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My memory of that is so different. I remember an outclassed Dutch team basically trying to cheat their way to victory through dirty play. It would have been a m

by dnh44 5y ago

My memory of that is so different. I remember an outclassed Dutch team basically trying to cheat their way to victory through dirty play. It would have been a massive injustice had Spain not won.

tomgp 5y ago
Yeah I would have preferred harsher refereeing and the risk of a dull match (though I suspect we would have seen a whole bunch of Spanish goals) than sitting through that unedifying spectacle. It was just depressing and the Dutch play was often out and out dangerous
brudgers 5y ago
The light touch of the Spanish tikatoka was backed by the dark arts of the aging Puyol and the youthful Ramos. Both had picked up yellows before de Jong got his. A lesser referee could have found reason to give either a second card. Webb gave the players the game they wanted as good referees do. He avoided an officiating fiasco like the 2006 final. Fouls are part of the game. They are not cheating. The game is won by the number of balls in the back of the nets, not by time of possession or completed passes. As they say, "The ball is round. The game is ninety minutes. Everything else is just theory."
- dnh44 5y ago
  I think we’ll just have to agree to disagree because in my opinion it was an officiating fiasco. De Jong avoiding a straight red with his kick to the chest without an attempt on the ball is a total fiasco. The referee allowed the game to get out of control which is almost as bad as over officiating. But at least it’s impossible to make the argument that Spain won because of bad officiating. I can sympathise somewhat with the perspective of the Dutch team. It was their third final and they knew they were outmatched by Spain’s tiki-taka. Still even considering that I think their actions on the pitch were disgraceful. I did always wonder what Cruyff’s opinion of that game was and I managed to find an article from the time. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/jul/12/world-cup-final-johan-cruyff-holland https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/jul/12/world-cup-f...
  - brudgers 5y ago
    Spain was hardly overwhelming, scoring only eight goals in the tournament and winning 1-0 in each of their knockout matches.
    - dnh44 5y ago
      Yeah it's true that they generally won by small margins, but they also won the 2008 and 2012 Euros. I enjoyed watching them :) edit: Who do you think is going to win Champions League this year?

by dnh44 5y ago

My memory of that is so different. I remember an outclassed Dutch team basically trying to cheat their way to victory through dirty play. It would have been a massive injustice had Spain not won.

tomgp 5y ago

Yeah I would have preferred harsher refereeing and the risk of a dull match (though I suspect we would have seen a whole bunch of Spanish goals) than sitting through that unedifying spectacle. It was just depressing and the Dutch play was often out and out dangerous

brudgers 5y ago

The light touch of the Spanish tikatoka was backed by the dark arts of the aging Puyol and the youthful Ramos. Both had picked up yellows before de Jong got his. A lesser referee could have found reason to give either a second card. Webb gave the players the game they wanted as good referees do. He avoided an officiating fiasco like the 2006 final. Fouls are part of the game. They are not cheating. The game is won by the number of balls in the back of the nets, not by time of possession or completed passes. As they say, "The ball is round. The game is ninety minutes. Everything else is just theory."

dnh44 5y ago
I think we’ll just have to agree to disagree because in my opinion it was an officiating fiasco. De Jong avoiding a straight red with his kick to the chest without an attempt on the ball is a total fiasco. The referee allowed the game to get out of control which is almost as bad as over officiating. But at least it’s impossible to make the argument that Spain won because of bad officiating. I can sympathise somewhat with the perspective of the Dutch team. It was their third final and they knew they were outmatched by Spain’s tiki-taka. Still even considering that I think their actions on the pitch were disgraceful. I did always wonder what Cruyff’s opinion of that game was and I managed to find an article from the time. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/jul/12/world-cup-final-johan-cruyff-holland https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/jul/12/world-cup-f...
- brudgers 5y ago
  Spain was hardly overwhelming, scoring only eight goals in the tournament and winning 1-0 in each of their knockout matches.
  - dnh44 5y ago
    Yeah it's true that they generally won by small margins, but they also won the 2008 and 2012 Euros. I enjoyed watching them :) edit: Who do you think is going to win Champions League this year?