The vast majority of the foreign press doesn't have a good word to say about the Dutch squad after the team lost 1-0 to Spain in the final of the World Cup in South Africa and the almost unanimous verdict is that it was an extremely hard match with most of the fouls being committed by Dutch players. It rained yellow cards in the final and one Dutch player was sent off.
Spain's Cadena SER radio station can't find anything good to say about the way the Dutch team played and accuses the squad of "playing dirty". According to Cadena SER, Bert van Marwijk's team is nothing like the Dutch squad that created such a furore in the 1970s.
The Catalan daily La Vanguardia opines that the Spanish team's failure to produce sparkling football in the first half was due to their own nervousness and the hard tackles of the Dutch squad.
Ugly
The Belgian papers gleefully pour salt into the wounds: "after 117 minutes, Spain gave the Dutch another national trauma to digest," headlines De Morgen, referring to the World Cup final losses of 1974 and '78. De Standaard concludes, "the Netherlands is in mourning," and notes ironically, "there was a minor consolation, the nation didn't wait until after the final to hold a huge, happy and chauvinistic party".
Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine says Spain never really got up to speed due to the rough, tough tactics of their Dutch opponents and the Tageszeitung writes that howls of protest rose regularly from the Soccer City stadium as yet another Spanish player went flying through the air after contact with a Dutch boot.
The populist Bild calls it an "Ugly final," and says Dutch defender Nigel de Jong should have been given a red card for his kung fu kick into the chest of Xabi Alonso.
Shaolin soccer
Britain's Daily Telegraph echoes Bild, writing, "WC final turns ugly," and tags a photograph of De Jong's appalling foul with "Shaolin soccer". The paper says the Dutch were responsible for most of the fouls: "The climax of the season was really an abomination, scarred by Dutch fouling," and adds that the tournament was deservedly won by Spain when Andrés Iniesta put the ball into the back of the net four minutes from the end of extra-time. The paper concludes, " The memory of the excruciating, pockmarked, foul-filled preceding 116 minutes was washed away with Iker Casillas’ flowing tears of joy, with the flowing champagne".
The Independent says no one should mourn the fact that the Netherlands didn't manage to lift the trophy: "The Netherlands admitted to their own limitations with an approach in which they were prepared to do whatever it took to stop Vicente del Bosque's team's fluent passing rhythms. The Dutch were prepared to sacrifice everything and it was a marvel that Johnny Heitinga, the Everton defender, was the only man dismissed".
Speaking on the BBC's Match of the Day, Alan Hansen, the former Liverpool defender, roundly condemned the Dutch style of play: "If the Dutch had triumphed, it would have been bad for the game because there is no place for the way they approached the match. It's one thing to have a game plan, be organised and get men behind the ball, but the cynical way in which they operated for the first 45 minutes was a total and utter disgrace," he said.
Most of the African papers are far kinder to the Dutch team. South Africa's Cape Times writes, "The Dutch squad is the best national team never to have won the World Cup". Ghana's media says Spain deserved to become world champions but adds that the Dutch are heroes who suffered the same fate as Ghana's Black Stars.
Kenya's media is very supportive and The Daily Nation says the defeat is a bitter blow for the Dutch. The presenter on KTN's breakfast show tells viewers, "I'll have to wash my orange T-shirt today; it’s covered with tears".
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The media bashing by foreign press of the Dutch players is nonsense. The Dutch had a much more difficult route to the final in comparison to the Spanish and then had to put up with bias and incompetent refereeing by Webb. The Dutch should be proud of their achievements in this world cup. Both teams played well, although Spain had more talent, and both teams played their hearts out. It was a great game until, for whatever reason, the British referee decided to hand the game over to the Spanish. And that was the real shame.
WOW! As a neutral to all this - I dont want to see another whiny latino rolling on the pitch. I saw Puyol crash into his keepers knee without a wince! I then saw Iniesta go down like a sack of potatoes by the slightest touch. Nigel de Jong should of been red carded immediately, however a penalty kick should of been awarded to Robben after vailiantly staying on his feet instead of diving like Iniesta. Webb just wanted to be part of the game - howver he should of never been allowed to referee this game after his poor showing of the last Spansih game he had reffereed. Where was the clear corner kick for the Dutch? Why did he not acknowledge Arjen Robben's complaints? I think that all the latino teams (Uruguay, Spain, Itay, Portugal, Paraguay, etc.) should stop their diving and start playing the beautiful game - Spain did not win Webb gave it to them!
A shameful display of football from my countrymen. Pathetic. To top it all... the reaction of players and coach after the game makes me want to throw up in their face.
Oh.. I am Dutch by birth.
The physical style adopted by the Netherlands game them the best chance against the highly favored Spain. The defense was excellent, turning Spain away time after time. In the end, the oranje's had excellent opportunities to win in regular time. Congratulations to the Netherlands on a great run in the tournament!
I've always been a Holland fan even though the previous teams failed at the World Cup. But wonderful memories of Cruyff, Koeman, Gullit, Van Basten and Rijkaard lives on in my heart. Up to the semifinal I was still a big fan and prayed and hoped the Netherlands would win. But the way they played in the final shocked me and let me down big time... I too blamed the referee.. but for being too lenient on the Dutch..he should have sent De Jong off the pitch instantly and Van Bomel also.. then the world would be spared from all these excuses...
I was all for the Dutch to win, but was very turned off by the hard fouls, the flopping in previous games, and all of the whining to the ref. When the Dutch simply play the game, they're great, but the theatrics of the squad sure did not deserve a win. Loved Bronckhorst's goal in the semi, but thought the coach tucking his silver medal in his pocket in disgust was shameful.
Clean up your act Holland squad!
As a great and long-standing admirer of Holland and Dutch football, I must say I was shocked and disappoointed with the cyncial thuggery exhibited by the Dutch football team in the Final. I have no feelings of envy or sour grapes about Holland reaching the Final of this competition, but rather disappointment that the Dutch resorted to behaviour exhibited by teams that generally have lower standards that the Dutch-- a nation that has much to be admired for. Sadly not for your national football team.
The Dutch got what they deserved, its the same game they played against Brazil and got away with it< they did deserve the trophy the right team won
I was plugging for holland before the match BUT in the end I'm glad that spain won. Holland didn't need to digress to such barbaric tactics because they were good enough to have won had they played their football as they can. Unfortunately the world was not treated to a great final or even a good game of football. Holland sadly you let the name of world football down bigtime
I listened to Radio Netherlands on short wave as a kid, so I had to look up this site. Okay, Netherlands is way above the USA in football and it was only a confederations cup game but USA did manage to defeat Spain 2-0, a Spain riding the crest of many wins and long unbeaten streak. I will keep on cheering for your team. It is not easy being a finesse team and win, like Germany this time and Netherlands at the Euro '08. Maybe there was still a lesson on how to defeat Spain from the USA game but who knows!
For Heaven's sake...it is only a game. The sun still rose in the East this morning and will continue to do so. Of course everyone likes to be a winner but it ain't the end of the world. Grow up!
Grow up Vera! Games, festivals, creative arts keep the human life going happily...Sun rises in the East even for animals...
These countries themselves could not make it to the finals and were jealous of a lil country reaching there first. Spain have been favourites and they wanted that Dutch should play a meek football and gift the trophy willingly to Spain. BUT, the Dutch played valiantly and disrupted the Spanish possession so long, and fouls were committed by both sides and naturally so, under pressure. They got blinded to Spanish assaults and Webb faults ....but now disect the Dutch play ruthlessly...Let them have the perverse delight, we know better..Oranje are the best..
".... were committed by both sides" is always a refrain of the guilty party. In this battle Holland was the pig, and spain just became dirty in wrestling the pig.
Absolute sour grapes!! The Dutch should have been down to 8 or 9 men if the referee was really applying the rules. Shameful display by Holland. The players should be thoroughly embarassed by their actions.
Used to be a Holland fan. After the displays in the semi and final I sort of hope you never qualify for another tournament again.
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