Well, they didn't really shine in the rest of the matches either, apparently they're the winner with the least scored goals in the history of World Cup...:\

haha, intense match, and a well-deserved win on Spain's part

It'd make sense. 4 successive 1-0 wins and all.

I guess it was down to the Dutch parking the bus in front of their goal, but gawd dayam, what a miserable borefest of a game!

I'd say it was a decent tournament overall. As far as tournaments go, it wasn't as boring as Germany 2006, but nowhere near as gripping and exciting as I remember either of the last two European Championships being.

World Cups became less exciting when they were increased from 6 groups to 8 groups and we got another 8 weak teams in!!! Euros tend to be more exciting because there are less weak teams in general. I did see that for Euro 2016, they are going to be adding another 2 groups which doesn`t bode well.

Another two groups? Ruddy hell. As much as I like seeing new teams compete in finals competitions, as you say it's not exactly a guarantor of a mesmerising tournament or anything. I think the closest I've ever seen to a world cup being genuinely gripping from start to finish was back in USA '94, and I was barely 6 years old at the time!

As I say though, I think this one's been worth the fuss overall. Highlight of the tournament was one of Spain-Switzerland, Netherlands-Brazil or Uruguay-Germany for me.

I don`t think there were any classic matches as such, but there were some very dramatic ones of which Uruguay-Ghana, Italy-Slovakia and Netherlands-Brazil stood out.

I actually enjoyed the final as well, as the match in itself was kind of intriguing and despite Spain`s superiority, Holland had their chances to score throughout the match. In terms of excitement, this Dutch side was well behind the exciting sides they`ve had in the last 20 years or so, but unlike these sides this pragmatic Dutch side reached the final.

The highlight of the tournament for me was Germany's 4-0 demolition of Argentina.

Taking everything that's happened towards this world cup since the qualifiers started, my absolute highlight would easily be this :D

Can we start the new season now? plzkthnks

A decent final, a lot more open than they usually are. The right team won.The bronze match was a lot more exiting, though.

It's been a really good world cup, with a lot more goals than I feel is usual.

Here's the video of the idiot in the beginning, if anyone is interested:
YouTube - Spain Vs netherlands-Man tries to touch the Fifa World Cup Trophy ( exclusive)- new Jimmy Jump

Agreed! Spain owned. What a bunch of tossers the Netherlands team was was. That pivot guy really irked me both this game and the one against Brazil.

It seems that World Cup final referee Howard Webb can't win.
The Spanish team moaned about his lenience and the Dutch complained bitterly about his harshness.

Personally, I thought he handled the match well.
Had he been too lenient the bullying tactics of the Dutch may have won them the trophy.
No victory for football there.

Too harsh (or IMO to the letter of the law) and the match as a spectacle would have been reduced to, at best, a massive disappointment and at worse, nothing less than a farce.

Did he handle it the right way, or what?

Dunno why the Spanish are moaning. They did win the bloody thing and all.

As for the Dutch, they were lucky they didn't have more than one player sent off - De Jong's foul on Alonso was one of the worst I've ever seen. Also, it was at least a couple of minutes in extra time between when they didn't get that corner given and the Spanish goal, and they even got possession back in the build-up to it too. So, yeah, I wouldn't whinge too much if I were Dutch either.

Incredibly the Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk had this to say;

"The match was marred by constant foul play which led Webb to book 13 players including the dismissal of Dutchman Johnny Heitinga for two yellow cards.
"I don't think the referee controlled the match well," said Van Marwijk.

:confused:

Controlling a game as in, what, bringing back the cane?

I'd just like to say... New Zealand were the only team in the cup who made it through undefeated! :laughing:

I just wanna say that Switzerland was the only team that beat Spain.

Last two days I've had problems with my computer, but finally I can post the image I always wanted to see, which also represents some predictions made here:

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/9...lmundo2010.jpg



Regarding the match, I couldn't believe that team was the Netherlands. It seemed an especially aggresive version of the worst Camorra-style Italy (forgive the redundancy). Even Johan Cruyff has described it clearly: "dirty", "anti-football", etc. The Germans behaved like real gentlemen, before, during and after the semi-final. The Dutch were just the opposite.

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/936...vsdejong02.jpg

That's why I don't believe in "karma football". This "Rotten Orange" has nothing to do with that great "Clockwork Orange" of Michels, Neeskens and Cruyff from the 70's. I don't understand why some people (out of here) thought that a Dutch victory would be an "award" for Netherland's football history. Just in order to carry out a kind of "poetic justice"? Bulls**t. It's a pity that the Clockwork Orange didn't win a World Cup, but regarding style, the Rotten Orange is not a succesor to that team at all.

Fortunately Iniesta was superb. Our best "punisher" of Dutchmen since the Duke of Alba and Alexander Farnese. Orange squeezed: mission accomplished. Now drink your own bitter juice, "karate boys". :laughing:

I`m one of those people that thought a Dutch victory would`ve been a long deserved award for the way they`ve played over the years. Sadly in the final they played like so, but quite often so many teams have played like this anyway, Argentina and Italy over the years to name a few and its a tactical part of the game. Most managers would love to have a Van Bommel in their team.

All that aside Spain were the best team in 2010 as they were in 2008 and so fully deserve their victory based on that. Spain won 2010 with Fernando Torres well under par, I think had he been fully fit and at his best they would have won matches by a lot more than 1:0

I was pulling for the Dutch the entire tournament, and despite my love for Spain - I wouldn't have minded a Holland win. But they were a disgrace, such great players playing anti-football.

Until now, the Dutch team was always thought to be the Brazil of Europe, and with good reason. I still remember that fabulous team with Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten, etc. And later on, they still had a high technical level and very good players.

In this World Cup, their final match was completely unexpected and disappointing. But I admit that before that they showed some details of good football, although in general they were too far from their "illustrious predecessors". There even were some signs of smallmindedness at the match against Brazil, where they were continually complaining, to put pressure on the referee.

The aggressiveness at the final was a worked-out stratagem. Maybe the manager thought that was the only way to win the match they had. And Robben almost scored, but fortunately for us Saint Iker Casillas deflected the ball. BTW, this is what can happen when a reporter interviews her boyfriend: :)

I think you're being overly harsh on Holland to be honest.

Yes they were a disgrace in the final, and i'm sure if people knew they were going to play like that they would never have wanted them to win.

You won the trophy, now be a good sport about it.

I still think this was the best part of the game.
http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a...jongkungfu.gif
Kung-Fu master.

Got the ball.

OK, I admit my mistake: I should have distinguished between before and after the final. But only in order to judge the opinions previous to that match.

Regarding the Dutch team itself, and before the final, I just expressed my personal thoughts (sorry if I wasn't clear about that), but I respect all those who believe in "karmic football" and that kind of things.

And if we talk about judging Netherland's overall performance in this particular World Cup, and once we already know what has happen at the final, I personnally cannot ignore it. As the same way as we judge any other crucial match of a major tournament. For instance, the famous Maradona's Hand of God strongly conditions our opinions on his performance at the 1986 WC, regardless of what we think about him and his entire career as a football player.

Oh man, this made my day.

Sepp Blatter given embarrassing nickname on World Cup award - Telegraph

Guilty. :wavey:

Guilty of what? If it was altering the mans wiki entry then i salute you. :beer:

Ha...I only wish I did.

The thought of him receiving an honour with that name on it cracks me up.
Pure gold. :laughing:

I'm absolutely sure the British vernacular has more vulgar words than any other.

[QUOTE=Zaqarbal;898950]Last two days I've had problems with my computer, but finally I can post the image I always wanted to see, which also represents some predictions made here:

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/9...lmundo2010.jpg



Gotta respect Pepe Reina. He didn't get a touch in the finals and you can't see any resentment on his face there.