'Anti-football'
The only thing that nearly everyone agrees on is that the best team won and maybe that is all that really matters in the end.
Let’s look at the referee and the two teams:
Howard Webb
There is no doubt that the referee had a very tough night. The reason he had a tough night was not because he is a bad referee necessarily, but because there was an awful lot going on. There were bad tackles, off the ball incidents, play acting, arguing and lots of waving of imaginary cards.
In fact, in amongst some admirable skill, effort and determination, the game produced just about every type of incident that I hate to see in a game of football.
Webb could and probably should have sent off De Jong and Van Bommel in the first half of the game. If he had, the game would have been ruined as a spectacle and he would no doubt have been blamed for that.
Every one of the fourteen yellow cards he brandished was deserved and, if anything, the criticism should be that there should have been more.
In the second half, again, he probably should have sent off Van Bommel and Iniesta. If he deemed the Puyol challenge on Robben as a foul when Robben was clean through then he should have gone as well. He had no choice but to dismiss Heitinga.
Both Sneijder and Van Persie also committed at least two bookable offences and could have gone.
Of the other controversial decisions, the awarding of a goal kick for Spain when the twice deflected free-kick should have led to a corner was a glaring error, but certainly not a major contributory factor to the Dutch defeat. Elia was not fouled and was just looking to try to get a free-kick and the winning goal was not at any stage offside.
It seems to me that the criticism of Howard Webb, of whom I am by no means the biggest fan, is a little unfair. His worst mistakes seem to have been giving a goal kick that should have been a corner and not sending off four Dutch players and two Spaniards. Would we really have wanted a final played nine against seven?
Holland
Twice before, in 1974 and 1978, Holland were losing finalists when they played some wonderful football and were most people’s favourites to win. This time, many people who wanted Holland to win changed their allegiance after a first forty-five minutes that saw them play orchestrated ‘anti-football’ in attempt to beat a superior team by fair means or foul.
Had the tactics have worked, and they nearly did, the people of Holland wouldn’t have cared a jot. However, they didn’t and I can’t help but feeling that the country that brought us ‘total football’ will feel a little embarrassed by what they tried to do.
For Holland to blame the referee for their defeat is beneath contempt. If Webb had refereed to the letter of the law the game would have been over for the Dutch inside half an hour. They owe him a debt of gratitude.
Spain
They are worthy champions but are they as good as everyone is saying? I suppose their European Championship and World Cup trophies suggest that they are.
They only conceded two goals in the whole tournament and they have won every game after the unfortunate defeat against Switzerland first time out. They have shown some wonderful passing and movement and in the semi-final, totally outplayed a German side that many people thought were the best side in the competition.
On the other hand, they scored very few goals, a vast majority of the passing was square or backwards, and they were not afraid to make the most of any contact from the opposition or do their best to get the referee to show yellow or red cards to them.
There is no doubt that at this time Spain are the best team in the World and deserve to be the World champions. I don’t think, however, that they deserve to be regarded as one of the best ever. They pass the ball beautifully and can be good to watch, but there is too much negative about them to make them one of the all time greats.
That’s my take on it anyway. What’s yours?
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