Sunday, July 11, 2010

And The New Champion is ..

And now, the end is near .. to final curtain in what to be a delightful moment to all lovers of finest football. It's a countdown to the first World Cup in Africa that will proclaim a new winner. When the two gigantic footballer nations –ironically never to win the title- will meet at Soccer City this Sunday to join the exclusive club of "Magnificent Seven". There is doubtless plenty at stake and something has definitely got to give. Spain is at their 13th World Cup and the Netherlands their ninth, but remarkably they have never clashed each other in this event. Their first met also their biggest battle were when they're in Antwerp for the 1920 Olympic silver medal. Eighty years after then on the judgment night, their tenth matches will legitimize the supremacy between them and the prize will finally be gold.

The Netherlands reached the 1974 and 1978 finals with style to play their own brand of the beauty. But the class of 2010 has discovered a winning formula just as effective scheme while "Total Football" may have been consigned to history. The Orange moves ahead on the back of some impressive form and they topped some serious opposition to reach the final. They are on a 25-match unbeaten streak and hoping to emulate the Brazilian side of 1970 as the only team to have a perfect record in both qualifying and the final of World Cup tournament ever.


From the "Total Football" of the 70s through to the intricate in what we've called "Tiki-Taka" of current Spanish's side to claim as they did it in scintillating style. The Spain will be trying to keep the ball of "Tiki-Taka" by applying pressure and eventually exhausting their opponents with one-touch possession football, stay solid defensively then they will know how to score goals. From the football's great underachievers now they have the opportunity to win their second major title in two years. Also to confirm their status as the greatest current team in international business with 50 victories of their last 54 games, playing a mesmeric passing game of their own. If they reach the top, the Spanish will become the first team ever to be a champion after losing the opening game.

"The Class of Oranje-2010" against "Tiki-Taka of Spain":
A real deal, truly a clash of two tactically styles as a showdown has to involving two footballing cultures. It has historically influenced the sport and impressed with quick passing, intelligent movement and a willful adherence to an aesthetic, possession-based form of the game. Both seems to attend similarity stylish according to the same root of Total Football scheme, but away from the history into the present, The Dutch is relatively pragmatic with sound defensive organization and a cohesive ethical team.

Having been set up in 4-2-3-1 formation throughout the tournament, the Orange system is clearly divided by those players designated to attack and the defenders. They need to build integrated individual excellent players such as Van Bommel to link to Wesley Sneijder in front into an effective team framework resulting in a well-balanced team comprising the abilities to pursue good effect. The Netherlands also need a full complement of players back from the suspensions to choose such as Nigel de Jong and Gregory van der Wiel to build the defenses.
As Spain has shown on countless occasions over the last four years, "Tiki-Taka" is not rigidly bound by nominal formations. Instead the forward players drift into the most threatening areas, positioning themselves where they can pick the opposition apart with the least resistance would be a good choice. Spanish use their opponents down through sheer weight of possession, defending as much by keeping the ball. In the sense, there is also deployed 4-2-3-1 for the majority of their games as well, with Fernando Torres as the lone striker and David Villa on the left flank up. On the semi-final Torres was dropped and replaced by Pedro, Villa being shifted to the centre-forward role.

The Clashes:
Wesley Sneijder vs Xavi. They may not to be head to head on field. But these two keys are the brains of their respected teams and also being encouraged to keep the pace and rhythm.

Arjen Robben vs Joan Capdevila, both have enjoyed their big tournament so far. Robben looks ready to make a big impact from the right flank with a major responsibility rests on Capdevila on the other side. The Villarreal defender at his age of 32 is not the most agile any longer and may have to rely on his experience to neutralize Robben.

Villa vs Heitinga, they've never met before in the big level but both get along with enthusiasm. With their collectivity, it seems the Spanish system not depend only in one target man as a scorer. But Villa has signed his name on scoring-board five times that makes Heitinga can decide to get more focus on mark to him.

Maarten Stekelenburg vs Iker Casillas. When it comes to penalty shoot-out at the end, those two last men will stand for the "Lev Yashin Award" suggestions.
Previous meetings : Both 4 wins and a draw.
1920: (Antwerp, Olympics): Spain 3 - Holland 1
1957: (Madrid, Friendly): Spain 5 - Holland 1
1973: (Amsterdam, Friendly): Holland 3 - Spain 2
1980: (Vigo, Friendly): Spain 1 - Holland 0
1983: (Seville, ECQ): Spain 1 - Holland 0
1983: (Rotterdam, ECQ): Holland 2 - Spain 1
1987: (Barcelona, Friendly): Spain 1 - Holland 1
2000: (Sevilla, Friendly): Spain 1 - Holland 2
2001: (Rotterdam, Friendly): Holland 1 - Spain 0

Facts:
Spain's last seven World Cup goals have been scored by Barcelona players (Villa, Puyol and Iniesta), whilst seven of Holland's last eight have been scored by players who left Real Madrid in 2009 (Huntelaar, Sneijder and Robben). Huntelaar and van Bronckhorst have just a shot at this World Cup but have scored goal.

David Villa has scored six of Spain's last eight goals at World Cup finals. And he is on 43 goals, just one goal away from joining Raul as Spain's top scorer of all time. Xavi has created 25 goal scoring chances, an impressive eight more than any other player.

Currently, the top scorers in the tournament are David Villa and Wesley Sneijder, also Thomas Müller of Germany and Diego Forlan of Uruguay. All of them have scored five goals with Villa or Sneijder still has a chance to get more for the Golden Boot.

The Spanish with Aragones was transformed from the famous-underachievers, now they have the big wind to win everything included to integrate Castilla, Catalan, Basque, Galicia, Andalusia and more as united. They are La Furia Roja.
Prediction:
Spain is widely bidding to copy their success at Euro 2008 since early tournament and Paul the octopus also Lin Ping the pandas were just agree. But the new-look Orange obviously knows how to win games and they did well so far.

Top Quotes:
Osvaldo Ardiles (Argentina): I believe the current Holland side are up against it. The Dutch team of my days was more progressive. This team applies pressure on the opponent, stay solid defensively, and know they will score goals. The Holland teams of '74 & '78 were more like today's Spain who will be trying to keep the ball while the Dutch defend deep and try to counter-attack. As always, the first goal could dictate the game. But the styles of two teams play into the hands of Spain who have just a little semblance of the Holland side in the Seventies about them.

Johan Cruyff (Holland): I know the whole of Holland wanted to play Germany in the final, because they fear Spain will simply keep the ball for 90 minutes. Their only chance is if Spain fail to take their opportunities, like they did against Germany. It is Spain's game to lose but I will take intense joy if they win it.

Howard Webb (England, as also refereed Spain vs Swiss at group stage): We are delighted to have been selected for the game, it is a wonderful honor and a privilege. This is the World Cup, and it's massively important for the world. We understand the importance of the game and we will need total focus and concentration. (*)

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's nice, may the best to win

José Carlos López said...

THE CHAMPION IS.......
SPAINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

YES, YES, YES, YES

I LOVE YOU AND YOU AND YOU AND ........

THANKS FOR ALL

Anonymous said...

"DANI JARQUE, SIEMPRE Con NOSOTROS"

José Carlos López said...

Dani Jarque y Antonio Puerta, este Mundial es de ellos más que de nadie

José Carlos López said...

Podeis ver en directo la fiesta que se está produciendo ahora mismo en España para recibir a la Selección Española. Es Impresionante. Jamás vi nada parecido.

If you want, you can see live tv Spanish Team arrival Madrid and the BIG BIG AND INCREDIBLE FIESTA. (Sorry for my english)

You can see live TV in www.unionzonanorte.blogspot.com

VIVA ESPAÑA

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