The 2010 World Cup final was watched by nearly 700 million people, according to FIFA. But most of those who watched the game will agree that while it was entertaining, there was very little football. The match was punctuated with niggly fouls, bad tackles, and cautions by referee Howard Webb. Clearly, the Dutch were prepared to adopt any means, fair or foul, to attain their goal of lifting the World Cup for the first time. The Spanish were left no choice but to retaliate. Even Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff has said he was ashamed to see the Oranje play dirtily and that he hated the final.
Do you agree with the Dutch approach to the game? Was hacking the Spanish players down the only way to get the ball and stop their attacks? What could referee Howard Webb have done to contain the situation? Should teams be penalised for tactical rough play?
Comments