by ProudGooner » Mon Jul 12, 2010 8:10 am
by Gunner Down Under » Mon Jul 12, 2010 8:17 am
by Siete » Mon Jul 12, 2010 8:54 am
GunnGunn wrote:Plymouth Gooner wrote:Right, WC over, time for Wenger to pull his finger out and sign us a keeper!
Wishful thinking but spot on.
He has no more excuses now, none at all, if he doesn't sign a keeper...
by She_Gunner_Wales » Mon Jul 12, 2010 10:23 am
by ProudGooner » Mon Jul 12, 2010 10:24 am
by mg86 » Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:58 am
by Yorkyblue » Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:42 pm
Inchpractice wrote:
I feel sorry for RVP because he had about 3 touches of the ball all game. If you have a striker of that quality you have to get the ball to him occasionally.
by Inchpräctice » Mon Jul 12, 2010 6:21 pm
Yorkyblue wrote:Inchpractice wrote:
I feel sorry for RVP because he had about 3 touches of the ball all game. If you have a striker of that quality you have to get the ball to him occasionally.
But when Rooney does that the whole country goes on about him being overrated. Saying he should get himself into the game instead of waiting for the game to get to him.
by Inchpräctice » Mon Jul 12, 2010 6:26 pm
Siete wrote:GunnGunn wrote:Plymouth Gooner wrote:Right, WC over, time for Wenger to pull his finger out and sign us a keeper!
Wishful thinking but spot on.
He has no more excuses now, none at all, if he doesn't sign a keeper...
Haven't you heard. Al is the best keeper in the world... when they are training. He just needs to relax during the matches.
That's his excuse.
And, no, sadly, I'm not kidding.
by StLGooner » Mon Jul 12, 2010 6:30 pm
JOHANNESBURG
In football there isn't always a winner and loser, except in the World Cup knockout rounds.
Ninety minutes, 120 minutes, penalties -- it doesn't get more final than this.
So why did the Netherlands lose in the World Cup final?
This may be a tough and bitter pill for romantics of the Beautiful Game to swallow, but the simple fact is that Holland, for all its glorious past, is a pale imitator masquerading in orange.
To be fair though, the Dutch came with a game plan and for 116 minutes it worked almost flawlessly. Its tactics were simple and easy to understand. In fact, someone with zero soccer knowledge would've have grasped their methods within the first 10 minutes of this, its third World Cup Final appearance.
It didn't require thought, grate, guile or technique — traits we would normally associate with the Clockwork Orange. The ploy was to kick hard, kick often and to get into the heads of the Spanish players.
With that pressure and physicality, Spain would in theory, be denied any opportunity to develop a rhythm or dictate the pace of the match. The middle of the park, the area where they do their best work, would be congested and thick with traffic.
The angles, triangles and pretty geometric patterns that we associate with Spain just weren't there and for that we must unfortunately give Dutch coach Bert Van Marwijk all the credit. He knew that if the match became an open spectacle, his side would be swept away in a sea of red Spanish attacks.
Spain certainly created chances, but as we've seen from Spain in the past it was guilty of not putting them and the game away. With this knowledge, the Dutch were always in with an opportunity of sneaking a goal and stealing the match, which is almost exactly how it played out.
With Holland unable to release Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben while shackled by three Spanish defenders, route one football became its only option, along with set pieces. Twice Robben had opportunities to win the match and the fact that he didn't take them is ultimately good for the game of football.
This was an ugly Holland, their only thought to 'stamp' its authority on the match. With an accumulated total of nine yellow cards along with one red, it won't be remembered for victories over Brazil or Uruguay, but instead for blighting the most important game we'll see in the next four years.
To Spain ultimately go the spoils and deservedly so. Yes, the Spaniards may overplay at times, but at the core its football has a beauty about it. It now joins Germany and France as holders of both the Euro and World Cup trophies, a double that goes a long way to solidifying it as one of the greatest teams ever.
We would all like to imagine the World Cup final as a match of beauty. Only one team came to Soccer City with beauty on its mind.
Congratulations, Spain, World Champions -- it has a nice ring doesn't it?
by freddybhoy » Mon Jul 12, 2010 10:41 pm
by CynicalGooner » Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:29 pm
freddybhoy wrote:Congratulations Spain! Although they were far from their best, they continued to try and play football in the face of "bone jarring thuggery" from the Dutch. Van Bommell and De Jong should have had first use of the carbolic for their assaults on Iniesta and Alonso respectively. Holland were much revered for their total football in the seventies. Reviled would be a better description for this lot in 2010! Although judging by some of the posts in this thread, it would appear that "blood and snotters" football is prefered over flair and style. Ironic, given the serious injuries received by a number of Arsenal players in the Premiership over the last couple of seasons.
by luis_93 » Tue Jul 13, 2010 10:55 am
by freddybhoy » Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:03 am
Sorry to disappoint you CG. I did watch the game and the only tragedy for football would've been a Dutch victory. I certainly didn't witness any play acting from the Spaniards "all game" as you put it. They're certainly no angels in the simulation department, who is? But for some people to call them disgusting is way over the top. Holland went out to intimidate them from the first whistle and very nearly succeeded. If Webb had done his job properly they would have been reduced to nine men. So to say that is "lunacy in the extreme" is disingenuous at best. How would you feel if those challenges had been committed against Arsenal players in the Premiership?CynicalGooner wrote:freddybhoy wrote:Congratulations Spain! Although they were far from their best, they continued to try and play football in the face of "bone jarring thuggery" from the Dutch. Van Bommell and De Jong should have had first use of the carbolic for their assaults on Iniesta and Alonso respectively. Holland were much revered for their total football in the seventies. Reviled would be a better description for this lot in 2010! Although judging by some of the posts in this thread, it would appear that "blood and snotters" football is prefered over flair and style. Ironic, given the serious injuries received by a number of Arsenal players in the Premiership over the last couple of seasons.
Sounds like you listened to the game on radio or something rather than watching it to be honest mate. The commentators (and Webb) made a meal out of every 50/50 challenge and they all went Spains way. Spain players dived and play-acted all game. Holland only really committed 2 bad tackles all game, this talk that they shoulda been down to 9 men at half time is lunacy in the extreme. Spain should have had a player sent off too and committed their fair share of fouls.
This has been a tragedy for football, play acting is being rewarded more and more and it gives the impetus to teams like Spain and Barcelona who clearly teach gamesmanship from an early age.
by Yorkyblue » Tue Jul 13, 2010 12:02 pm
luis_93 wrote:¡Toma! España campeona del mundo pese a que los Holandeses fueron muy sucios, ahí la llevas De Jong!, somos los mejores, somos campeones, los holandeses que vayan a llorar, a cualquier perdedor se le trata con respeto, pero los holandeses fueron tan sucios que no se lo merecían. ¡Viva España!
Take! Spains is the Champion of the world in spite of that the Dutches were very dirty, there you take her De Jong!, we are the best, are champions, the Dutches who are going to cry, one treats any loser with respect, but the Dutches were so dirty that it was not deserved. Spain lives!