If you can’t have a beautiful game in the World Cup final at least have the best team win and with that Spain are worthy winners of the 2010 Fifa World Cup thanks to a late Andrés Iniesta winner.
Dutch football may of invented Total Football in the late 1960′s throughout the 70′s but this 2010 Dutch team perfect Total Thuggery. For Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk to criticised Howard Webb for a lack of control in this match takes some gall considering all the dirty fouls the likes of Mark van Bommel and Nigel De Jong. I’m usually one to pick on Howard Webb but while he wasn’t perfect he did the best job he could do. To his credit Howard Webb didn’t try to make the game about him, he didn’t try to decide the World Cup with a red card early in the game and in the end despite how it happen Spain proved to be the best team in the World.
How good do you feel if your Vincent Del Bosque right now? I know it’s most likely water on the bridge but after getting let go by Real Madrid, Del Bosque stood on the sidelines for five years before taking over as head coach of Spain. What is most impressive about Del Bosque is the fact taking over Spain after winning Euro 2008 is no easy feat. Just ask Roberto Donadoni and hell even Marcelo Lippi this year how tough it is to try and repeat the magic of a previous Championship team. Every move Del Bosque made was on point during the World Cup. He gave Fernando Torres more than enough rop to hang himself with and during the finals his substitutions were perfect as Jesus Navas and Cesc Fabregas gave Spain the lift they needed in the final 30 minutes.
How good was Andrés Iniesta feel right now. While the degree of difficulty was greater on Diego Forlan goal against Germany that ball must of felt like it was bouncing up there forever before Iniesta got a perfect foot on it. I also loved how Iniesta has a message on his t-shirt for friend and former Espanyol captain Dani Parque who tragically passed away of a heart attack last year. I’m not one for all the mushy stuff but with Antonio Puerta passed away before Euro 2008 and Dani Parquq last year it does appear Spain has some angels watching over them.
Enjoy the next four years as Champions and for the likes of Iker Casillas, Víctor Valdés, Carles Puyol, Andrés Iniesta, and Xavi Hernández who have won everything a player could win in the World of Football.
Winning the best young player award is one thing but it will be hard to top winning the Golden Boot with five goals and his three assists being the tiebreaker. Bayern Munich have one hell of a player in Thomas Muller who at only 20 years old his loss was felt when Germany couldn’t overcome Spain in the semi finals.
Muller is like Forlan where if you don’t watch the Bundesliga week in and week out may slip under the window but after this display Thomas Muller will be a household name for the next decade with his name often linked up in transfer rumours. Not a chance Bayern Munich lets him go however.
Kudos to Fifa for getting it right by awarding Uruguay’s Diego Forlan the 2010 World Cup Golden Ball. While there was a four way tie for most goals in the World Cup Diego Forlan made magic on each of his five goals basically created goals out of nothing. All four players who tied for the most goals are World Class players but felt the nod rightly should of been given to Forlan. David Villa great as he is has his table set for him by the great duo of Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. Wesley Sneijder and Thomas Muller had great World Cup but Arjen Robben made Holland tick just as much as Sneijder and all things being equal didn’t see Fifa giving a 20 year old the Golden ball considering the career Muller has before him. You can also make the case Muller wasn’t the best player on his team.
Congrats to Diego Forlan who goes down in history as the best player in the last World Cup. This maybe a surprise to people who hasn’t seen Forlan since leaving Manchester United but for the last three years Forlan as been tearing up La Liga with Atletico Madrid and Villarreal previously.
Be it Dunga resigned or was fired one thing is clear Brazil will begin a search for their next head coach who will hopefully lead them to World Cup glory on home soil in 2014.
Dunga to his credit did it his way and in the end he can’t have any complaints. He is smart enough to know that with Brazil only winning will do and you do it your own way thumbing your nose to everyone in the way well once you fail they are going to want their proud of flesh.
Leave it to the British to be up in arms over something they would have no problem cheering for if an English player had done the same thing. With Uruguay’s World Cup dreams on the line Luis Suarez did what he had to do, something just about every people would do in the same spot.
If Asamoah Gyan had scored his penalty then this wouldn’t be an issue. The odds were still in Ghana’s favour and they choked sad at is it and I for one couldn’t imagine losing like that but Suarez had to do what was best for his team and in that spot knocking the ball down with his hand was the only thing he could do to save Uruguay’s World Cup chances.
The punishment also fit the so called crime committed. Suarez got his red card and won’t play against the Dutch in the World Cup semi finals but if he didn’t clear the ball off the line with his hand the rest of his team mates wouldn’t even get the chance to still complete for the World Cup. Fair or unfair and the World Cup isn’t about fair or unfair no matter how many fair play banners Fifa holds up, Ghana had their chance to win it and couldn’t close the deal in the shot they were given. In events like the World Cup missing those chances usually come back to punish you.
Just love the clip where Gabriel Heinze backs into the Cameraman then decides to play tough guy. Enjoy it while you can as I’m sure FIFA will take it down at any moment.
- The above Torres dived bugged me all weekend. If this was an Italian or Portuguese player everyone would be up in arms telling Fifa to enforce the rules on diving. Fernando Torres being considered a good guy merely gets a peep for what he did. In my opinion what Fernando Torres did is even worst than Herny’s handball against Ireland. While I’ll never know for sure I’ll side with the fact when Herny first touched the ball with his hand it was purely instinct. I don’t believe once the ball was crossed Herny was thinking of stopping it with his hand before crossing it over for a goal. Fernando Torres on the other hand was clearly thinking about drawing a foul and getting Marco Estrada sent off. As I said on Friday this is a case of a desperate player who hasn’t done anything in the World Cup trying to help his team in anyway he can.
- Landon Donovan was bang on when he said this United States team was naive. This was the best chance the US will have for along time to get into the Semi’s. (still think Uruguay would of beaten them in the Quarterfinals mind you.) Time and time again the United States players lost focus and that leads to goals.
The chorus from the song Just by Radiohead pretty much sums up how I feel about this United States team
- Humming you do it to yourself you do and that’s what really hurts.
- Hopefully I won’t be saying that about Portugal tomorrow.
- And no I’m not one of those people who think Radiohead is a gift from god.
- I’d have no clue what to make out of Bob Bradley but I do feel he won’t be back coaching the national team. On one hand I know the States will never reach the pinnacle of football with Bob Bradley in charge, on the other unlike the 1998, and 2006 World Cup teams you can’t say the United States lack effort and passion out there. Effort and passion is one thing, playing smart is another and starting the likes of Ricardo Clark and Robbie Findley when they have proven the World Cup is too big of a stage for them will most likely end up being Bradley’s downfall.
- Mentioned this on Twitter yesterday but unless it hurts Fifa will it counts, the pocketbook they are in no rush to introduce video replay’s. In some ways have a feeling Fifa loves the attention the missed calls this weekend has generated.
- I have a soft spot for Sven Goran Eriksson. He seems like the type to always gets himself mixed into drama yet comes out smelling like a rose. Loved how he made three million for coaching three games. Sven will bounce back and when he does I’m sure it’s going to come with a nice pay package.
- Sven’s England teams lacked a certain something which doomed them but this current England World Cup team was lacking in all areas. By no means am I saying Sven’s time as England manager was a success but his teams did bow out in the final eight in hard fought games against Brazil and Portugal. This Fabio Capello team was just awful. Capello will take some heat for this but in the end it’s on the players who promised so much and produced so little. Again hindsight is 20/20 but have a feeling Capello regrets not clearing out many of these England players. (Looking at you John Terry) Capello should of had David Beckham on the team to handle the media and take the glare away from Wayne Rooney but aside from those two every big name player should of been shown the door. The England under21′s did make the European final last summer so it’s not like there isn’t talent to work with. You already know what you are going to get with this current group of England players. One of the many problems with English football is the young players who defeated the England u21′s last year gained a lot of playing time last year for their club sides. In England there are too many young players who don’t get the playing time they need with top English clubs.
- Yes Frank Lampard got robbed of a goal and no one knows what could happen if it was 2-2 but this was the same England team which went down 2-0 so it’s just as likely Germany was would scored two more in that situation. England didn’t lose because of that blown call.
- Two World Cup, no goals by Wayne Rooney. Was trying to think of a comparison when Bill Simmons nailed it by comparing Rooney to former Chargers now New York Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson. When the teams are soft each can rack up the stats but when the pressure is on and a big moment is needed in a big game both come up empty.
- Granted it was a penatly offside call that went against Mexico but you got to keep your head in the game. Mexico in the end gave the game to Argentina once they went up 2-0.
- Told you these Argentina players will play for Diego Maradona. Too many of these players Maradona is their idol plus he wants to play attacking football which players love. Of course they are going to bust a lung for him and it’s showing.
Hindsight is always 20-20 but part of me is now annoyed Portugal didn’t go for it at least in the final 10 minutes against Brazil. Spain had to win and if they did Spain would then win the group. With Portugal in no danger of a miracle exit wish Carlos Queiroz would of gone for it more to avoid Spain. On the bright side even if it was Brazil’s B team still happy they kept a clean sheet.
Won my only game yesterday so that is good now moving on to the weekend.
Uruguay -0.5 -108 vs South Korea – Liked Uruguay before the World Cup and nothing has change my tune. They may not be deep but Uruguay has key people in key places that can win you a game. With Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez i’ll side with Uruguay
Ghana pk +111 vs USA – I wouldn’t kill me if the US won since i have them in a prop to advance further than Mexico. (I also have yes to an African team in the qtr finals) It really wouldn’t shock me to see this game go into extra time. Can’t add nothing fancy, mostly going with Ghana since they are plus money.
England -109 vs Germany
I know, I know I picked Germany win the World Cup but something tells me in a battle between Fabio Capello and Joachim Loew the Italian’s experience will prove valuable. Germany also has injury concerns to deal with.
Argentina – Mexico over 2 and 2.5 -102
Can’t see Mexico keeping a clean sheet and can easily see Argentina cough up a goal. It’s in neither teams style to sit back so hopefully the Argentina of the group stage carries over to the knockout round.
