A few very bad challenges till now. I'm glad that Webb started showing yellow cards, especially to v. Bommel, a few of his challanges were not punished in the last games even though he deserved a red card from my point of view.

Spain in control just as expected. Otherwise quite a boring game till now.

For the moment 1 thing is clear, holland players are very good in taekwondo

It was about time that Iniesta made a shot on goal. Before he tried to dribble all the way in the goal.

Quote from: Alatriste on July 11, 2010, 20:32
For the moment 1 thing is clear, holland players are very good in taekwondo

Yeah they probably learned those kicks from Remy Bonjasky

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!! 

Congrats Spain.

However for the sake of the beauty of this sport I hope that mister Webb goes back to being a cop or whatever he did before, because this was the worst referee I've ever seen in a World cup match, let alone in a final.

I think he did a pretty good job. He should have give a yellow card to Sneijder and there were two mistakes before the goal (which is why the Dutch players protested), but still it wasn't those decisions that were decisive. It was still poor defending that prevented penalty shootout. And we know how the Dutch hate the penalties don't we?

Congratulations to Spain. Although I had voted for Netherlands, I'm happy they won for the clean play. Oh, yes, and for having Casillas and Xabi Alonso too.

Just a side note: Spain had 5 votes in the original poll - about 12% of the votes at the beginning of the cup - and Netherlands had 4.  Now at the end, the majority voted for Netherlands. The two most voted back then - Brazil and Argentina - fell much earlier.

We are very bad at guessing, uh? An octopus does it better than us! 

Quote from: madelaide on July 11, 2010, 22:36
Just a side note: Spain had 5 votes in the original poll - about 12% of the votes at the beginning of the cup - and Netherlands had 4.  Now at the end, the majority voted for Netherlands. The two most voted back then - Brazil and Argentina - fell much earlier.

We are very bad at guessing, uh? An octopus does it better than us! 

Well I was one of the original 5, but missed the last poll

QuoteCongratulations to Spain. Although I had voted for Netherlands, I'm happy they won for the clean play. Oh, yes, and for having Casillas and Xabi Alonso too.

and Iniesta, and Villa, and Torres, and Xabi, and Pujol........... and everyone, the best players in the world  

QuoteJust a side note: Spain had 5 votes in the original poll - about 12% of the votes at the beginning of the cup - and Netherlands had 4.  Now at the end, the majority voted for Netherlands. The two most voted back then - Brazil and Argentina - fell much earlier.

We are very bad at guessing, uh? An octopus does it better than us!

Seeing how Spain play football, 2 options: few people in the forum knows about football or few spanish are in this forum

QuoteHowever for the sake of the beauty of this sport I hope that mister Webb goes back to being a cop or whatever he did before, because this was the worst referee I've ever seen in a World cup match, let alone in a final.

Agree but.... who cares about that now?  

Quote from: Klauts on July 11, 2010, 22:07
However for the sake of the beauty of this sport I hope that mister Webb goes back to being a cop or whatever he did before, because this was the worst referee I've ever seen in a World cup match, let alone in a final.

You have to be joking! With the Dutch determined to play-act and kick Spain off the park it was clearly a very difficult match to referee. Webb did a good job under the circumstances and Holland were fortunate to finish the game with 10 players.

At the start of the game I hoped Holland would win but after the first half I changed my mind. Spain quite are clearly the best footballing side in the world.

Quote from: Alatriste on July 11, 2010, 22:47

QuoteCongratulations to Spain. Although I had voted for Netherlands, I'm happy they won for the clean play. Oh, yes, and for having Casillas and Xabi Alonso too.

and Iniesta, and Villa, and Torres, and Xabi, and Pujol........... and everyone, the best players in the world  

You missed the point: Casillas and Alonso are SO cute!

Quote from: madelaide on July 11, 2010, 23:02

Quote from: Alatriste on July 11, 2010, 22:47

QuoteCongratulations to Spain. Although I had voted for Netherlands, I'm happy they won for the clean play. Oh, yes, and for having Casillas and Xabi Alonso too.

and Iniesta, and Villa, and Torres, and Xabi, and Pujol........... and everyone, the best players in the world  

You missed the point: Casillas and Alonso are SO cute!

hahahah okkkkkk so I understand why you didnt mention Pujol or Iniesta

Congratulations to Spain!

For those interested, this is what the Irish commentators said about the match :
- the Dutch played a vicious and brutal game
- they were appalling to watch
- had the Netherlands won the cup, it would have been a sad day for football
- the referee should have been tougher. He should have given red cards much earlier in the game -to stop the Dutch from ruining the game
- the Spanish played football. The Dutch did not.

They said Forlan was the best player of the tournament.

And I actually managed to watch most of the game

Well done Spain Enjoy!

Quote from: Eireann on July 11, 2010, 23:26
Congratulations to Spain!

For those interested, this is what the Irish commentators said about the match :
- the Dutch played a vicious and brutal game
- they were appalling to watch
- had the Netherlands won the cup, it would have been a sad day for football
- the referee should have been tougher. He should have given red cards much earlier in the game -to stop the Dutch from ruining the game
- the Spanish played football. The Dutch did not.

Spanish media agree but perhaps they are a little more subjetive 

QuoteThey said Forlan was the best player of the tournament.

3rd better player Villa...
The world say Spain play the best football in he world but the players are not the best (neither the second) players....
UNBELIEVEABLE
but anyway... they have the cup

Quote from: Alatriste on July 12, 2010, 00:10
The world say Spain play the best football in he world but the players are not the best (neither the second) players....
UNBELIEVEABLE

I can only say about the matches I watched (several of them!) and Forlán was always playing well, unlike others who had one or two matches in which they were a bit null.

Congrats to Spain.
I didn't like the game at all, not from the Dutch and not from the Spanish. The Dutch may played it hard, but I think the Spanish did the same, only they didn't get all the cards.
But I have to agree that the Spanish created much more chances then the Dutch. It only took them a long time to use those chances.
Third time the Dutch lost in the finals of the Worldcup. Will it ever happen that we win that cup?

The game was on of the worst in wc , but is understandable because nobody wants to risk in final.

Netherlands should have lack 4 players before end not only 1 , and nobody can say that karate kick didn't deserve red card , same as that start from the back in beginning, and Roben
knew very well he is in offside when scoring that goal , should have been suspended because he already had 1 yellow card.

Than again , before Spanish goal it was clear fault on edge of Spanish 16m , so I agree 1 of worst referees ever in finals , probably worse.

Than again I remember another referee from same country showing 3 yellows in same game to same player in WC


Personally , wanted Uruguay to win this

The ref erred on the side of caution too long. An early red would have sorted the Dutch and Von Bommel out. As it was he made amends in the second half by giving a gola kick instead or a corner which led to the goal.

Spain were creative and played with flair, everything the Dutch used to be. Right result, entertaining game, and for my money fault must lie with Holland's manager. There game plan was negative, and relied on it all going to penalties.

Well done the Spanish.

See you in four years (if we qualify"

Adios - Oldhand

Paul said it!



http://us.fotolia.com/id/24182842

Some pics:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/07/2010_world_cup_comes_to_a_clos.html
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/halfway_in_-_2010_world_cup.html

Quote from: LostOne on July 13, 2010, 11:20
Some pics:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/07/2010_world_cup_comes_to_a_clos.html
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/halfway_in_-_2010_world_cup.html

Thanks for posting, some really great examples of Sport photography . . . .  love the last one on the boston.com site, touching way to end the series.