The World Cup Diaries: Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold
Spain 1 : 5 Netherlands
Let me start by saying that I love football, I have loved it all my life and I don't think I will ever fall out of love with it. Ever since I was a little girl I'll sit and watch the games with my Dad, getting all excited about two things: A) I was sharing something very special with my Dad, we were enjoying together an experience on our own and B) Watching something so special, global, amazing, breathtaking as a good football game. Over time I grew to like some teams more than others, some players I admired more than others, normally. Sometimes my Dad and I will root for different teams but that would never make it less fun. And when there was a big championship - we will always, always, always watch the important games together, no matter anything.
The 2014 World Cup is the first big championship in 20 years that we are not watching together. I would much rather watch it with him, if that was possible, comment the games and have our minor disputes over it. That is how I like my games, with him by my side. Well, not this year. Let's hope that we will be able to fix this for the next European Championship. Let's hope.
Spain vs Netherlands was a highly anticipated game among other reasons because the last time those two teams met was 4 years ago. On the 2010 World Cup. On the Final. It was a very specific game, Howard Webb gave his best and booked 14 yellow cards, one being second yellow card. I would say that Mr. Webb was the man of the game, he most definitely was the most important player on the field. In 2010 Spain won, 4 minutes before the end of the extra time Andres Iniesta won the game for the Spaniards. Spain won their very first World Cup, just two years after they won their European Cup. The latter they won again, in 2012. For the past 6 years Spain has dominated the world.
I sat on my sofa tonight with my friends by my side and we all knew we were in for a treat. But we never knew that it was going to be so big. I have always like the Spanish team, I like how they communicate between themselves, how well they all know each other, what a good working passionate machine they are. I like their dynamics and I also like their name - La furia roja. It suits them well, or at least it used to before tonight.
Xabi Alonso opened the score with a easy-breezy goal, shooting a penalty. It wasn't anything pretty nor special, but it was a goal and I guess this is all that counts. 1:0 is a classic result and the Spanish team seemed in good spirit and able to keep their lead, so I had no reason to believe that anything else would ever happen in this game. Oh, boy, weren't I wrong. The Netherlands smashed Spain, made it look small and pitiful. The defending World Champion seemed like a bunch of kids that somehow managed to get their hands on a ticket to the big boys game.
Can we talk for a second abut this state of art head shot? Robin van Persie worked his magic, twice, on full speed, Arjen Robben scored as well, twice, and to top up all of the Stefan de Vrij scored as well. My heart was breaking while watching poor Iker Casillas, the best goalie in the world, miss a goal after goal. Three of those goals were completely his fault, because goal keepers should stay where their goal line, not out in the field. Pique and Ramos weren't particularly helpful either, letting the Dutch so dangerously close to our beloved San Iker.
But it wasn't simply and only Spain's fault. It was the way van Persie and the Dutch played. They knew why they were there and did their best to prove their point. And they did. Spain, on the other hand played as a defending Champion of (the) two important football achievements. They played as if they knew they are supposed to win this game. But football is a game far more important that one's personal expectation's and assumptions. Football is the game of those who are all-in in the game, without hesitations and without set standards of winning or loosing.
Although I support Spain, I cannot say anything bad about the way Netherlands played. The played well, extremely well, the played beautifully, they used all of the opportunities presented and did what they are payed to do - play good football. It was joy (with a sadistic taste of it) to watch them make fun of the Spanish team. We all knew that the team in orange will look for revenge, but they gave us a spectacular match and a very very very cold revenge, the best type.
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| Super Van Persie's Goal |
You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...
