The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #125468   Message #2943814
Posted By: Arnie
12-Jul-10 - 06:19 AM
Thread Name: BS: World Cup 2010
Subject: RE: BS: World Cup 2010
So much for the Dutch concept of Total Football - online it's being called Shaolin Football after that high-kicking display by de Jong on Alonso's chest. I've liked the Dutch approach throughout the tournament but they let themselves down badly last night. To Spain's credit they continued to try playing their fluid, passing game in the teeth of Dutch agression - and were deserved winners. Much criticism in some quarters of Howard Webb for not sending off one or even two Dutch players in the first half to halt the 'clogging' but I think he was trying to preserve the spirit of a cup final match and was hoping the Dutch would understand this and calm down a bit. Instead they treated it as a sign of weakness and an excuse to carry on scything down the Spaniards. The football may not have been pretty but well done to Spain for finally getting their hands on the Jules Rimet trophy. Have we more or less finished this thread now? Be interesting to look back at it in 2014.