World Cup 2010 Final Spain the Champion

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Oranje face up to bitter defeat

(FIFA.com) Monday 12 July 2010
Unbeaten in 25 matches and on a 14-game winning streak, the Netherlands went into the FIFA World Cup™ Final boasting two formidable records. They were proud figures, but both sequences came to a shuddering halt as the Oranje were undone by Spain's breakthrough goal deep into extra time in Soccer City.

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Defeat was especially harsh on the Dutch who must face up to their third loss in a FIFA World Cup Final™, the 1974 and 1978 showpieces also having passed the Oranje by. Despite the heartache, coach Bert van Marwijk had to admit that Spain deserved to win the encounter. "Spain had more chances, but with a little bit more luck we would've won it," said Van Marwijk. "We had our chances, but [Iker] Casillas made the difference," added centre-back John Heitinga, no doubt recalling Arjen Robben's two chances to beat the Real Madrid goalkeeper in one-on-ones.

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We did all we could to become champions. We can be proud of the distance we've travelled and what we've done.Arjen Robben "They had more chances than us,” Netherlands goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg told FIFA, but that being the case, the match remained tight enough for both sides to believe they could have emerged triumphant. "After two Finals ending in defeat, we really wanted to go all the way this time and go down in history," said Stekelenburg. "We came here with that ambition. To lose like this is difficult."

                                                                                                      SI.comNo regrets
The Ajax No1 nonetheless admitted that he was never convinced the match would go to spot-kicks. "I wasn't thinking about penalties yet because I really had to concentrate on what was happening on the pitch," he said. "I felt that Spain applied a lot more pressure from the start of extra time."
Andres Iniesta capped that pressure by finding the net with a shot into the far corner four minutes from time. "I honestly thought that going to penalties would have left us with a huge chance of winning the World Cup," said Heitinga, who was sent off after 109 minutes after earning a second yellow for a foul on the Spanish scorer. "The goal we conceded was very hard to swallow."
With so little to choose between the teams, it was tough for the Oranje players to find anything positive to say after the whistle. "The team can't blame themselves," said Robben. "We did all we could to become champions. We can be proud of the distance we've travelled and what we've done." Team captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst added at the end of his final outing that he was "proud to belong to this team despite this failure". He and his colleagues will now have to travel home empty-handed, with thoughts of what could have been sure to linger for a number of years to come.

World Cup final matchups: Netherlands vs Spain

BARRY WILNER, AP
JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- Matchups for Sunday's World Cup final between the Netherlands and Spain at Soccer City:
When the Netherlands has the ball
Possession, possession, possession.

The Dutch like to build their attack from the back, meaning the far back: goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg often begins the buildup with passes to his defenders. Captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst scored the first goal against Uruguay in the semifinals, but he's rarely involved in the offense. Instead, the idea is to get the ball from the back line to creative midfielders Wesley Sneijder, Mark van Bommel, Rafael van der Vaart and Nigel de Jong, who was suspended for the semifinals.

They, in turn, probe defenses while allowing Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Dirk Kuyt to making darting runs outside and, often in the case of Van Persie, to the inside. Sneijder usually is the man in control of the ball and distributing it to the forwards.

But Sneijder certainly can finish, and his five goals tie him for the World Cup lead. He's also adept at free kicks, as is Robben. Watch for Robben to do everything he can to get the ball on his left foot in space, particularly at the edge of the penalty area. And watch the frenetic Kuyt, who pops up all over the attacking zone.

The deep Dutch offense will test Spain's outstanding defenders, forcing them to close down quickly as the Netherlands gets close to the box. Outside halfbacks Joan Capdevila and Sergio Ramos will be very busy.

When Spain has the ball

Possession, possession ... you get the idea.

No team in the world passes better than Spain. Its game is based on precision, and like the Dutch, the Spaniards often get keeper Iker Casillas to initiate with passes to his defenders. But he's also more likely to play a long goal kick toward midfielders Xavi Hernandez, Xabi Alonso and Andres Iniesta, or even to strikers David Villa or Fernando Torres if he starts. Torres has struggled to recover from knee surgery and barely played in the semifinal win over Germany.

Villa is Spain's best finisher, and is tied with Sneijder for top scorer in the tournament. His quick bursts get him into open areas, and he's accurate with either foot.

Villa also is a sparkplug, the most exciting performer on a squad filled with artistic players such as Xavi, Iniesta and Alonso.
Spain's only goal against Germany, despite dominating the match, came on a set piece, and Xavi is masterful on corner kicks and free kicks. Watch for the taller Spaniards such as defender Gerard Pique and midfielder Sergio Busquets in front of the net on corner kicks, although it was the shorter Carles Puyol who powered in a header off Xavi's corner kick for the winner in the semifinals.
The Netherlands has been criticized for being slow on defense. If that's true, Van Bronckhorst, Gregory van der Wiel, John Heitinga and Joris Mathijsen could be under siege.
Goalkeeping

Casillas is among the world's best keepers and has been for years, earning him the nickname San Iker in Spain. He's particularly masterful cutting down angles on shooters, and he made two huge saves late in the semifinals after Uruguay pulled within 3-2. As Spain's captain, he obviously has leadership skills, and he's among the most popular players on the team. This is his third World Cup.
For Stekelenburg, it's his first. He's been a tad inconsistent and let in a shot by Diego Forlan against Uruguay that perhaps he should have stopped with his arms. But Forlan regularly scores on lots of keepers.
Stekelenburg will be the tallest player on the field and he might need every bit of it to handle the sharp shots the Spaniards can send his way. He is new to this level of competition and generally has handled himself well. He also has not faced an attack like this.

Coaching

Bert van Marwijk's biggest accomplishment might be meshing a variety of big names with various styles into a Clockwork Oranje. This is a more patient Dutch team than most, and it doesn't panic and change its style of play when it falls behind. The most impressive performance thus far came when the Netherlands rallied to beat Brazil in the quarterfinals. The Dutch stuck to their game plan, a testament to how prepared van Marwijk has them.

Vicente del Bosque has been considered something of a caretaker for Spain; Luis Aragones put together the squad that he guided to the 2008 European Championship.

Del Bosque made a few adjustments when he replaced Aragones, particularly in the midfield, where he opted for Busquets' more defensive style instead of Cesc Fabregras. Generally, he has stayed out of the way and let his group's talent and on-field leadership carry it. Showing faith in his players even after a weak start to the tournament in a 1-0 loss to Switzerland was his best move.

Intangibles

Now is the time for both teams, whose key performers are in their primes.

The Dutch have won zero World Cups. Spain has won the same number. So the incentive is massive to erase previous failings, particularly for the Netherlands, which lost the 1974 and '78 finals to West Germany and Argentina. Spain has had an even more checkered history, wasting just as much talent with weak showings at major events.

The Netherlands likely will have more fan support at the final in Soccer City, which just happens to have orange seats for those who believe in omens.

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Octopus Paul predicts Spain to win World Cup

BERLIN (Reuters) -- Germany's oracle octopus Paul picked Spain to beat the Netherlands in the World Cup final on Sunday in a live television broadcast watched across Europe.

The two-year-old celebrity octopus, who has accurately picked the outcome of all six of Germany's World Cup matches so far, quickly tipped Spain to beat the Netherlands. It took him only three minutes to make up his mind.
"That was fast -- it looks like a clear-cut victory for Spain," said Tanja Munzig, spokeswoman for Sea Life in Oberhausen. She was surprised by his speed in picking Spain. For some matches it took Paul 70 minutes to decide.
The octopus, considered by some to be the most intelligent of all invertebrates, got the choice of picking food from two different transparent containers lowered into his tank -- one with a Dutch flag on it and one with Spain's flag.
Reaction in Spain was swift, with the country's biggest selling sports daily website Marca.com running the headline: "The octopus Paul makes us champions".
The container Paul opens first is regarded as his pick. On Friday he wasted no time in diving for the container on the right side with the Spanish flag on it.
Two German television networks interrupted their programming for live coverage of the two-year-old celebrity octopus's picks. Networks in Spain, the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe also broadcast Paul's decision live.
Earlier on Friday, Germans heaved a sigh of relief when Paul tipped Germany to beat Uruguay in the World Cup match for third place. There were cheers in offices across Germany after crowds of viewers tuned in to watch Paul live.
Normally he only picks Germany matches. But for the final Sea Life made an exception.
The octopus in Oberhausen turned into a global celebrity for correctly picking the winners of all six of Germany's World Cup matches -- including their two defeats to Serbia and Spain.
On Friday Paul first settled on top of the Germany container but after a few minutes shifted to the Uruguay container. Then after about 15 minutes he went back to Germany container, quickly opened the lid and ate the morsel of food inside.
Not an ordinarily superstitious people, Germans have become believers in Paul's possible psychic powers. The country was shocked and distraught when he picked Spain to beat Germany after tipping German wins over Argentina, England, Ghana and Australia.
Paul's selections have become top news across Germany and around the world. Some commentators even wondered aloud whether his improbable winning streak might have begun to influence some of the more superstitious players.
But after Paul accurately picked Spain to beat Germany in the semi-final, some Germans called for a public roasting of the oracle octopus. Newspapers and websites were filled with suggestions on how to cook and eat him.
Officials at Sea Life in Oberhausen have installed extra security to protect their octopus.
"Paul is in safe hands with us," said Munzig.
Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was quoted in Spanish media reports saying -- in jest -- he was concerned about Paul's safety.
"I am concerned for the octopus...I am thinking of sending him a protective team," Zapatero said.
Spain's Environment and Fisheries Minister Elena Espinosa also said: "On Monday I shall be at the European Council of Ministers and I shall be asking for a (fishing) ban on Paul the octopus so Germans do not eat him."

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/soccer/world-cup-2010/07/09/paul.octopus/index.html#ixzz0tBpORei1

Photo: AFP

Fernandes Switzerland 1 Fernando Spain 0

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 16: Goalscorer Gelson Fernandes of Switzerland celebrates victory after the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group H match between Spain and Switzerland at Durban Stadium on June 16, 2010 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 16: Fernando Torres of Spain looks dejected after defeat in the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group H match between Spain and Switzerland at Durban Stadium on June 16, 2010 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Swiss shock favorites Spain in Durban

Reuters - 53 minutes ago
By Nick Mulvenney
DURBAN (Reuters) - Switzerland pulled off the biggest shock of this World Cup when they beat European champions Spain 1-0 in Group H on Wednesday, their first ever victory over their opponents in 19 games.

Gelson Fernandes' goal after a mix up in the Spanish defense gave the Swiss a shock 52nd minute lead and Spain, for all their talent and guile, were unable to find a way through the massed ranks of white Switzerland shirts.

"We tried in an orthodox way and in an heroic way but we were not able to score. It wasn't our day. We dominated almost all the match," Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said.

"This defeat means that we have to win the other two (group) matches," he added.

The Swiss, who have now not conceded a goal in the World Cup since a 3-0 defeat to Spain in 1994, share the lead in Group H with Chile, who beat Honduras 1-0 earlier on Wednesday.

After a forgettable first half, the Swiss looked like spending another 45 minutes defending for their lives until goalkeeper Diego Benaglio's long punt caused chaos in the Spanish defense.

Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas clashed with Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok and Gerard Pique was unable to stop the ball falling to Fernandes, who clipped the ball into an empty net.

The defeat ended a run of 12 straight victories for the Spanish, who had qualified for the World Cup with a 100 percent record and were many pundits' favorites to win the tournament.

The European champions enjoyed a near monopoly of possession for much of the game but were unable to convert the chances they created.

Del Bosque, who had started the match with David Villa as a lone striker, brought Fernando Torres and Jesus Navas on after the goal to try and rescue the game but they were unable to find a way through.

Xabi Alonso hit the underside of the bar with a fine strike in the 70th minute, Navas shot lamely Benaglio when through on goal about a minute later, and Pique squandered another chance on the next Spanish attack.

Derdiyok, playing in place of his injured captain Alex Frei, then jinked his way through the defense to almost double the Swiss lead but, to the relief of the Spanish, his shot came bouncing back off the post.

Torres had a couple more openings in the dying minutes of the game but failed to exploit them and, after five minutes of added time, the Swiss were able to celebrate a famous victory.

(Editing by Nigel Hunt)

Johan Cruyff: Winning The World Cup Will Be 'Impossible' For England Under Fabio Capello

Goal.com - 6 hours ago
Holland legend Johan Cruyff believes that England cannot win the World Cup under Fabio Capello, citing that the way the Three Lions play is too similar to Italy as they are 'only interested in the result'.

The former Barcelona star believes that the influx of Italian managers like Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea, Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini and Capello has affected football in England.

"With Capello on the bench, all the world knows how England will play. It's a curious situation in England,” Cruyff told The Mirror.

"The Italian coaches are influencing the philosophy. There are the examples of Ancelotti, Mancini and Capello.

"England now have many similarities to Italy. The mentality has changed and now they are only interested in the result.

"After the failure in Germany is 2006, now England needs a great spectacle but that is impossible with Capello as coach."

This is not the first time that the Dutchman has criticised Capello and his attack on the Three Lions boss is one of the few that he has faced since becoming England manager.

Cruyff believes that Spain, Argentina and Brazil are the three teams that will be the favourites to win in South Africa, but he is not as optimistic about Holland’s chances.

"If Spain can show their quality on the pitch then they can aspire to great success. But they must improve with each game without suffering from growing pressure.

"They must show the same pride and quality that they did at Euro 2008 to win the World Cup.

"It would be unfair for Argentina just to rely on Lionel Messi. Their system and team must be strong and they must make changes when necessary to make sure his work is not lost.

"Brazil have incredible talent and they are different now. Now they have a big keeper, a good defence and a more European style. They can be more negative. For me now, Spain is the Brazil in this World Cup.

"Holland has some good players but the stars don't play in Holland. Without playing in Holland, it's impossible for the team to improve long term."

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