iSporter Praneet Mhatre analyses the performances of Spain and Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup 2010 final. With two of the best football playing each other at the biggest stage of them all, the World expected a great game of football but it wasn't meant to be that way, read on for more of Praneet's view on the game.
Football took a back seat on Sunday night (save the brilliance of the likes of Iniesta and Casillas, who played their heart out). Perhaps it was the magnitude of the occasion. It might even have been the recent triumph of 'effective' football over Joga Bonito. Whatever the reason, Sunday night's final was hardly the spectacle that about 700 million fans around the world had expected to witness on the day that is supposed to celebrate the best of world Football. Spain weren't at their fluent best and the Netherlands' game play was a complete antithesis of Total Football - the style that prompted so many Football fans to go Oranje this time. Having said all this, let's not deny any credit to the men who fought their way to the finals, although going slightly overboard in the end.
The game itself was not bad by any means; in fact, far from it. There were many glorious chances created and some splendidly saved by both goalkeepers. Most notably by the Spanish skipper who erased all doubts regarding who the best goalkeeper in the world is. Saint Iker's outstretched right foot miraculously stopping Robben's cleanest chance on the night will forever be a part of the highlight reels of the future. His Dutch counterpart Maarten Stekelenburg also played his part, denying Sergio Ramos a well deserved opener in the 5th minute of the game.
Spain were clearly the better side in the first period. The Netherlands, however, came back strongly in the second half. Arjen Robben was the most dangerous player on the field, beating defenders for fun and asking Casillas a lot of questions. But the other Dutchman, who has had a dream run in this campaign, was struggling to make an impact. Wesley Sneijder was unable to match Xavi and Iniesta's impeccable ball distribution. In a nutshell, the Dutch had Robben to thank for almost all of their significant attacks.
With both teams failing to take their chances in regular time, they had 30 more minutes to show if they had an extra gear. Both teams had ample opportunities to break the deadlock, but in the end it was Andres Iniesta who showed the composure that was lacking in all the previous attempts on the night. The scenes that followed the goal were more dramatic than the goal itself! Iniesta was understandably ecstatic, Casillas couldn't hold it in and broke down with still time left to play, the Dutch ganged up around the referee, instead of picking up the ball and making the most of whatever time was left. The most significant reaction, however, was that of the Spanish coach. Vicente del Bosque finally showed a sign of emotion, indicating that even he was confident that the Dutch didn't have it in them to come back from that point.
The analysis of this game would be incomplete without broaching the subject of Howard Webb's refereeing on the night. Contrary to what is being said, I actually felt that he had a good game. He may have shown a record 14 cards in the game that ironically got underway with the blessings of one of noblest souls in the world - Nelson Mandela! But the players made it almost impossible for the referee to control the game. Webb tried showing restraint in the beginning - letting Nigel De Jong get away with a horrendous kick to Xabi Alonso's chest. But things only got worse as the game progressed. The Dutch seemed to have adopted an ugly strategy, with Mark van Bommel being the most disgusting of all offenders - such a shame that a veteran of world class ability should resort to this in probably the biggest game of his life. Coming back to the refereeing, the fact that the game's result was decided by the players themselves, and not by a refereeing error means that Webb had a satisfactory game.
The greater concern, however, is trying to figure what caused this game to go the way it went. Spain's justification would probably lie in their opening game defeat. Having been put on the back foot at the very beginning, they had to cautiously crawl their way back. And when they saw the strategy working, there was no reason to play any other way. Moreover, even this style of play demands a lot from the players, and the team deserves credit for executing the coach's strategy to perfection. The Netherlands had been pretty impressive too, before the finals. But they got it all wrong in the decider. Most players were playing with the intention to negate everything that the Spanish threw at them. And if it hadn't been for Robben's scintillating runs, their overall performance on the night would have looked a lot worse.
All said and done, Sunday night sparked unprecedented celebrations in Spain - a much needed respite for a country writhing in the agony of economic depression and unemployment. The game may not have been the best manifestation of Football, but the joyous scenes back in Spain once again confirmed Football's status of being a lot more than just a sport. And Vicente del Bosque's army cannot be praised enough for doing that. Every historical statistic was against them. But they emerged on top and became World Champions for the first time in their history. As a Spanish fan, I am simply proud of this golden generation of footballers.
Viva Espana!!
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... Good review.. Agree that Webb had a good game and the harsh criticism is uncalled for. |
a guest
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... I think Webb tried his best to get the game going and did not want to send off a bunch of people and ruin a final. But one team did not want to play football and identifying the weakness of Webb's position they tried to get away with blatant abuse of his leniency. May be if he had sent off a Dutchman in the first instance the game would have calmed down, but maybe not. There is only so much a referee can do to control a game and stop it from becoming a farce, if one or both teams do not want to follow the rules. FIFA should have rules in place where teams which receive more than 5 yellow cards in the game are penalised both during and after the game. Something like that captain sitting out for 15 minutes. |
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