FIFA World Cup 2010

Win at all costs. Why would or should, for instance, Paraguay try and out pass and attack Spain? Are we saying that the way Spain play is the only style acceptable or deserving of reward? Everyone needs to be able to adapt to any given game, not just the underdogs but also the teams beloved to the neutral. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying 'negative tactics' are something to be overly romanticised about and teams like Greece took it to truly new levels of tedium but ultimately a rear guard century from Shivnarine Chanderpaul is worth just as much as a majestic one from Ricky Ponting. I support Aston Villa and when Sir Graham Taylor returned as manager few years ago, he attempted to make us play attacking, exciting football. It didn't work because the players simply didn't justify such tactics. Now under Martin, we have players that suit width and high tempo passing, making us more attacking and adventurous than any Villa team in years. Use what you have accordingly.

As you can see, negative tactics don't sit well with me, but I'm definitely not denying that parking the bus is a legitimate way to play as there is no correct way to play, strictly speaking. Also, I understand the need for smaller clubs/nations to get the maximum return from the resources they have and that not every team has the luxury of playing the way Spain does, hence the importance of tactics and micromanagement in the modern era, yada yada yada. I guess my rant really stems from the frustration of constantly putting up with people not acknowledging the so-called "boring" style they play is largely imposed by teams that pack the box and defend like crazy. Why do Spain seem to get so much of the blame? Sometimes, it seems like Spain are expected to cut through defenses like a hot knife through butter and win by at least 3000 goals every game and if they don't achieve this they are somehow not doing their job <_<

As I suggested a few posts ago, the kind of ridiculous rhetoric you speak of is usually directed at the bigger named teams, ones with so called blue printed styles of play, of which they're expected to adhere to by the media and quite often the insatiable public, too. Sometimes within this whinging there are genuinely valid points but a lot of it stems from nothing more than lazy punditry and or unrealistic demands.

Spain has been faced with 8-9 men behind the ball nearly every game (not counting Honduras and Chile), no team in the world will score four or five goals against an opponent who uses such ultra-defensive strategies. I admire them for their patience and the way they kept their composure even when the goal did not come immediately.

Brazil created their own downfall. They were woefully unequipped to fight back from a deficit. That's what happens when your only true creative force up front just came off a woefully bad season with his club and your midfield is otherwise packed with defensive-minded destroyers and a guy who plays as a rightback for his club.

Holland, who employed slightly similar tactics, at least have Robben and Sneijder who can create something out of nothing and have the likes of Van Der Vaart and Elia to throw on when they really need a goal. Brazil was - shockingly - done the moment Holland scored the 2-1.

Fred: no one has the moral obligation to play an open game against the Spanish, but then the public cannot expect Spain to score three or four goals every game either. Any team that packs the area around their own goal with 8-9 players will asphyxiate the opponents attackers, no matter how talented they are and in how many numbers they attack. The passing lanes are near nonexistent in such tight spaces. There were times where I saw 15-16 players on a patch of 25 m

One advantage Spain might have: They played three of their six games so far at altitude. Holland only one out of six. The final is played at altitude.

Question for Michael: what's going on between Guy Mowbray and Lawro? Every game they commentate on together has the uneasy tension of a soap opera wedding. And its only getting worse! I genuinely thought Mowbray was going to tell him to

fuck off

during the Germany-Spain game.

I noticed that too. At around the 70-minute mark of Germany/Spain, there was an incredibly frosty exchange after which I thought Lawro had legitimately upped and left. By the time Mark spoke up again a full ten minutes later (to deliver one of his customary excruciating puns, naturally), it was starting to make for slightly uncomfortable listening.

Fingers crossed for an on-air punch up mid-final! :lullaby:

Brazil created their own downfall. They were woefully unequipped to fight back from a deficit.

That's actually been the most disappointing aspect of this tournament for me. If I'm not mistaken, Brazil-Holland was the one and only time in the finals that someone has managed to win from a losing position. Thrilling fightbacks, like Turkey managed on a couple of occasions at Euro 2008, and shifts in momentum are sadly lacking, with games turning on single incidents and not leveling out.

The game that stands out in my mind is Spain/Portugal. Portugal were set up to stifle Spain, which is fine, but the moment they conceded, the game was over. Their gameplan was out the window, but they simply didn't know any other way to play, and what looked like a lack of urgency was in fact a total lack of tactical flexibility.

P.S.: I now I tend to come a little over-the-top, when sharing my opinions, but hopefully you don't take anything I said personal. Just trying to add to conversation, really.

Cheers Mike.

Not a problem eNe, conversation is what this place is all about.

Admittedly, Spain haven't been as pleasing to the eye this year. Adding Busquets to the mix with Alonso already out there seems to have cramped their style somewhat, and I believe Del Bosque has come under fire for being needlessly defensive. Perhaps rightly so - from a purist's point of view, you don't need a ball winner in the midfield when you never lose possession. The pure neutral enjoyment has been stifled slightly, and the relentless measured passing can get a little frustrating when not accompanied by goals, but if their build-up play had been matched with ruthless finishing, no-one would have any hesitation in calling Spain worthy World Cup winners.

Congrats to the Germans 3:2 against Uruguay.

I'm happy, although Germany didn't make it to the finals. They still played a great tournament. Well done

Congrats to the Germans 3:2 against Uruguay.

I'm happy, although Germany didn't make it to the finals. They still played a great tournament. Well done

I figured the semi-finals were fairly probable but the team has still surpassed my expectations in so many ways. As far as I'm concerned anyone who says they had Thomas Müller pegged as one of the players to watch over the tournament is either a liar or related to Thomas Müller. I mean I thought he'd be worth bringing on with fifteen minutes to go to inject a bit of raw pace but that was about it. Then there's Schweini playing the Ballack role with such maturity, the centre halves being pretty damn commanding, Khedira covering every possible blade of grass, Özil's composure at all times and the tenacity of Captain Lahm. Loew must stay, how can leave such a deliciously poised project?

Anyway, it was a wonderful game tonight. Uruguay are just great, a credit to the tournament. Forlan, you magnificent beast.

who do you go to? i go to holland.

NGL, I almost fainted when Spain scored. Also, I love you, Paul.

Pffff that was the finale? Yesterday's match was so much better.

I officially refuse to think of Spain as the official world champion, despite the result what some animals and sport commentators think

Pffff that was the finale? Yesterday's match was so much better.

I officially refuse to think of Spain as the official world champion, despite the result what some animals and sport commentators think

yea screw what FIFA says about who is champion

Pffff that was the finale? Yesterday's match was so much better.

I officially refuse to think of Spain as the official world champion, despite the result what some animals and sport commentators think

Yes, and our friendly 1 month ago precisely against Poland where we won 6-0 was even much more fun than Germany-Uruguay yesterday.

A final is always a final, and a 3rd-4th place game is completely different, it is almost a friendly for both teams.

If the final had been Germany-Uruguay and the 3rd-4th place Netherlands-Spain then it would have been the other way around.

And you can thank the Netherlands for the boring game by the way, the most stingy Dutch team in years, no mechanical football that always characterized them at all, and really hard play and tough faults during all the game instead, I even saw some karate there... and the ref worse than awful allowing all that.

But we won, WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS.

Conglaturations Spaniards! What does it feel like to have a competent football team?

I realize I spelt congratulations wrong, sounds cooler that way.

well this suck, spain won. i guess the octopus was right.

The dutch can be hired by Shaw Brothers

and congrats to Barcelona Spain

¡¡¡ESPAÑA CAMPEONA DEL MUNDO!!!

CONGRATS TO SPAIN YOU ARE THE BEST I LOVE YOU BOYS ESPANA WORLD CHAMPION 2010 THEY JUST MADE ME SO HAPPY I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS DAY

What's this, a "highly respected" baldy English referee called Howard Webb failing to recognise the difference between a yellow and red card? In a final, you say? Can't quite think where I may have seen that before. Hmm, let me think...hmm....hmm...HMMM...OH YEAH.