Can we stop Spain in the same way Mourinho eliminated Barça?"' Cruyff told El Periódico, in reference to the way Internazionale defended their way to a Champions League semi-final victory over Barcelona. 'I said no, no way at all. I said no, not because I hate this style – I said no because I thought that my country wouldn't dare to and would never renounce their style. I said no because, without having great players like those of the past, the team has its own style. I was wrong. Of course I'm not hanging all elven of them by the same rope, but almost. They didn't want the ball. And regrettably, sadly, they played very dirty. So much so that they should have been down to nine immediately, then they made two [such] ugly and hard tackles that even I felt the damage. It hurts me that I was wrong in my disagreement that instead Holland chose an ugly path to aim for the title. This ugly, vulgar, hard, hermetic, hardly eye-catching, hardly football style, yes it served the Dutch to unsettle Spain. If with this they got satisfaction, fine, but they ended up losing. They were playing anti-football.' Cruyff has also joined in with the criticism of the referee, Howard Webb, who has been heavily attacked for the way he managed last night's stormy game. Webb dished out fourteen yellow cards – including two to send off the Dutch defender John Heitinga – but Cruyff believes he could have been even firmer, and should have shown a red card for Nigel de Jong's karate kick to the chest of Xabi Alonso as well as handing a second booking to Arjen Robben for kicking the ball away. Cruyff added: 'When we say, often, that we do not like talking about referees, it is true and, above all, because only refereeing like that last night by the Englishman Howard Webb can create in us a state of such indignation that then, yes, it is necessary to comment. Because you can referee wrongly, make a mistake, but what you cannot do is create your own sense of justice and, even worse, invent a very personal application of the rules. Not only did he not send off two Dutchmen but he also looked the other way at times when he should have involved himself. A World Cup final deserves great refereeing and, above all, deserves a referee who dares to do everything it means to be a judge.'
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Lee Dixon then claimed that when he met Nelson Mandela and shook his hand sme years ago, 'shivers went down my spine.' I'd get that checked out by a doctor if I were, mate, it could be polio. The two Alans and Dicko were also, like Gary, besuited. And looked very nice. Clarence Seedorf, meanwhile, was wearing a bright orange replica kit and making no bones about whom he was supporting (he added a nice scarf at half time when it was clearly getting a bit chilly up on the gantry). I couldn't tell you what the shower on ITV were up to. I'd made my choice. In fact, they made it for me.
Take Wesley Sneijder out of their team and they don't have any other really great players.' I think Arjen Robben might have something to say about that, pal. But, you kind of knew what he meant. Garth did a superb interview with Rudi Krol who seemed terrifically confident. Jonathan Pearce produced a rather thoughtful little piece on changing Dutch attitudes to winning with, or without, style. But still the panel seemed to sniff at any vague suggestion that anyone other than Spain was going to walk this. 'I'm trying to build a case for the Netherlands to win the game and it's very difficult,' said Dixon. 'Spain are in such good form and their ability on the ball is unmatched. The Dutch do have match-winners in Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Robin van Persie, though - they'll need all three to turn it on for them to have a chance tonight.'
Kick the Spanish up a-height. And boy did they do that with some gusto. As for goals, they seemed to be waiting for Robben to have a moment of inspiration. One which never came. The game was niggly and littered with fouls. Howard Webb produced five yellow cards including two - for Van Bommel and De Jong - which might easily have been another colour. The latter's throat-high kung-fu-kick on Xabi Alonso had Lawrso producing the finest moment of the first half. 'I hope none of you are having your tea at home!' Guy Mowbray summed up the half thus: 'The game has lost its edge, lost its pace. The Netherlands have stopped Spain from dominating but they haven't taken control themselves. For me, the match is at a very iffy stage.' Two hopelessly missed chances just before the break at either end - from Mathijsen and Pedro - summed the half up even better.
The second half was better although only marginally - not that you'd believe it if you listened to miserable old Hansen at the climax. I was very disappointed with Hansen tonight I must say - and I normally like him a lot. I thought his attitude was a fucking disgrace. He's whinged all the way through the match and made his favouritism crystal clear and I hate one-sided whingers more than I hate the Nazis. The other three, at least, made a token gesture of a bit of balance, which was far more inclusive and more fitting with the occasion. Anyway, there were more yellow cards, Spain tried to pass the sodding ball to death and the Dutch had a great chance when Robben got through one-on-one with Casillas but the Dutchie's arse fell out. David Villa had an even better chance but his shot from six yards was charged down by Heitinga. Into injury time, with other options available, Sneijder - who had a total nightmare of a game throughout - tried an ambitious shot from near the half-way line. And almost - almost but not quite - hit the corner flag. Desperate. Truly desperate. But, nowhere near the worst World cup final ever. I mean, not even in the same league as 1990 or 94!
Still no goals. Lawrenson said he though this was the best period of the whole game and he was probably right. Iniesta missed. Time ticked onwards. Inevitably, with the number of cards that had been issued, you knew it wasn't going to end eleven-a-side and, sure enough, five minutes into the second half of extra time, Johnny Heitinga pulled back Iniesta on the edge of the box and took the long walk. Replays suggested the Spaniard had made a bit of a meal of it. A bit of a meal and desert and port and brandy afterwards. Then in the space of a couple of minutes, everything went wrong for the Dutch. A corner they should have had for a huge deflection, wasn't given, a foul against Elia wasn't given and, up at the other end immediately, the ball broke to Iniesta, who scored. Chaos ensued. Spain won - the better, more inventive side, undoubtedly. But, it was a rather downbeat and unfortunate end to a decent, but hardly vintage, tournament of some highs but more than a few lows.
Four years ago, Bastian Schweinsteiger scored a couple of belters in the equivalent game and he nearly did it again there - after his well-struck thirty-yard drive was blocked and spilled by Fernando Muslera, that man Thomas Mueller got in quick as a flash to coolly tap in from eight yards. Then, arguably Schweinsteiger's first mistake of the tournament cost an equaliser. He was dispossessed by a fine Perez tackle on halfway and suddenly Uruguay broke with pace as Luis Suarez fed Edinson Cavani on the inside left channel and he slipped the ball nonchalantly past the amusingly named Hans-Joerg Butt with his right foot.
Back came Ze Chermans, equally pleasing on the eye and with more raw power about them. I'm not sure Fernando Muslera's mind was properly on the game. He came for yet another cross, this time flung in from the right by new Manchester City signing Jerome Boateng, got nowhere near it - for about the third or fourth time - and was helpless as Marcell Jansen headed into an empty net. As noted, a blinder. A pointless blinder, admittedly, but a blinder none the less. Ten minutes from time a corner from the German right was headed into the six-yard box and after Lugano couldn't adjust his feet quickly enough to clear, the ball popped up to Sami Khedira who looped a header into the corner of the net. In the last minute, Suarez threw himself over and got a free-kick on the edge of the German box. Forlan hit the crossbar with the last kick of the game which would have earned him the golden boot, instead of just a share in it.
He correctly predicted all of Germany's World Cup games, including a shock defeat by Serbia in the group stages and the ousting by Spain on Wednesday. After that defeat, there were calls in Germany for Paul to be roasted with lemon juice and olive oil or turned into a plate of paella. But his owners said on Thursday that he is safe with them. 'If Paul gets it wrong tomorrow, nothing is going to happen to him, to him,' said Sea Life's Tanja Munzig. 'Paul has proven his mettle so far and there is nothing bad waiting for him round the corner if he gets it wrong. It could happen to anyone. Even an octopus can get it wrong!' His record is not perfect, anyway, say his owners. Paul got it wrong in about thirty per cent of Germany's games during the 2008 European Championship, including their loss to Spain in the final. However, Paul's might not have the final say. Pauline, a female octopus in Dutch captivity, has predicted victory for the Netherlands in Sunday's final. Maaike Schroeder, spokeswoman for the Sea Life aquarium in Scheveningen in The Hague, said: 'She chose the Netherlands.' However, Schroeder also conceded that this was four-year-old Pauline's first attempt at divination.
They say that Sapina bet millions of euros on fixed games and that many of those bets were placed by a company called Samvo, based just off the Hangar Lane Gyratory System in West London. Samvo promotes itself as a betting broker which places billions of pounds worth of bets each year on behalf of 'high-rollers' and 'professional betting syndicates.' German police papers seen by the BBC name a senior Samvo employee called Eric Ho as the man who placed bets on allegedly fixed games and then passed on the winnings, which were in the region of one hundred thousand Euros a game, to Ante Sapina and others. Mr Ho has not responded to repeated BBC requests to clarify what he knew the BBC News website states. The BBC also claims to have learned that Samvo was raided by City of London police and a German detective at the same time as Sapina was arrested in November 2009. The officers who were armed with a search warrant discovered that over a million pounds of Sapina's winnings were in an Isle of Man bank account and according to the German detective's report, which the BBC has seen, Samvo agreed not to hand over those winnings to Sapina.
I would say that it is the final World Cup with the current refereeing system.' Although Valcke's comments will be interpreted as a change of policy by FIFA following the International Football Association Board's decision to reject goal-line technology and other aids for referees in March, the FIFA general secretary said the speed at which the modern game was played meant the whole approach to refereeing had to be reformed. 'The teams and the players are so strong and so fast. The game is different and the referees are older than all the players,' said Valcke. 'The game is so fast, the ball is flying so quickly, we have to help them and we have to do something and that's why I say it is the last World Cup under the current system.' FIFA president Sepp Blatter has repeatedly rejected calls for the introduction of goal-line technology or TV replays, insisting an element of human error has always been a part of the game. Opponents have also pointed to concerns over universality - that all levels of the game should be subjected to the same rules and methods of refereeing. But following the Lampard incident and Carlos Tevez's offside strike for Argentina against Mexico a few hours later, Blatter performed a dramatic U-turn, saying that it would be 'a nonsense' not to reopen the file on technology. IFAB - the game's rule making body which consists of representatives of the English, Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh FAs as well as four representatives from FIFA - is due to hold a meeting on 21 July where the issue is expected to be discussed. But Valcke added that it was unlikely to hold serious discussions until a further meeting scheduled for October. In March, IFAB heard presentations from two companies pitching to introduce systems which they say provide definitive proof when the ball has crossed the line for a goal. But both Cairos Goal-line technology, which uses a microchip inside a football and magnetic fields around the goal line, and Hawk-Eye, which uses six television cameras positioned around the goal, were rejected. The Cairos system was tested by FIFA in the World Club Championships in Japan in 2007, but despite their claims that the test was a success, IFAB again rejected the proposal in March 2008. Both Hawk-Eye - used in international cricket - and Cairos insist cost is not an issue as they offered to pay for the installation of the system in return for a share of sponsorship rights. The introduction of two extra referees positioned on the goal-line, a move initiated by UEFA president Michel Platini, was trialled last season in the Europa League and is set to be used in the Champions League this coming season and, again, seemed to be something of a success. But again, IFAB turned down the chance to introduce it in time for the World Cup in South Africa.
Mark Lawrenson, beautifully, described the incident on the BBC as 'somebody who's been drinking without a head!' The fan ran on to the pitch during the opening moments of the first half of the second semi-final - won 1-0 by Spain - before being caught by security. Maingot described the incident as 'certainly not acceptable,' adding that FIFA will 'tighten the controls again' ahead of Sunday's final between Spain and the Netherlands. The Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban was reportedly eighteen hundred short of full capacity for Spain's 1-0 victory over Germany. King Shaka Airport was so congested that even planes which landed successfully had to take to the air again and divert to the other local airport, Durban International. Airports Company South Africa blamed VIP jets for making five flights - carrying approximately seven hundred fans - late by not moving after landing, therefore blocking landing space for the other planes. Some fans missed the entire match. Airport officials have now said that VIP jets will be towed if they refuse to make way for commercial airlines at Johannesburg Airport on Sunday. 'We are going to be more forceful. If aircraft refuse to move we will tow them away,' ACSA operations manager Themba Maseko stated. ACSA chief executive Monhla Hlahla told a local radio station that 'priority had to be given to VIPs who were caught up in the situation,' adding that FIFA planes were allowed to land before commercial flights. A statement that should, frankly, see the man fired. Preferably out of a cannon. South Africa's transport minister Sibusiso Ndebele has apologised to the fans and vowed to 'strengthen' plans for the remainder of the World Cup.
He has refereed three World Cup matches in South Africa and has neither shown a red card nor awarded a penalty. Webb's first match in charge was Spain's shock 1-0 defeat by Switzerland. He was also in charge for Slovakia's 3-2 victory against Italy - which saw the defending champions knocked out of the tournament - and was praised for his handling of a dramatic finale to the match. In the last-sixteen stage Webb refereed Brazil's 3-0 win over Chile, but he missed out on the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Webb and his assistants have enjoyed a highly successful season, having already officiated the Champions League final in May, when Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich in Madrid. And their performances have boosted English referees' standing around the world after the debacle in the 2006 World Cup when Graham Poll handed out three yellow cards to one player during the match between Australia and Croatia.
Downer, a deputy director of public prosecutions in the Western Cape, told magistrate Joe Magele: 'Hopefully, we'll be able to finish the matter before the World Cup (final) starts.' Well, yeah. Wouldn't want a trivial matter like justice to get in the way of you watching the big match, Bill. Booth told the court he wanted to record publicly that there was no charge of conspiracy or collusion between his client and Joseph. Speaking outside court, he added: 'In fact, they met after the incident, as a result of a telephone call made to the Sunday Mirror by Mr Joseph's sister. So this whole issue has no basis whatsoever.' Asked if Joseph might be called as a witness, he said it would be 'a bit difficult' getting him to Cape Town for the weekend. 'We'll just have to see how it goes. If we have to call him, and we have to bring an application for the matter to be adjourned and for my client to return to the UK in the meantime, we'll do that,' he said. Personally, I hope they slap him in chains and throw away they key. Not for the offence, per se, but for being in any way associated with the Sunday Mirror. I hear Robben Island's very nice this time of year, Simon.
The team had only reserved rooms in the Sandton Hilton hotel until 5 July - the day before their semi-final win against Uruguay. But although they managed to extend their stay at the hotel for a further week after they magnificently beat Brazil in the quarter-finals, they have now been forced to move to the nearby Sunnyside Park hotel ahead of the final on Sunday. Bless 'em! That's the Dutch for you all over. Brilliant players but they can't organise a pot party in a coffeehouse!
Lineker made the interesting observation that it would get harder and harder for the Germans to keep on producing a big performance on the big occasion the longer the tournament went on. Shearer agreed. Hansen looked a bit dubious. Lawro, interviewed in the ground, went for the Spanish too. Del Basque pulled the first big surprise of the night - not so much dropping Torres, that's been coming for a couple of games at least, but rather in replacing him with Pedro rather than Fabregas. as it turned out, it was the move that probably decided the game.
Sometimes, those eight passes to many. Germany came back and were probably the stronger side in the second half of the first half. But, from both sides you sensed it was the lack of a final ball every time that was letting them down. The approach play and the passing was beautiful, but the one major thing lacking was that killer, defence-splitting ball. In the closing seconds of the half, the Germans had a stonewall penalty turned down - Sergio Ramos clipping Ozil's ankles.
Finally, the deadlock was broken when good old mad-haired Puyol powered in a bullet header from his curly bonce after a Xavi corner. After that, the Germans laid siege to the Spanish goal and, for the first time in the tournament it was they were were being caught on the counter-attack rather than the other way around. Ha! Now you know how we felt! The Spanish, to much scratching of heads, took Villa off and brought Torres on. Time ran out. Joachim Löw had a face like a smacked arse. The Spanish went bananas. Or, should that be - fittingly - oranges? The Man from Delmonte, he say 'yes.' Or, should that be 'Si'? We will have a new name on the World Cup on Sunday. Which will be good for football. Particularly as, I confidently predict, I have already seen the winners of the 2014 tournament. They're called Germany.
Well, he's spent three weeks locked in a commentary booth with Tyldesley, that's enough to make anybody sick. The opening twenty minutes were terrific, with a real ebb and flow to the game that climaxed in possibly the best goal of the tournament, Giovanni van Bronckhorst crashing one in from thirty five yards. That should have been the start of the party but, for whatever reason, the Dutch took their collective foot off the collective gas; the game got fractured and became niggly and with a slightly spiteful undertone. Then five minutes before half-time, Diego Forlan collected the ball thirty yards from the Netherlands goal, turned into space in a central position and let fly with a left-foot shot that seems to swerve in the air and bamboozle Maarten Stekelenburg, who could only help the ball one-handed high into his own net. That was unexpected.
Then, slowly, they started to get their shit together after Van der Vaart came on. There were a couple of close calls and finally another decent move led to a shooting chance for Wesley Sneijder and after it took a deflection off Maxi Pereira, Robin van Persie managed not to touch it as the ball flew past Fernando Muslera and into the bottom left-hand corner. Was van Persie offside when the ball was hit? It was very tight - it took half a dozen camera angles to so out that his foot probably was, fractionally off. Even if he was though, was he 'active'? A question worth asking. It seemed that opinion was divided on the matter. The referee and his assistant thought he wasn't, every Uruguayan in the world thought he was. No matter, it was 2-1 and the Dutch scented the blood of the lamb. 
Three minutes later and the Dutch were, effectively, one foot in the World Cup final, and there was no controversy about this one. Dirk Kuyt cut back onto his right foot and crossed into the box - slightly behind Arjen Robben, who produced a fabulous header, directing it into the bottom right-hand corner, in off the post. Stunner. It did rather make you wonder just how good this Dutch team are going to be when they actually start playing! It's a crazy topsy-turvy world, ladies and gentlemen. The Dutch are playing like the Germans and the Germans are playing like the Dutch. Where will it end? At Jo'burg, on Sunday as it happens.
Officers found the gold-painted item during a routine check of a mail warehouse on Friday at Bogota airport, the Associated Press reports. The airport's anti-drug chief, Colonel José Piedrahita, said that the thirty six centimetre-high replica trophy had a street value of up to one million pounds. The trophy was packed with shirts of teams in the World Cup and its planned final destination was said to be Madrid, Spain.
Maradona, who led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 as a player, said that 'whoever comes after me' must follow the team's attacking style. But that commitment to going forward was easily nullified by Germany as the Europeans defended with complete commitment before breaking forward swiftly and effectively on the counter-attack. The former World Cup winner likened the defeat to being punched by former world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali. 'This is the most difficult experience of my life, because to [lose] in front of so many good players, such good people, such good professionals is like getting punched by Muhammad Ali,' he said. 'I don't have any energy left. The first cross produced a goal, and suddenly we were looking at a different game. They took advantage of all their chances.' Full-back Gabriel Heinze urged Maradona not to make any rash decision and said it would be 'great' if the manager continued. 'Now is not the time to make these decisions,' said the thirty two-year-old former Manchester United defender. 'Surely it would be better to wait until the emotion has cooled. Maradona has worked very well and it would be great for him to continue.'
He took over as coach of the national side in 2006, replacing Carlos Alberto Parreira despite having no prior professional coaching experience. His more pragmatic style of play split opinions in Brazil, with some supporters believing it stifled the natural attacking flair of the five-time world champions. As far back as December 2009, Dunga revealed he would probably step down after this year's finals, even if his side managed to lift the trophy in South Africa. However, defeat to the Dutch put an end to their dreams of a sixth world title. 'With the closing of the work cycle that started in August 2006 and ended with the elimination of Brazil from the World Cup in South Africa, the CBF announces the dismissal of the Technical Commission of the Brazilian team,' the federation said in its statement. The first big challenge for the new coach will be the 2011 South American championship - the Copa America - due to be held in Argentina. However, the 2014 World Cup will dominate the agenda, particularly as the tournament will be held in Brazil for the first time since 1950.
But defender Diego Godin has returned to training after a thigh problem. Godin missed the match against Ghana, which the Uruguayans won on penalties to reach the last four of the tournament for the first time since 1970. Ajax playmaker Lodeiro has been hailed as one of his country's best prospects. The absence of Lugano for Tuesday's match against the Dutch would be another big setback for Uruguay as the powerful centre-back has been a key player for them in South Africa. They are already without defender Jorge Ciro Fucile, who is suspended for next week's game.
