Stopping Spain In Vain

by SamFels on Jul 11, 2010 11:14 PM PDT Comment 9 comments

Iker, your girlfriend is hotter.

I'd really love to pat myself on the back here, because I said Spain would win this thing, but it wasn't that hard of a call. You know why? Look at who Spain brought off the bench tonight: Jesus Navas, Fernando Torres, and Cesc Fabregas. All three of those players are world class at their positions (when fully fit at least). Navas changed the game, Fabregas set up the winner (after nearly bagging it himself) and Torres...well, he got hurt. Which he's also world class at (as a Liverpool supporter, I can't decide if his injury is more or less likely to see him sold. Probably neither). I also called Uruguay as the surprise, but that wasn't all that hard either. Anyway, notes.

-I had an admiration for the Dutch up until this Final . Notice the past tense there. Their diving and whining was barely palatable as long as Sneijder and Robben were providing moments of class that made up for it. When they added thuggery that only NHL teams of the 80's would be proud of, well, I couldn't be happier they lost. Holland is capable of so much more, and they really should have finished with about 8 guys. Their non-stop bitching didn't help, and frankly they got exactly what they deserved.

-It tells you everything you need to know about Spain that one of the more talented teams in the tournament, maybe the most behind the winners, Brazil, and Argentina had to resort to those tactics. That they were terrified of engaging the Spanish for fear of them running riot. This is why I think Spain will go down in the history of the game as one of the best ever.

-Another reason I think that? Because Spain's style may change the game. How many teams now are going to learn the ball is paramount and being able to pass it wins games? I hope the US is one of them. I know France around the turn of the century was an all-time great, but I can't help but feel they were defined by the genius of one player, Zidane, more than the way they played. I'm sure it's going to go down as Brazil '70, Holland '74, and now Spain '10.

-Is there anything more entertaining than watching Arjen Robben after his team have lost a big match? And he seems to do it so often. Champions League semis in '05 and "07. Champions League Final this year and now the World Cup Final? Awe. Some.

-Speaking of him, he can bitch and moan all he wants but the one time he decided not to do dive probably cost his team immortality. Though Puyol's contact was a lot less than it appeared at first glance, he still could have gotten a free kick and a red card. It's only because he totally biffed the chance and dribbled right into Casillas's arms that he decided to throw a hissy fit at Howard Webb.

-I don't know how you show 14 yellow cards and 1 red and be considered lenient, but Howard Webb did it. Only one or two of his bookings could be considered questionable, and they were hardly scandalous. De Jong and Van Bommel should have been walking long before Heittinga was, and the Dutch could have come close to forfeiting the whole thing.

-Andre Iniesta's wont to walk the ball into the net can be infuriating -- he had at least two chances today to let fly early but decided his left foot wouldn't release Zeus's lightning -- but who could possibly argue with that finish? Speaking of which, the shot of him running to the corner while the entire Spanish bench runs down the touch line to greet him is the best shot of the tournament.

-Over/under on Villa goals for Barca this year, assuming health and interest? 40.

-I think that's about it. Brazil seems so close and so far. Will there be a country in history under more pressure to win than Brazil in four years' time (at least until England host it in 2018)? It's going to be entertaining to watch Brazil's market correction. They grudgingly bought in to Dunga's discipline and structure and still went out. Who's to say they won't go total party time next time round?

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Spain

They deserved it. They annoy me though. Their passing from the back through the mid-field is the best I have ever seen, but dear god they try to dribble everything into the net. They did well in the tournament to keep their composure as teams went bunker style against them.

I don’t know if they are one of the best ever. I hated ’06 Italy, but I think they might have won against this Spanish side. They would have played the same style as the Dutch, but more efficiently.

Never mistake effort for achievement.

Ah, beer, my one weakness. My Achille's heel, if you will. - HJS

by Esteban d' Amur on Jul 12, 2010 7:10 AM PDT reply actions

Man, i feel lonely now that it’s over! Thank god MLS is back in full swing and we’re only a month out from kickoff of the Premier League.
Going into the final I was hoping for a Netherlands victory, but after the game i can’t help but feel we’ve all lost. The orange just turned into thugs, and as talented and wonderful as i know Spain is, i just can’t enjoy their game. I think it’s their satisfaction with just bleeding teams out, but i guess when you’re that good you don’t have to take risks.

by GKINMD on Jul 12, 2010 7:46 AM PDT reply actions

It’s funny how you can bash the hell out of the Dutch for diving and whining, and not once mention how bad the Spainish are at it. No bias there. Nope. None.

by DarrenV on Jul 12, 2010 10:20 AM PDT reply actions

Do you honestly think it was even close to comparable? Considering how brutal the Dutch were I’m not sure what reaction you expected from Spain. In every previous game they didn’t whine or dive much at all, but then you have Johnny Lawrence patrolling the Dutch midfield and suddenly the Spanish are the ones out of line.

Sometimes you need a criminal lawyer, sometimes you need a criminal lawyer.

by Fehr and Balanced on Jul 12, 2010 6:54 PM PDT up reply actions

I do think it was comparable, absolutely. No one said the Dutch didn’t do it themselves, but the Spainish were pathetic themselves. To say otherwise is rediculous and simply wrong.

by DarrenV on Jul 12, 2010 9:17 PM PDT up reply actions

I thought that outside Iniesta there wasn’t a whole lot of Spanish diving or whining, and most of the time he had a legitimate gripe anyway. I guess you saw it differently.

Sometimes you need a criminal lawyer, sometimes you need a criminal lawyer.

by Fehr and Balanced on Jul 13, 2010 7:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Agreed

The Spaniards were fairly prolific artistic in their dives, but to their defense, they were nothing compared to this year’s Italian squad.

They deserved to win, they got the job done and the Dutch side didn’t. But if Spain’s style will change the game, it will be for the worst. I would much rather see the German style from this World Cup than the Spanish “Beautiful Passing Game” 1-0 snoozefests.

Speaking of Germany, I wonder had Thomas Muller been available if the Spanish would have gotten by the Germans. The Deutsch team came off the rails without Muller’s lightning-speed counter-strikes and the semi game against Spain was the first time I thought the Germans were playing not to lose. No matter, that’s the rules and Muller should have avoided that send yellow card.

Back to the Finals, honestly, were it not for the obvious tension that was this game, would you have thought it all that interesting? Would you have enjoyed it as much had it been a Tottenham-Sunderland match? I full-well realize that WC Finals are played close to the vest, but the truth is that this game were long periods of boredom with too few thrilling moments at either end of the pitch.

by Old Man Par on Jul 12, 2010 11:02 AM PDT reply actions

The problem with the Mueller handball was that it ricocheted off Messi’s arm first. If we’re going to call incidental handballs as yellow cards, the play should’ve been blown dead before Mueller had a chance to play the ball and Messi should have received the yellow. I still think Spain get by Germany, but i think it would’ve been more along the lines of a 3-2 victory, and much more entertaining.

by GKINMD on Jul 12, 2010 11:44 AM PDT up reply actions

I don’t see how Spain is blamed for the “snoozefests.” How about the teams that play ten men in the box and hope for one or two good counterattacks per game? They are the ones that are making the game boring. If everyone wanted to run and play some soccer with Spain then you’d see 5-2 games and people would love it. But instead, Spain stays patient, looks for their one or two openings per game and tries to win that way. They could take risks but that’s just playing into the other team’s hands. Why would they do that?

There are always what ifs. I wanted to see Muller play Spain but I think Spain would have won anyway. The younger Germans looked a little rattled and I don’t think Muller changes that. The Spanish dominated the ball for the majority of the game, and I don’t think Muller changes that. He would have been a factor, but I don’t think it changes the game. I don’t think it’s fair to say he should have avoided the yellow card, though. It looked unintentional and I thought it was a weak call. Can’t really blame him for that.

The game was definitely very tight and you could tell how much more was on the line than the third place game. People wanted to see that again, but it’s not going to happen. Those teams played like they weren’t playing for anything and it was really fun as a result. But you aren’t going to see anyone play a final game like that.

Sometimes you need a criminal lawyer, sometimes you need a criminal lawyer.

by Fehr and Balanced on Jul 12, 2010 6:51 PM PDT up reply actions