The Round Ball Game

[EdgeleyRob]

Two totally brilliant goals by Spain - saving their best for the final, going by the first half - great 45 minutes of footie.

Talk about slide rule,that pass for the 2nd goal was pure geometry.
Wish my team were boring!

[johncorrigan]

Talk about slide rule,that pass for the 2nd goal was pure geometry.
Wish my team were boring!

....and another for the third Rob!

[teamsaint]

Bruckner time.......

[johncorrigan]

Bruckner time.......

Lawroism of the night: Mowbray 'Pirlo says that it's not enough to get to the final and not win - it's like going to Rome and not seeing the Pope.'
Lawro - 'I've done it loadsa times.'

[scottycelt]

Bruckner time.......

Can it get any better than this ... ?

[EdgeleyRob]

....and another for the third Rob!

Indeed,it's getting boring now.

[Nick Armstrong]

Lawroism of the night: Mowbray 'Pirlo says that it's not enough to get to the final and not win - it's like going to Rome and not seeing the Pope.'
Lawro - 'I've done it loadsa times.'

Lawro is so horribly lame, he should go to Lourdes not Rome

[EdgeleyRob]

Lawro is so horribly lame, he should go to Lourdes not Rome

The reign of Spain continues in Ukraine (Gary Lineker 2012).

[AmpH]

And they play in blue which is a proper colour for a football shirt.

......... but not as good as white

[Lateralthinking1]

I still think the Spanish will crowd them out in the end.

Congratulations to John Corrigan for winning the football prediction cup.

And to Spain obviously.

You can't take anything away from that performance. It was terrific exhibition football. They play as a team, every individual is superb, and you sense that they enjoy what they are doing. Wide-eyed and without scowls, they have few wannabe celebrities or businessmen, whatever the huge amounts of money in the game. And their manager is, without question, one of the very best:



It is odd how we demote their style of play with the phrase 'ticky-tacky'. At the same time, just booting the ball haphazardly up the pitch is dignified with the term 'the long ball'. Having said as much, there is more to brilliance than perfect football. Brilliant teams show consistency with ability and achieve consistent results. Well, the stats came thick and fast - all the years of not losing a match, the biggest ever margin of victory in a final and three tournaments in a row. Fully expecting hype, all of this was entirely predictable and in many respects deserved. We could though also drill down a bit to look at the bigger reality. As soon as the first goal went in, comments made earlier in the competition were erased. No one on television had ever suggested that it would be a shoo-in and more generally punters had various predictions - Germany, Netherlands, Russia, France, Italy and Spain.



Spain began the campaign soundly enough but only drew against the Italians. They looked outstanding in their second match but then the Irish had done well just to qualify. They were unconvincing in their 1-0 defeat of Croatia when a win was only secured in the 88th minute. France were poor in the Quarter Final and a Spanish win there was never in doubt. Still, had it not been for a goal in extra time, that too would have ended 1-0. And then there was Portugal where for 90 minutes Spain underwhelmed. For all of their great play in the first half of the final, they were far less convincing in the second half. They took a long time to make the most out of a jaded Italian team that was down to 10 men. Earlier, either side of the break, it could easily have been 2-1, especially had they not had Casillas in goal. And the significance of winning three tournaments in a row has been overstated. The Euros were not the competition they are now prior to 1996, when for the first time 16 rather than 8 teams qualified.

So yes, an excellent team performance from players of astonishing ability but the best team of all time? No. I can think of at least six South American teams from history that were either as good or better and even three or four from Europe. Nevertheless, good luck to them. It was great to have a memorable final and we will long remember their display, ultimately, of wonderful technique.

[johncorrigan]

Although it was the Germans I was expecting them to crowd out Lat when I said that - last night it was Pirlo they did it to (and Balotelli too). What Spain did last night was pass the ball at pace - against Portugal they looked laboured until they got to extra time. Not last night. I thought the first half was as good a team performance as I have seen and it is credit to the Italians that there were periods in the first half when they managed to hold on to the ball and even get a chance or two. I thought Spain enhanced their reputation with the performance in the final. Can they do it for another World Cup? - if they play like last night then yes. Best national team ever? - well it'll always be Brazil of '70 and the Mexico WC, and Holland in 74 and 78 for me.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

yep congrats to Spain they played much better looking footie .... and Fernando scored a gift [anything to get him going in his Chelsea Blue!]

the del Bosque era is a true sporting marvel ...

[Lateralthinking1]

Although it was the Germans I was expecting them to crowd out Lat when I said that - last night it was Pirlo they did it to (and Balotelli too). What Spain did last night was pass the ball at pace - against Portugal they looked laboured until they got to extra time. Not last night. I thought the first half was as good a team performance as I have seen and it is credit to the Italians that there were periods in the first half when they managed to hold on to the ball and even get a chance or two. I thought Spain enhanced their reputation with the performance in the final. Can they do it for another World Cup? - if they play like last night then yes. Best national team ever? - well it'll always be Brazil of '70 and the Mexico WC, and Holland in 74 and 78 for me.

Yes, JC, I know it was with reference to the possibility of playing against Germany but I used a bit of poetic licence. By inference, it meant that your tip was Spain. And they did do it anyhow to Pirlo - very important - and Balotelli as you say.

As for the next World Cup, I would be tempted to say that age could count against them except that they have strength in depth so who knows how use will be made of the full potential squad. An issue of course is how good the South American teams are currently - I don't know that - but all of this is a bit theoretical when England are going to win it.

I fully endorse your selections there from history and would include as worthy of a mention at least two further Brazil teams, if not three, one or two from Argentina, at least one from each of Germany, Italy, England and France, possibly another one from the Netherlands although probably not and an early one from Uruguay.

Not all of them were better than this Spanish team so it is definitely in the Top 10 and probably in truth no lower than 5th place.

Incidentally, I watched all of the game at 4am this morning, knowing the result, and still enjoyed it immensely.

[BBMmk2]

Well, that's Eurpe over and done with now(thank goodness!)

Did yopu here of that President of the Europe Champs President wanting the tournament to be in a lot of places by 2014 or something?

[Lateralthinking1]

Well, that's Eurpe over and done with now(thank goodness!)

Did yopu here of that President of the Europe Champs President wanting the tournament to be in a lot of places by 2014 or something?

No I didn't hear BBM but that's the way to go. Wish it had happened with the 2012 Olympics.