Campeones del mundo!!!!!

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

La Furia Roja para siempre! VIVA ESPAÑA!!!

Intimidating La Roja to stop them from playing their game was never going to win a world cup.

Have yet to sleep since the finals, the celebration was all night long!

Any more Spaniards on Canreef? How did you celebrate this wonderful day?!

It was family and Sangria all night after commerical drive for us.

[muck]

Congrats on the win Justin... from a Dutchie.
I just wish it was a different game and was not so chippy and full of stupid fouls. What was it 13 yellow cards... The ref was the busiest bloke on the pitch.

[xtreme]

I wonder what the outcome would have been had the Dutch got the corner kick they were entitled to, instead the officials gave Spain the goal kick in error which led to the goal.

Or earlier on, the arm around Robben which slowed him up on the breakaway. No call just because he didn't dive like most soccer players would have?

Don't want to sound like a poor loser, but what if...

[Zoaelite]

Originally Posted by xtreme

I wonder what the outcome would have been had the Dutch got the corner kick they were entitled to, instead the officials gave Spain the goal kick in error which led to the goal.

Or earlier on, the arm around Robben which slowed him up on the breakaway. No call just because he didn't dive like most soccer players would have?

Don't want to sound like a poor loser, but what if...

If Soccer wasn't so archaic and actually incorporated instant replay somehow then we wouldn't be asking questions like that.

A good game none the less.

[Lance]

Originally Posted by muck

Congrats on the win Justin... from a Dutchie.
I just wish it was a different game and was not so chippy and full of stupid fouls. What was it 13 yellow cards... The ref was the busiest bloke on the pitch.

I absolutely agree with you. Far too many yellow cards, disrupting the flow of the game. I enjoyed the tournament and the final but at the same time I was quite disappointed as well.
I find I'm becoming more and more disenchanted with professional athletes. North American athletes are bad enough but I find the Superstars of the soccer world are the worse yet. They are IMO, ruining a great sport. If they'd play the game instead of all the bitching, whining and diving maybe they would have had a more successful World Cup. The big names did virtually nothing: Renaldo, Rooney, Messi. How many goals between them? France's team was a disgrace, fighting among themselves and with coaches and trainers. One team, I can't remember who, did not invite the two best players in the country because they are selfish players and can't play as part of a team.
Pretty sad state of affairs when you're best players do more harm than help!

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by xtreme

I wonder what the outcome would have been had the Dutch got the corner kick they were entitled to, instead the officials gave Spain the goal kick in error which led to the goal.

Or earlier on, the arm around Robben which slowed him up on the breakaway. No call just because he didn't dive like most soccer players would have?

Don't want to sound like a poor loser, but what if...

Unfortunately Robben made a mockery of the official in the Brasilian game and will never get the benefit of the doubt again. This was a foul and probably a yellow taking away a scoring chance but to me it makes up for everything he has done the rest of the tournament. If an official sees this play from behind and does not have a clear view as he did not appear to then he is not going to give a guy like Robben that call.

Robben could be one of the best players in the world if he would just play the game.

In what match does the loosing side ever think the game was fair? If Espana had lost there were many calls that would too have been controversial for either being called or not in the case of the straight red that is automatic for challenging with a high boot to the chest...spikes first.

I will never be a fan of the Dutch strategy in this match but I do understand it was the only way to have a chance to win and it almost worked. If they did not come out and foul Spain in an attempt to make them uncomfortable with the ball they had no chance to have possession. There was a lot of foreshadowing to how they would play the days prior to the final that I can see now that I look back. I believe Robben acknowledged that they cannot play a pretty game and expect to win.

Spain are a very small side which have to play on the ground and with great strategy. I will admit that I felt after the first half I started to worry very much that the much bigger and tougher Dutch side would be able to continue with the hard tackles and either hurt Spains midfield or scare them enough to give up the ball which they did a few times.

This is a sport where everything happens from the midfield and there is no better midfield right now in the game than Spain. Germany look to have a very promising young midfield as well.

Someone mentioned Messi....he cannot play (nor can many strikers) without midfield players like Iniesta. Argentina were the most overrated team coming into this final because they had a one dimensional team and no coach.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by zoaElite

If Soccer wasn't so archaic and actually incorporated instant replay somehow then we wouldn't be asking questions like that.

A good game none the less.

They cannot have replay on anything but goals if they do that. It will ruin the game more to do so. I suppose if the coach has one challenge per match then maybe but its way too tricky.

FIFA will not be incorporating this technology for many reasons but it seems the main one is that not all countries can afford or implement it. You have to remember this is a much bigger sport than any other in the world with some of the poorest countries participating. Many simply cannot support the technology.

It sounds like they will have a few extra officials on the line or behind the net to watch for goals which would have severed England well this time around. I believe they will only be able to make a call on goals. I don't think it would be right for them to start calling fouls.

We'll see though.