...and God Created Spain NT!!!

[Haf3z]

Well, it seems Spain choked again. How on earth, you can have 75% possession and still lose?
Saying that, the Swiss goal was the ugliest and luckiest goal in this world cup so far.
I remain optimistic on Spain. However, based on the first game, I admit the only team deserves the crown is Germany.

Well unfortunately it's the recent years' trend. Defensive, effective and result oriented football performed with an almost physical brutality. We saw the exact same thing happening to Barcelona in CL recently. Most teams have taken note and are doing the same. Most teams, even the role model of joga bonita, Brazil, have chosen a more physical squad and less technical players.

[yashar_fasihnia]

Well, it seems Spain choked again. How on earth, you can have 75% possession and still lose?
Saying that, the Swiss goal was the ugliest and luckiest goal in this world cup so far.
I remain optimistic on Spain. However, based on the first game, I admit the only team deserves the crown is Germany.

Haji, GENERAL Ottmar Hitzfeldo daste kam gereftihaaaa

[Doctor DOOM]

this is one boring and un-interesting WC.

except a couple of games, I just cant say I have enjoyed the football.
the only games I enjoyed are the germany-australia & argentina-nigeria games and to some extent the denmark-holland (my most favorite team).

not even my second favorite team, spain did much to to turn up their top quality football! nor did brazil.
I wont count england becoz they are like an inflated balloon, lot of hot air with little substance within.
france is a total disaster and isnt worth mentioning anyway

but I blame not only the teams and players for this drop in quality. the ball also is another culprit. it has too much flight and you see cross after cross, pass after pass and shot after shot flying past its target! very bad decision by adidas to make this type of a ball.

[Masoud_A]

World Cups should all be hosted in Europe as long as they own the best leagues. Every damn world cup I have lived to watch which was held outside Europe has been boring.

[Payam_S]

The unluckiest team so far...
Missed almost 10 goal every match..

[Doctor DOOM]

north korea better get their "rape" cloths on again.

ivory coast still has a chance as brazil's last meeting w portugal was a 6-2 routing of portugal and something like that could well be in the offing.
so the africans go into the game looking for as many goals as possible, hoping for at least a 2-0 or 3-0 brazil victory

[Doctor DOOM]

for all the fans of the spanish team:

Spanish commentator and Real Madrid legend Camacho was so excited by David Villa's goal in Spain's 1-0 quarterfinal win over Paraguay that the overwhelming emotion made him convulse and appear to repeatedly hit himself in the face with his own microphone. That, my friends, is a man who cares. And I doubt he was the only Spaniard to react like that since Villa's goal puts his country in the World Cup semifinals for the first time ever. Villa maravilla!

[Paradigm]

...Villa's goal puts his country in the World Cup semifinals for the first time ever.

^^ I think Spain was also there in 1950 and finished 4th but the format of the competition was different back then:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1950_FIFA_World_Cup

Interesting to note that only 13 teams participated in that tournament with India, Turkey, and Scotland withdrawing.

[Doctor DOOM]

^ Yes, you're correct.

---------

I think India canceled due to lack of equipment (shoes, basically). dont know how true this one is

==================

btw, in case any of you have followed this very bizarre and strange but famous octopus in this german aquarium which has picked the winners of the WC games consistently, has now picked pain to win the german-spain duel.

at first I discounted this as some coincidence, especially when it picked germany (who had faltered against the serbians) over argentina (who had beaten everyone handsomely in their 4 games). but we know what happened.

so now, it has picked the low scoring spainish who struggle to find the net (their best was vs chile 2-0 and that took quite a lot out of them!) over the free-scoring, free flowing germany who have picked up the dutch mantle of "total football" in this WC edition.

it's all a bit confusing!

[Doctor DOOM]

whooohooooooooooooo

I got my dream final .... finally
thanks to germany suddenly becoming overtly cautious ... which was very uncharacteristic of them in this WC. had they played like their previous 2 games, spain would have found it a very tough game to win.

but hey, I'm not complaining. for the past year, I've been wishing for a holland-spain final and now I've got it.

now, if only Van Persie gets his head out of his arse and move his butt to score the winning goal ...

[Paradigm]

Dr Doom this Spain-Germany match today was very reminiscent of the final in Euro 2008 when the Germans seemed lively and purposeful all the way to the final but then suddenly went out of gas. I think Germany cannot handle either Spain or Italy or Croatia too well, historically speaking. For whatever reason, certain teams tend to have a set pattern against each other, like Russia beating Holland, France beating Brazil, Germany beating Argentina, Saudi Arabia beating Iran, etc.


Having said this, it is technically impossible for Holland to take revenge for the 1974 final. This is because the team which won the World Cup three times and finished runners up three times between 1954 to 1990 (i.e. West Germany) ceased to exist 20 years ago! The unified Germany's best performances have been a runners up in 2002 and two 3rd place titles in 2006 and 1934. (West Germany also won two Euro titles in '72 and '80.) Now since Holland and Spain have never played before in the World Cup, it would be very very hard to predict the outcome of the big game on Sunday... We'll have to wait and see.

[purple_haze]

I really hope for a Spain win (Sorry DD) because I'm wanna see the team with the most attractive football win. If it was the Holland of the past, up until 2 years ago, then I would be split. But having seen Holland in this world cup, playing economically to the verge of boring the opponent to death and lady luck sitting firmly on Sneijder's(all the deflections) and Van Bommel (the guy should've been sent off 6 times already) shoulders as their foremost weapon, I root for Spain who finally woke up and showed world class football yesterday!

[Doctor DOOM]

you are right on which team plays the more attractive football, which is spain. I'm the first who'd admit holland's route to the final hasnt been pretty at all and idiots like van bommel with their dirty game and divings have ruined the name of holland.
but I think after coming so close, ... twice, ... and playing the most wonderful football in those 2 editions, they deserve to get the trophy. now, if it comes at the cost of playing pretty, so be it. the trophy is more important. afterall they ARE the greatest team that never won the trophy.

but shd sunday come and we see spain lift the cup, I'd still be extremely happy. to see forward looking and positive football prevail over the moronic defensive minded football like those of paraguay, italy, portugal, ... etc

btw, shd spain score first, I'm afraid holland will be pretty much done. cause of demise: "Death by a 1000 passes"

================

I'm surprised nobody made any mention of how clean and sporting yesterday's game was. it was an absolute delight to see high technical quality, but hardly any rough tackling or unsporting behavior. players went about their business cleanly and honorably.
this game was a massive credit to football.

in fact it took nothing less than 26 minutes for us to see a foul committed. and I think the game had only one yellow (or did it?) near the end.
an absolute delight for ANY football or even sports fan

thank you germany and spain for this gift

[Paradigm]

Yes this was the opposite to that Holland-Portugal quarter final match in 2006 where the players received 16 yellow and 4 red cards (if I counted correctly!) By the way Dr Doom, who is that guy in your avatar?

[maij]

Nice analysis and I hasten to say that I agree MOSTLY.

Spain lacked championship pedigree for decades , despite having the highest standard of league football, the most expensive players , the richest clubs and a galaxy of talented stars. However , their European success and lifting of the trophy could be the catalyst for change in this undoubtedly talented team.

If we want to talk about champions , it is teams like Brazil , Italy , Germany and Argentine that comes to mind. Others like Spain , England and Holland are not in the same league of championship pedigree. It is not enough to have talent and play beautiful football. Winning the World Cup requires that extra yard.

Spain and Holland might turn the World Cup table upside down in South Africa. Two equally powerful and entertaining teams.

Forget all that jazz...How about Maij's power of assumption...huh...


If I only put some money on those two , I would have been a rich man...and bought every memebr of football plus a Vespa