and then he finally had to buckle down after that wild De Jong challenge. While I don't think it was malicious, it would have almost certainly drawn a red card from 99.9% of the officials in the game.

 

 

well said that man.

 

Holland pretty much disgraced themselves and the game of football.

 

They certainly won no fans with their 'kick em' tactics. A very poor showing.

Jeez, scollap, you sound like these pansy commentators over here. You do realise these guys are all on 20 million dollars a year? I don't think a foot/shin 30cm from their own foot so they can dive over it is going to kill them. I think the fans get so sucked into the game that even they start believing it themselves! It's almost seems like trying to tell a kid that there is no Santa, or what wrestling is fake. But you do realise they're all putting on a show, don't you? Aside from the boot in the chest, all I saw was theatrics all tournament long. Do you honestly think one of those Spanish guys actually got hurt? The dives themselves would hurt more than the actual "challenge."

 

I can tell you from the perspective of an "outsider," the last thing that disgraced the game of soccer was seeing Holland actually go in with a bit of bollocks. It's been the diving theatrics that the game freely allows to happen that has been the disgrace, and will ensure that the majority of world cup viewers don't watch a game of soccer for another four years.

 

BTW, what did you want Holland to do? Stand back mercilessly sipping lemonade while they watched Spain pass the ball around to each other until they scored, like they did against Germany?

 

As I say, I saw a lot of disgraceful things over the last few weeks at the World Cup (even Holland's post-match carry-on at the ref), but seeing them trying their best to win the World Cup for their country was not one of them.

[JamesEagle]

Reading this exchange, I think it's a little from column A and a little from column B. I agree that if Holland had set out to play a similar game to Spain, they would have been taken apart. A physical game to knock Spain off their rhythm was probably all they could do. To say they were a disgrace is probably an exaggeration. Van Bommel was lucky to pick up so few cards in the tournament, but I'm not sure he should have been sent off in the final. De Jong would have been sent off in any other game by any other referee, but I don't think he set out to maim the player, it was just a stupid, reckless challenge. Heitinga had to go, but did Iniesta have to make so much of it? No, of course he didn't. One of the best players in the world, so much talent, why the need for play acting?

 

BTW, no way was this game worse than Brazil v Italy in 1994. The winning team was much better than the Italian team that won it 4 years ago. Spain has a great team, but they can be very boring to watch as they keep the ball so well. In my opinion, that it their opponents' problem.

[Glen]

Reading this exchange, I think it's a little from column A and a little from column B. I agree that if Holland had set out to play a similar game to Spain, they would have been taken apart. A physical game to knock Spain off their rhythm was probably all they could do. To say they were a disgrace is probably an exaggeration. Van Bommel was lucky to pick up so few cards in the tournament, but I'm not sure he should have been sent off in the final. De Jong would have been sent off in any other game by any other referee, but I don't think he set out to maim the player, it was just a stupid, reckless challenge. Heitinga had to go, but did Iniesta have to make so much of it? No, of course he didn't. One of the best players in the world, so much talent, why the need for play acting?

 

BTW, no way was this game worse than Brazil v Italy in 1994. The winning team was much better than the Italian team that won it 4 years ago. Spain has a great team, but they can be very boring to watch as they keep the ball so well. In my opinion, that it their opponents' problem.

 

errr Van Bommel was the worst culprit...by my reckoning he should have received 4 yellow cards. So yes off he goes.

 

And just to back up my opinion, here's the words of Holland legend Johan Cruyff -

 

Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff has launched a scathing attack on Netherlands' display in the World Cup final, deriding it as "anti-football".

 

The Dutch received nine yellow cards, and a red card for Johnny Heitinga, as they lost 1-0 to Spain in South Africa.

 

"Sadly, they played very dirty," Cruyff told Spanish newspaper El Periodico.

 

"This ugly, vulgar, hard, hermetic, hardly eye-catching, hardly football style... If with this they got satisfaction, fine, but they lost."

 

Cruyff, along with many others, believed Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong were lucky not to be sent off before half-time, Van Bommel for a tackle from behind on Iniesta and De Jong for kicking Xabi Alonso in the chest.

 

"They should have been down to nine immediately, then they made two [such] ugly and hard tackles that even I felt the damage," said the 63-year-old Cruyff.

 

"It hurts me that Holland chose an ugly path to aim for the title."

 

Cruyff brought his footballing philosophy to Barcelona in an eight-year spell as manager, and he is widely credited with the one-touch passing style still employed by the Catalan club, who provided the backbone of Spain's World Cup-winning squad.

 

However, in the Champions League semi-final last season, Pep Guardiola's side were upset by a defence-minded Inter Milan, coached by Jose Mourinho - a fact not lost on Cruyff.

 

"On Thursday they asked me from Holland 'Can we play like Inter? Can we stop Spain in the same way Mourinho eliminated Barca?'

 

"I said no, no way at all. I said no, not because I hate this style, I said no because I thought that my country wouldn't dare to and would never renounce their style. I said no because, without having great players like those of the past, the team has its own style.

 

"I was wrong. Of course I'm not hanging all 11 of them by the same rope, but almost. They didn't want the ball."

 

Cruyff also joined in the criticism of English referee Howard Webb, accusing him of being too soft with the players.

 

"A World Cup final deserves great refereeing and, above all, deserves a referee who dares to do everything it means to be a judge," he said.

 

Pretty much agree with everything said there.

 

Although I would say that Webb did a good job in the circumstances I also agree that he was too lenient. Any other referree would have sent off at least 4 Dutch players. Maybe Webb was of the opinion that sending off 4 players would have ruined the final and turned a blind eye, but it wouldnt have been him ruining the final - it would have been the Dutch players and their poor choice of tactics.

 

& i dont care if Spain were making the most of it or not. Maybe they weren't injured that badly, but what you dont expect at this level of football is players almost purposefully not playing the ball and just hacking their opponents down. Man, some of those tackles were so late I would have been embarrassed if my 11 year nephew was playing that badly.

 

& the icing on the cake is Robben complaining that the ref lost them the match! LOL, if it wasnt for Webb he wouldnt have even been on the pitch. He should reflect and shut the fuck up IMO.

 

Cheers

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Actually Webb said BEFORE the game that he didn't want to be the "protagonist" of the match that's why the Dutch team has started a dirty tactic from the first minutes of the match...

[JamesEagle]

 

errr Van Bommel was the worst culprit...by my reckoning he should have received 4 yellow cards. So yes off he goes.

 

& the icing on the cake is Robben complaining that the ref lost them the match! LOL, if it wasnt for Webb he wouldnt have even been on the pitch. He should reflect and shut the fuck up IMO.

 

Cheers

 

I disagree somewhat about Van Bommel - his yellow card was correct and the challenge that everyone was saying should have been another yellow was late, but it was hardly a bad foul. He could have gone, but I don't think it's an outrage that he wasn't sent off (unlike de Jong).

 

Ironically, Robben was one of the players who should have gone. Even after being booked, he was showing severe dissent and should have got his marching orders in extra time.

[Geoff]

And just to back up my opinion, here's the words of Holland legend Johan Cruyff -

 

Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff has launched a scathing attack on Netherlands' display in the World Cup final, deriding it as "anti-football".

 

The Dutch received nine yellow cards, and a red card for Johnny Heitinga, as they lost 1-0 to Spain in South Africa.

 

"Sadly, they played very dirty," Cruyff told Spanish newspaper El Periodico.

 

"This ugly, vulgar, hard, hermetic, hardly eye-catching, hardly football style... If with this they got satisfaction, fine, but they lost."

 

Cruyff, along with many others, believed Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong were lucky not to be sent off before half-time, Van Bommel for a tackle from behind on Iniesta and De Jong for kicking Xabi Alonso in the chest.

 

"They should have been down to nine immediately, then they made two [such] ugly and hard tackles that even I felt the damage," said the 63-year-old Cruyff.

 

"It hurts me that Holland chose an ugly path to aim for the title."

 

Cruyff brought his footballing philosophy to Barcelona in an eight-year spell as manager, and he is widely credited with the one-touch passing style still employed by the Catalan club, who provided the backbone of Spain's World Cup-winning squad.

 

However, in the Champions League semi-final last season, Pep Guardiola's side were upset by a defence-minded Inter Milan, coached by Jose Mourinho - a fact not lost on Cruyff.

 

"On Thursday they asked me from Holland 'Can we play like Inter? Can we stop Spain in the same way Mourinho eliminated Barca?'

 

"I said no, no way at all. I said no, not because I hate this style, I said no because I thought that my country wouldn't dare to and would never renounce their style. I said no because, without having great players like those of the past, the team has its own style.

 

"I was wrong. Of course I'm not hanging all 11 of them by the same rope, but almost. They didn't want the ball."

 

Cruyff also joined in the criticism of English referee Howard Webb, accusing him of being too soft with the players.

 

"A World Cup final deserves great refereeing and, above all, deserves a referee who dares to do everything it means to be a judge," he said.

 

Pretty much agree with everything said there.

 

And I disagree with everything he says.

 

Seriously, it looks like there's as many drama queens off the pitch as there are on it.

 

Obviously on a far more miniature scale, the exact same thing happens with State of Origin rugby league here in Australia. It's one of the biggest sporting events on the Australian calendar each year, and without fail, every year, the refs are known to take a more leniant stance on the game for the sake of allowing it to be the free flowing spectacle it can be. No one wants to sit there watching penalty after penalty - it is boring TV. Yes, one or two players do take advantage of the freedom and are duely pulled up for it, but generally everything goes smoothly and it's a very entertaining match. It's still the same game, just a harder and more intense version of it - which is what the moment deserves.

 

Just like the World Cup final. Sympathy for these blouses is as bad as the blouses themselves. These are grown men we're talking about. Sounds like I'm the only one, but I think the only thing the ref did wrong was too many cards. You guys all wanted reds, I don't think 95% of those challenges deserved yellows. Actually, in all honesty I'd have yellow carded the divers, not the tacklers... but that's another story. As I said above, the foot to the chest was about it. Give him a yellow card, let the game continue. The guy who did actually get sent shouldn't have even had a yellow card if Spain hadn't milked it so much...

[Glen]

yeah but it doesnt boil down to 'what you'd like to see'....it boils down to the rules of the game! Hell, Im the first in line for going back to the good ol days of football with the likes of Ron 'Chopper' Harris etc when players used to get 'up ended' and the ref just waived on....keepers used to get bundled into the back of the net and the goal was given lol!

 

But that was 30-40 years ago and the sport has changed. A player can go in hard - IT THEY WIN THE BALL. Going in hard and hacking the player is unacceptable and people do get seriously injured. You might think that all footballers are pansies and just dive everywhere, but try telling that to footballers who endure career ending injuries like shins snapped in half, criciate ligament injuries - they happen every season and are mainly due to rash, late and violent tackles.....like what the Dutch were doing in the world cup final.

 

Let me compare it in another way for you. If you were watching a rugby match and a team continually kept takling round the neck you would be up in arms watching it because it is so far outside the rules of the game. Well that's how football fans felt watching the late and bad tackles of the Dutch. Im not talking about the possibility of injury here....im talking about a mind set and rules of the game.

 

Just wrong on so many levels. What makes it worse is that Holland are reknowned for their excellent football style. What they proved in the final is the depths they will sink to when faced by obvious superior opposition. I think this is what irked Cruyff.

[Swazi]

You might think that all footballers are pansies and just dive everywhere, but try telling that to footballers who endure career ending injuries like shins snapped in half, criciate ligament injuries.....

 

Correct ! That's why Ballack wasn't able to play in the World Cup (good for Germany or not). He was badly chopped by that crazy Boateng guy.

[Jez]

yeah but it doesnt boil down to 'what you'd like to see'....it boils down to the rules of the game! Hell, Im the first in line for going back to the good ol days of football with the likes of Ron 'Chopper' Harris etc when players used to get 'up ended' and the ref just waived on....keepers used to get bundled into the back of the net and the goal was given lol!

 

But that was 30-40 years ago and the sport has changed. A player can go in hard - IT THEY WIN THE BALL. Going in hard and hacking the player is unacceptable and people do get seriously injured. You might think that all footballers are pansies and just dive everywhere, but try telling that to footballers who endure career ending injuries like shins snapped in half, criciate ligament injuries - they happen every season and are mainly due to rash, late and violent tackles.....like what the Dutch were doing in the world cup final.

 

Let me compare it in another way for you. If you were watching a rugby match and a team continually kept takling round the neck you would be up in arms watching it because it is so far outside the rules of the game. Well that's how football fans felt watching the late and bad tackles of the Dutch. Im not talking about the possibility of injury here....im talking about a mind set and rules of the game.

 

Just wrong on so many levels. What makes it worse is that Holland are reknowned for their excellent football style. What they proved in the final is the depths they will sink to when faced by obvious superior opposition. I think this is what irked Cruyff.

 

No more need saying - nicely put mate.