Beautiful Game at its ugliest in UFC-like final

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/07/2010 (5931 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Beautiful Game it most certainly wasn’t. With a combined 13 bookings and more whistles than Larissa Riquelme gets at a construction site, Sunday’s World Cup final did little to enhance soccer’s global reputation, although it may have won over a few from the crowd who typically watch UFC. Not exactly what you’d expect from a match between Spain and the Netherlands — two nations that pride themselves on playing soccer the "right way."

Johan Cruyff, Johnny Repp and Johan Neeskens must have been pulling their hair out, if they bothered to watch. Under head coach Rinus Michels, the Dutch trio set the 1974 World Cup alight, narrowly losing the final to West Germany and heartening all who watched them with their silky, fluid brand of soccer.

The current Netherlands side was never going to replicate the "total football" of their forebears, and Cruyff was particularly critical of their pragmatic and often bullying style of play.

It seemed to work, however, as the Dutch advanced from round to round. It wasn’t pretty, and at times it was downright frustrating to both opponents and viewers, but there’s no arguing it was effective. And when they saw off Brazil and Uruguay to book a spot in the final, the game plan was clear: win at all costs. They very nearly did.

Total football, admired around the world as it was, had not delivered the World Cup, despite back-to-back runs to the final in 1974 and 1978. So instead of following Cruyff, Repp and Neeskens to another honorable defeat, the Dutch team of 2010 opted to dispatch a gang of thugs to trash the place and steal it.

What followed was the ugliest final in World Cup history — more a karate contest than a soccer game, and one Nigel de Jong excelled at. Just prior to the half-hour, he delivered a high kick to Xabi Alonso’s chest and was lucky to escape with a yellow card. Just six minutes earlier, referee Howard Webb had been equally lenient with Mark Van Bommel, who made a studs-up attack on Andres Iniesta.

Spain played their part in the tussle as well. Carlos Puyol found himself in the book after bringing down Arjen Robben in the 17th minute, and Sergio Ramos was cautioned for a particularly stern challenge on Dirk Kuyt in the 23rd.

Still, it was Spain who made the honest attempts — however futile — to actually play some soccer. When he managed to wriggle free of the midfield pileup, Xavi made the odd probing run. Jesus Navas — who replaced Pedro on the hour mark — embarked on a few dangerous runs from the right. David Villa had two or three half-chances.

But it wasn’t until extra time, and the spectre of penalties, that things finally settled down. Dutch defender Joris Matijsen came close with a header, and Navas’s shot from the edge of the box nearly trickled into the net after a deflection.

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Then, a final moment of madness. With 11 minutes remaining in extra time, John Heitinga grabbed the tricky Iniesta from behind and was shown a second yellow card, reducing Holland to 10 men. It was an advantage Spain would not take for granted, even in this tightest of matches.

After some work by Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas in the 116th minute, the ball fell to Iniesta in scoring position. The Barcelona playmaker made no mistake, his drive tickling the fingers of the goalkeeper before going in at the far post.

It was a goal this match really didn’t deserve. But the fact that it happened — and that penalties didn’t — was a thankful bit of grace in the most ungracious of circumstances.

The Netherlands had tried to harass their way to the World Cup, and for most of the game the Spanish had been obliging, if not reluctant, combatants. But in the end, quality came through. In the end, justice.

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