World Cup 2010 - Day 31 - World Cup Final

Sunday the 11th July 2010

Weight 13st 7lbs (see good fighting weight for the final)

Well the time has come, and the Dutch lock horns with the Spanish, to see who can be crowned the World Champions, as neither have won before, either one of them will become the 8th team to win this trophy.

Time will tell, and a match I'm looking forward too, and even without the beer, so much a part of my early World Cup Campaign, it still should be a good match, I just hope we get an early goal to make the teams play.

I write this a week after the final, and well it really didn't deserve a write up in the way the Dutch went to spoil it and then cried foul.

The Dutch prior to this match had won 14 competitive matches on the spin, 8 in qualifying and then 6 in World Cup. & to put it mildly were getting battered in the first 15 minutes of the final, so they changed tactics and well the rest is History.

Spain dominated the match, they played skillful and attacking football, the Dutch just tried to kick Spain off the park....

Spain finally won with a goal in the 116th minute from Iniesta a finally taken goal that got Spain their just deserves.

The Dutch after the match blamed the Referee, Howard Webb, who could have easily had the Dutch down to 9 by Half time, but being a good ref tried not ruin the match, he did send 1 Dutch player off (Heitinga) for about his 4th or 5th bad foul.

The match will be remembered for the awful way the Dutch played and how good the Spanish did.

As we sign off for the World Cup for another 4 years, looking back @ this World Cup it's been a mixed World Cup for FIFA, the positives are the crowd and people who attended the matches, the Stadiums, atmosphere and the fact Spain were worthy champions. On the flip side we had, negative football, empty seats, a dodgy ball, irritating stadium noises and some real poor teams in:

England
France
Italy
Greece & finally
England (yes they were that bad I had to mention it twice).

Here's to Brazil 2014, I hope they work with Adidas to sort out the football, and the ticket pricing to allow more people to watch the matches, time will tell.

World Cup 2010 - Day 30

Saturday 10th July

I did weigh myself this morning and it's 13st 8lbs.
0 Cans of Beer in the House and have now gone 6 days without beer.

So the 3rd & 4th Place match, with Germany vrs Uruguay, now these are strange matches, and you never know what your going to get. Countries has asked for this match to be cancelled as some see as worthless, but you do need to know who finished 3rd, as it all stems back when the World Cup was played a little like a Olympic sport.

This was in the end a good game, with the German's winning it late on 3-2 after being pegged back to 2-2, Forlan could have evened it up @ the end but hit the bar with his free kick and the last kick of the game.

2 good teams who signed off with good World Cups, and Germany finishing 3rd & Uruguay 4th.

In hindnsight, if only this had been the final?

World Cup 2010 - Day 27

Wednesday 7th July

Weight still unknown.

The 2nd of the Semi Finals, and a European giants class of Germany vrs Spain. The Germans looking to make it to a consecutive final, and their umpteenth successful World Cup Campaign. Spain with this being their first ever World Cup Semi Final, of course they are looking to make it their 1st ever World Cup Final, and it would build on their 2008 European success.

A mouthwatering tie, 0-0 all over it again maybe?

I wasn't too far away, Spain ground out a 1-0 result against a young and future proof German team. It was Spain's 3rd 1-0 result on the spin, but they should have won this match 3 or 4-0, but it was a 'flying through the air with the greatest of ease' Puyol header from a corner that won it for Spain.

Spain have looked shaky from the start, but have built on this, and you can see them adding to their 2008 success. Time will tell against the Dutch, but we will have a new name on the base of the Jules Rimet Trophy, and for the first time a team from Europe will win outside of Europe.

The German's who'll sign off against Uruguay to see if they can get 3rd as they did in 2006, look like they will be a force for 2014 & even 2018, they are young and look that good. If only England could learn from the 4 teams in the Semi-Finals?

World Cup 2010 - Day 26

Tuesday 6th July

Weight unknown - It was a few days ago I'm catching up but around 13.8

The first of the Semi Finals, and what a cracker, Holland vrs Uruguay & it didn't disappoint.

& it didn't, the Dutch winning with some fantastic football 3-2, they went in 1-1 at half time with a cagey affair, but then in 2nd half Holland stepped on the gas and show some 'Total Football'. They say they have left that back in the 70's but I'm not too sure, they opened up a 3-1 lead with well worked and skillful taken goals by Sneijder & Robben, Pereira pulled back a late goal, but it was just a match too far for Uruguay, who have been a real good surprise team of the World Cup.

We saw the Dutch reel off winning their 14th competitive match on the spin, they look a good team, and deserve to be in the final.

World Cup 2010 - Day 23

Saturday 3rd July

13st 8lbs
0 beer (How am I doing it?)

The Quarter Final's continue & today sees what hopefully are the World Cup showing it's class?

Match 59 - Argentina vrs Germany, could this be the match that provides the eventual winner, Argentina with it's vast amount of talent, or the the efficient young German team. & what a thumping this was, 4-0 to the Germans they started well with Muller getting the 1st within the first 4 minutes, after that it was all Germany. 3 more goals 2 from Klose and the 3rd by Friedrich completly surprise all the pundits, and left South American football in a sorry state after such a good strong showing the Quarters.

Match 60 - Spain vrs Paraguay, I just hope this isn't a dull 1-0 win to Spain with that David Villa scoring the only goal, he's starting a few trends here? A dull match and I was glad to be at a friends BBQ, Villa scored late on to knock the 3rd South American team of 4 out of the Quarters, Europe again are looking strong. Spain look good, their first ever Semi-Final could they make it all the way to the final in an all European battle for the final?

World Cup 2010 - Day 22

Friday 2nd July

13st 8lbs (I've only eaten sandwiches)
0 beer (How am I doing it?

As we enter a new month, the Quarter Final start, and today sees what hopefully won't be drab 0-0 draws going to penalties?

Match 57 - Brazil vrs Holland, should be a game to show Football @ it's highest, 2 teams that show football @ a technical & skill level how to play the game, of course then it's got 0-0 written all over it. & so we actually had a decent match, with the Brazilian's going 1-0 up and easily beating the Dutch. Then and a big 'then' the Dutch put in a cross by that Sneijder bloke, the Brazilian Goalkeeper has a flap and next you know, the Dutch are back in it. 15 minutes later Sneijder makes it 2-1 and the entire Brazilian team are flapping, Melo gets sent off for stamping, and the Dutch in the end win it easy and one of the favourites bow out.

Match 58 - Uruguay vrs Ghana, my dark horse for the World Cup are Forlan's Uruguay, they should beat the young Ghana team, but this has been a strange World Cup, let's see who are our first Semi Finalists? Probably one of the best matches for suspense. Ghana went in 1-0 up at half time with the last kick of the game, Muntari just letting 1 fly from 35 yards out. The second half Folan scored a cracking freekick to level it up. It stayed that way until the 119th minute of the game when Suarez saved a sure goal ala Goalkeeping style, he got sent off for his troubles and Gyan missed the Penalty & so to a Penalty shoot out.

Uruguay won the Penalty shoot out easily 4-2 with the Ghana players not dealing with the pressure and a Semi-Final with the Dutch.

World Cup 2010 - Day 21

Thursday 1st July

13st 7lbs (not bad)
Of course 0 beer

As we enter a new month, the Quarter Final start, and today sees what hopefully won't be drab 0-0 draws going to penalties?

Match 57 - Brazil vrs Holland

Match 58 - Uruguay vrs Ghana

Well daft me, I took my World Cup wallchart down after the joke that was England. So ran downstairs @ 2:55pm to put on the match to find Tennis on, then realised the match was Friday instead, Doh!