Whew! I come home to controversy! I probably won't be able to watch the final for a month or so (I'll get a DVD in the mail), but now I'm not sure I really want to.
I find it somewhat odd that people are saying this was an "anti-football" final...if you were expecting end-to-end stuff you were always going to be disappointed due to Spain's tactic of holding on to the ball. It is in fact Spain's extreme technical proficiency that makes games less end to end (like USA's 2-2 draw with Slovenia, a match I would argue was among the most exciting of the whole tournament). Spain are almost too good to create an exciting match. It sounds like the Dutch managed to hold on to the ball for a few spells but for most of the game they were chasing possession...
Good to hear that Dirk Kuyt remains a hero for not getting carded.
I can't be too excited about Nigel De Jong, since he tried to snap USA midfielder Stuart Holden's leg in a friendly earlier this year. I guess I'll have to watch the match before I make any real judgements, but just going by the match reports it sounds like the Dutch probably got their tactics right - they knew Spain was the better side, but worked to smother their game and create a few chances. The Spanish like to go to ground and keep the ball, so the Dutch were always going to look like the villains.
Howard Webb: good performance/bad performance?
Re: ESPNs comment that "something has to change" with reffing - I now feel that FIFA's concept of reffing is different from most other sports. In most sports, the referee's job is to make the right call, no excuses. Instant replays and game-stoppages and technology are all tools the ref uses to make the right call. In football, on the other hand, FIFA treats the officials much like the players and manager - they are expected to make mistakes, they are part of the game rather than being omnipotent, and FIFA feels that bad calls are part of the football experience. They don't want to change that.
EDIT: I am glad to see that Müller won the Golden boot and Forlan won the Golden Ball - it's a way to recognize that Germany and Uruguay played big roles in the most exciting matches of the tournament. Forlan carried his team on his back, and Müller was one of several impressive young German players that surprised many of us in the course of the tournament.
I find it somewhat odd that people are saying this was an "anti-football" final...if you were expecting end-to-end stuff you were always going to be disappointed due to Spain's tactic of holding on to the ball. It is in fact Spain's extreme technical proficiency that makes games less end to end (like USA's 2-2 draw with Slovenia, a match I would argue was among the most exciting of the whole tournament). Spain are almost too good to create an exciting match. It sounds like the Dutch managed to hold on to the ball for a few spells but for most of the game they were chasing possession...
Good to hear that Dirk Kuyt remains a hero for not getting carded.
Howard Webb: good performance/bad performance?
Re: ESPNs comment that "something has to change" with reffing - I now feel that FIFA's concept of reffing is different from most other sports. In most sports, the referee's job is to make the right call, no excuses. Instant replays and game-stoppages and technology are all tools the ref uses to make the right call. In football, on the other hand, FIFA treats the officials much like the players and manager - they are expected to make mistakes, they are part of the game rather than being omnipotent, and FIFA feels that bad calls are part of the football experience. They don't want to change that.
EDIT: I am glad to see that Müller won the Golden boot and Forlan won the Golden Ball - it's a way to recognize that Germany and Uruguay played big roles in the most exciting matches of the tournament. Forlan carried his team on his back, and Müller was one of several impressive young German players that surprised many of us in the course of the tournament.