The official football World Cup 2010 in SA thread

[TangoRomeo 10]

Tough fight. At times this seemed more like an open air MMA event, accompanied by a football. Team España - worthy Champions in my book. Congrats! :cool:

[*LK1* 10]

congr.

[nettrucker 142]

Congrats to Spain. The match was open until the gol has been shot. As the going says "any opportunity missed is a gol taken" and there were plenty of occasions on both sides.

kind regards

[Guba 0]

Yessssssss!!!!

[Thunderbird 0]

Viva España !

Thank you for your great football, for your outstanding sense of Fair Play and for the huge skills of your players.

However, nice world cup Holland even if some dutch players are honestly evil, and must change this mentality and their way of thinking football.

I would like to especially thank Robben for his talent and great Fair Play.

Long Live Spain.

Regards,

TB

[ProfTournesol 956]

The team who has won is the only one who played football tonight.

[Murphe 0]

Congrats Spain, well deserved victory. Well played Netherlands, in parts, in others it seemed they thought they were playing Ice Hockey. Shame, I really hoped the Netherlands would win. Also that damn octopus was right again, I suddenly feel the craving for sushi.

[JdB 151]

Spain was better, and so deserved to win. Three things though:

-Where was this "best team in the world!1!1!! "Tici-taca" football OMG!1!1!"-Spanish team that everyone was raving about? I haven't seen it in any match during the entire tournament ... it looked like a completely different team from that which won the European championship two years ago. The quality of play was utterly disappointing with every team though, except a handful of matches (ones with Germany especially), so it's not all that surprising that the winner didn't play too well either.

- Was this the best referee available? I saw him giving so many free-kicks to Spain for even the slightest touch, but when a Spanish player touched a Dutch player play was usually continued, regardless who had possession. Most of the yellow cards were correct (or even mild in one or two cases), but so many free-kicks for things that just weren't serious enough for a free-kick, and wouldn't be given in any top league.

Louis van Gaal, the coach of Bayern München who had encountered Webb in the final of this years Champions League already said in the pre-match analysis that Webb would take the pace out of the match completely by excessively stopping play over simple physical duels that are standard in today's global football, and he was right. There's a reason today's players are so athletically built, it's because a player in modern football needs to use his body just as cleverly as his feet. Sad to see what otherwise could have been an exciting match ruined by a referee with a complete inability to sense the vibe of the match. I would rather have lost 3-1 in regular time with exciting football from both sides than this compilation of non-card free-kicks given for actions that are allowed in any top league.

Here, English referees (and the Premier League) have a reputation for allowing to continue play over physical duels more than continental referees, maintaining a high pace in the match. Obviously Webb got continental instructions. The fouls during the match were either worth a card (and readily given, especially to the Dutch), or were so small, that in anything but the world cup final with a referee pumped full of instructions, the free-kicks wouldn't have been given. A good referee like Merk or Colina were doesn't need to give free-kicks and/or yellow cards for every little thing to retain/establish their authority. Webb just isn't a top referee when it comes to doing the really big, global matches. He needs to dash out cards to make up for his lack of personality and perception. This match was no where near as hard as the match Netherlands-Portugal in 2006, and I think we saw about as many cards as during that battle.

- In addition to the above, the first time they are trying to get the ball to Iniesta (stopped by a Dutch player), Iniesta is in an off-side position. Play should have been suspended by the man that loves to suspend play so much. Then, the second time a few seconds later, he is no longer off-side. No need for video-refereeing at all Mr Blatter. Robbed.

And fair-play? Iniesta's constant diving, supposedly one of the best players in the world, and the subsequent begging for cards by Spanish players the whole time, every time getting a "final" warning not to ask for cards without further consequences, but mostly getting what they wanted, cards for Dutch players. I saw a lot of comments about Dutch diving, cheating etc, Spain was cheating just as much as any other team in this tournament. That's modern football too (unfortunately), but it should be judged the same, not differently because years ago Spain played football in an offensive manner.

Edited July 11, 2010 by JdB

[berghoff 11]

Jeez what a boring match (only because it was the final it was sometimes a bit tense). And the ref.. everyone on the Dutch team got a yellow present from him while some had big question marks.

Also time I hope FIFA really brings video replays into account since the Dutch team didn't even get a corner in the most critical point in the match.

Both teams went head to head but the best won tonight. Congrats Spain. :)

[Jarun88 0]

Did anyone catch what was writing on iniesta shirt about?

[sudayev 27]

What a spectacular game with extra time. It was like a squeezing a fruit to the last drop. Aaaah, I'm elated due to wathcing such great football showdown :)

Have you seen that friggin karate kick by de Jong, poorAlonso Xabi could have died at the field, shame on that ass Webb - only yellow card, WTF!? The crowd hooted this crooked ref as he was closing for official thank yous and medals.

Congrats to Spain, thanks for delivering us - fans - lots of high quality football emotions. I was backing Oranjes today, little disappointed with their game today.

Damn that Octopus ... He was right again, slowly choosing Spanish flag thus pointing out on extra time. OK ready your frying pans and sauerkraut :D

[kavoven 4]

Well... the only entertaining events where the fouls... and they weren't pretty. Boring match, very low quality football... Wasn't worth a final in my eyes :(

[Guba 0]

Did anyone catch what was writing on iniesta shirt about?

"DANI JARQUE SIEMPRE CON NOSOTROS" which translates to "DANI JARQUE ALWAYS WITH US.": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Jarque

[JdB 151]

"DANI JARQUE SIEMPRE CON NOSOTROS" which translates to "DANI JARQUE ALWAYS WITH US.": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Jarque

A nice gesture for something unfortunately becoming more and more common (players dying of heart-failure), I wonder if any other players had that on their shirt.

Re photo at the top of the page: I see Blatter for this occasion has decided to wear the type of shawl favored by most other Mafia Dons :rolleyes:

Edited July 11, 2010 by JdB

[Guba 0]

Spain was better, and so deserved to win. Three things though:

Here, English referees (and the Premier League) have a reputation for allowing to continue play over physical duels more than continental referees, maintaining a high pace in the match. Obviously Webb got continental instructions. The fouls during the match were either worth a card (and readily given, especially to the Dutch), or were so small, that in anything but the world cup final with a referee pumped full of instructions, the free-kicks wouldn't have been given.

And fair-play?

Click me (Only if you are 18 or older)

Ehm... English or continental refereeing would surely have agreed to award a red one for this kung fu master piece. With a whole game to play such event could have changed the course of things. I bet it would have given Spain a better chance to display their usual "tiqui-taca" :j:

[nettrucker 142]

De Jong was lucky that he didn't see red. This was a very bad foul indeed.

regards

[roberthammer 582]

octopus is epic haha - it was very boring match /maybe the borest in the World cup/ ,but Congrats Spain - well deserved victory :)

btw that karate foul -

Edited July 12, 2010 by RobertHammer

[Darvo 10]

Well I am from Holland and watch the game last night, it was terrible Spain was bad the whole WK, and we (Holland) were one of the best. Now Spain was dominant the whole game and the destroyed this final not because the won but because the ruined the thrill in the game.

I also disagree about the Spaniards getting the best player award, that should have been for Stekelburg are keeper. If he was not there it would have been 4-0 easy. Also supposedly are best player was Arjen Robin but he sucked he let two great opportunities fall, even a idiot could have made those goals. He also made it possible for the Spain’s the score that 1-0 he defended it wrong and pasted the ball right into a Spain player.

In conclusion it was a terrible and boring game, the semi finals with Uruguay and Germany were much better and more exciting than the final wan performance.

[Placebo 29]

The players made it extremely tough for Webb and I felt he handled it as well as could be expected, many lesser refs would have lost the plot completely but for me Webb kept in control.

[Thunderbird 0]

It was indeed rather tough and rude and Webb did his best. He did some little mistakes though.

it was terrible Spain was bad the whole WK

Sorry, Spain was way from being bad, of course, their strikers weren't that efficient but their game, their move and their vision of the game is far beyond the best. Somehow comparable to the german game, except that the germans have Klose, Podolski and Müller.

And you never reach the finals of a world cup just like that...

Concerning the dutch game, Holland was too much focused on terrifying the spanish than on trying to establish a decent game.

All in All, Spain deserves its win.

Regards,

TB

[EL_LEJI 13]

Spain play football... and not as the Holland streetfighter with bad behavior and poor sportsmanship :mad:

My country and my players are the best in the world and they deserve for their good play for his humility

For "Thunderbird":

the best game of the world championship 2010 Spain-Germany very clean good game and a master class of football by both teams

ESTAMOS CELEBRANDOLO VIVA ESPAÑA......

CAMPEONES DEL MUNDO

Edited July 12, 2010 by Thor632
received a warning at Bohemia Interactive Forums Posted image > 100kb "I'm so sorry "

[Barely-injured 0]

Congrats to Spain.........well deserved win....nobody can say otherwise.

However, as far as the match itself is concerned....I suppose my vote goes to Germany Vs Uruguay as the most entertaining of the world cup.

[sudayev 27]

PtSaCrXnX2E

http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/07/11/jimmy-jump-tries-to-grab-world-cup-trophy/

Heard about Jimmy's Jump exploit? No? Then check this guy out. They didn't show this on TV. The guy is famous for his alike actions.

[*LK1* 10]

so....where will be located the next world cup?

[Thunderbird 0]

Brazil