Spain Are Champions of the World

By Lance Mazza

Over the past several years leading up to the World Cup, Spain never had a problem scoring goals. That wasn't the case against the rough squad from Netherlands in the final game of the World Cup.

As the final minutes were ticking away, Spain did what they know how to do. They punished the Netherlands and avoided the luck of penalty shots. Both teams were tired and it didn't help the Dutch that they went a man down.

Andres Iniesta was the man to secure the game in overtime. It took 116 minutes for Spain to put the ball in the old onion bag, but it was due to their persistent pressure they had against the Netherlands. It was only a matter of time before someone put one home.

Early on in the tournament it didn't look like Spain would come out champions. They only scored 8 goals in the seven games they've played. However, they still maintained their composure and confidence it pulled through. It can get quite frustrating for a team when you miss as many chances as they did, but clearly they didn't let it get to them.

Things could have been different if the Netherlands capitalized on some of their chances. Arjen Robben had two great chances, one in which some believe is a controversial no-call. If any of these opportunities went in, who knows what would have happened? Instead, they walk away with their 3rd loss in the World Cup finals.

While the Netherlands secured the title as under-achievers, Spain secured the Euro Cup and World Cup titles at the same time. Only West Germany and France have produced such results.

Many experts believe Spain was stronger at the Euro Cup two years ago, which makes their win even more impressive. They weren't the best they've been and were still able to take home the title!

Spain was an extremely deep team. With Fabregas and Fernando Torres on the bench, they had some extra juice to bring in. These tournaments take a serious toll on the players, so having as deep of a team as Spain really goes a long way.

Lance Mazza enjoyed spending his time watching the World Cup games. He's also a passionate basketball fan and player. He's recently written about his favorite [http://basketballset.net/outdoor-basketball-hoop]outdoor basketball hoop and [http://basketballset.net/mini-basketball-hoops]mini basketball hoops.

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Spain Wins Final by 1-0

By Gianni Truvianni

Yesterday, Spain with an overtime goal by Iniesta at the 116 minute mark of match beat the Netherlands by 1-0 in what I would call the most boring, unimaginative, uninspired and above all foul infested final I have ever seen. Granted one could say that the 1990 final was not all that great but at least one got to see Maradona, who despite not having anybody to really work with tried all match long to break a solid German defense and did manage to provide a few passes almost out of nowhere while Germany did attempt to attack. Of course the 94 final between Italy and Brazil ended in 0-0 and had to be settled in penalties yet there were sparks of brilliance even if sporadic from the quality players on the field; such as Roberto Baggio, who despite being injured came close to scoring while Romario was a scoring threat through out the entire match.

Yesterday, it seemed that we had two teams who were playing the final not because either wanted to win it but because they had an obligation to do so, with perhaps Spain putting a little more emphasizes at the start though quickly realizing that they did not really have the skill to break the Dutch defense and needed to settle in to a plan of hoping for a vital mistake. The Dutch, at the start for their part seemed to be saying that this was a final and there was no point in trying to win it but just not loose it. This being an idea which the Spanish eventually caught on to as the game became slow and above all boring during most of the first half.

I, for what concerns me would have in all honesty changed the channel or done something else if this had not been a final of a world cup and I believe that I am not alone in the world in thinking thus. The second half seemed like two teams with no more inspiration than in the first yet with more fatigue added on to them. The Netherlands did however produce a moment of inspiration in which Robben was left one on one with Casillas but shot hopelessly; as his effort came far from scoring. Robben even seeming as if he did not really wish to take the scoring chance which had been presented him but did so as he had no other option but to at least try to look like he was attempting to score. David Villa, for Spain would get a clear scoring chance just a few minutes later but shot so wide that the last thing that could have happened was a goal.

The game would eventually end at 0-0 which meant overtime. It being in this overtime that Iniesta beat the Dutch offside trap to put and an end to Holland's hopes of winning their first title while handing Spain victory in the final and above all putting those who watched the match out of the misery of having to see whose penalty kickers could remain more firm under pressure.

In conclusion, I would say that the final was definitely not one which I will want to remember or talk much about yet Spain, to their credit did win and are the 8th nation to become world champion while the Netherlands are now the first country to have lost 3 world cup finals without having won one. Spain also became the first European team to win a world cup outside of Europe and have also given their continent the lead in world cup titles over South America by ten to nine. Europe in fact leading South America in world cup titles for the first time since Italy won the world cup back in 1938.

As a footnote to this match, the most interesting moment in my opinion came when the Spanish sent the ball off the field when Puyol was down and injured. This meaning that according to the etiquette of the game, the Dutch should give the Spanish back the ball which they did through a pass they made to Spanish goalkeeper Casillas which almost ended up going in for a goal. Casillas in fact having to send it for a corner which the Dutch did not use. As they just slowly passed the ball to Casillas on the ground to prevent any chances of an accidental goal.

My name is Gianni Truvianni, I am an author who writes with the simple aim of sharing his ideas, thoughts and so much more of what I am with those who are interested in perhaps reading something new. I also am the author of the book entitled "New York's Opera Society" which is now available on Amazon.

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What Happened With the USA-Slovenia Match? How a Referee Stole a Win From America

By Geoff James

American soccer fans were outraged by the final score of the USA-Slovenia match in the first round of the 2010 World Cup: a draw. There was good reason to be upset though; Malian referee Koman Coulibaly's whistle blew right before the third goal was scored, rendering it null.

So what was the call for? As star midfielder Landon Donovan said, no one is sure. Whether a problem with language barriers or a simple desire not to explain himself, Coulibaly had no answers for the team or coaches. It is a requirement that each referee submit a written report of the game. Coulibaly's failed to add clarity to the situation, and is not required by FIFA to fully explain any rulings.

And FIFA's policy is to stand behind the decisions of their referees, so it seems that no answer will come further than the cryptic "holding" description of the call on the World Cup Website. FIFA generally does not speak out against or publicly reprimand their referees, no matter how dire their crime. They simply shut them out, which is exactly what has happened to Coulibaly.

The Federation announced yesterday the referee lineup for the second round matches and Coulibaly was conspicuously absent from that list. Because the World Cup referee schedules are released round by round, it is unclear whether he will be removed for the whole competition or just this round. If he is to come back, it will surely be as a line judge or some other support position, and not as a referee.

To enter the next round the US must win their match against Algeria, or if both the US and England end their games in draws, the US must maintain their point lead against England. The goal in question was scored in the 86th minute by Maurice Edu, an astounding comeback in the second half (which began 2-0, Slovenia).

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Referee Report Writing - A Brief Overview

By D. A. Victor

One of the duties of the referee is to submit a written report about the events of the match. A proper match report helps the referee discharged this duty. A poorly written one can subject the match officials to ridicule and raise questions about the competence of the officiating team. Match reports generally require the same information - match date, time, location, teams involve and the names of the officiating team.

Beyond this basic information, a referee must include information on disciplinary action taking during the game (cautions and expulsions), substitutions and goals. On several occasions, the referee must write a separate incident report if a game is not played or if there was misconduct. Such reports should be written with the characteristics of good information in mind.

Relevant

The relevant authorities do not need to know if the sun was shining brightly when reading a report. The details that a referee includes about an event should be relevant to the event - nothing more, nothing less.

Concise

A referee's report is neither a novel nor a linguistic adventure. Instead, it is a factual account of an incident or series of events that gives only sufficient detail, leaving a report that is short and sweet.

Accurate

The referee is the sole authority on events pertinent to the match, but should be careful to get the facts straight. Sometimes, the officiating team might have to report on mass confrontations or instances of violent conduct. It is important to properly identify the persons involved and match player numbers to player names properly. Part of writing an accurate report involves having proper source documents and checking the veracity of those documents before the match has started. An inaccurate report can result in justice not being served.

Timely

At the highest level of the sport, match reports are submitted within hours of the match's end. At lower levels, there is more leeway, but referees should not take more than 24 hours to compose an incident report.

In addition, any incident report in addition to the match report should be properly addressed, dated and signed by the referee. It is advisable that incidents that involve other members of the officiating team (directly or by their observations) should be shared with them before the report is submitted. Usually, a collaborative effort is preferable to an isolated report. Where possible, match officials should have similar details of events, which are not in direct contradiction.

And now, you can read more articles on soccer (with illustrations):

Offside law: [http://hubpages.com/hub/Soccer-offside-offences]http://hubpages.com/hub/Soccer-offside-offences.

Throw in: [http://hubpages.com/hub/Soccer-laws-and-rules-The-throw-in]http://hubpages.com/hub/Soccer-laws-and-rules-The-throw-in.

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Holland Unhappy With Referee Webb

By Suresh Iyer

Holland coach Bert van Merwyjk spoke out against referee Howard Webb after his side's 1-0 loss to Spain in the final of FIFA World Cup 2010.

The match deteriorated into a physical tackling contest that resulted in 13 Dutch players earning yellow cards, including two and a sending off by Heitinga.

Van Merwijk felt the referee hadn't controlled the match well, and that his side wasn't the only to have committed fouls.

Dutch supporters heckled Webb and his assistants during the medal presentation ceremony. Webb had a hard job to do in a final that saw a record number of bookings, and several major incidents.

The Holland players earned 9 bookings and were lucky to still have 11 players on the field, in the first half, after de Jong planted his boot on Xabi Alonso's chest.

Holland were particularly upset when Webb refused to award them a corner after a sneijder free kick deflected out of play, off Fabregas. Holland defender Mathijsen earned a booking for protesting Iniesta's goal moments later, that sealed Holland's fate.

Arjen missed a couple of one-on-one chances that were foiled by Casillas in the Spanish goal. During the second of these, Puyol pulled Robben back outside the penalty area. Robben took issue with Webb for a free kick and a second yellow to Puyol. Webb awarded Robben a card for his trouble.

According to Dutch legend, Johann Cruyff, Webb was guilty of creating his own sense of justice and a personal application of rules.

In his 3 previous games of the World Cup, Webb awarded 17 yellow cards.

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Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.

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One of the Best Goal Keepers in the World Cup - 2010 - Iker Casillas

By Tridipta Ghosh

Iker was born in the year 1980 on May 20th. He is currently a very high level player. He is a player for Real Madrid and also is a captain for the national team in Spanish. In the year 2000 he was the first ever to have been the youngest ever goal keeper who played in the Champions League Final. He was also successful to in that year defeat the Valencia team by a clean of 3-0 and that was just around four days after he turned 19.

He constantly makes up new ways to trains and also spends a lot of time in just finding routines that he can work out. This helps him stay fit and also would make himself be more agile and better at his work. He is a very clean player with no other careers choices, as he is devoted. He is a true football lover and is a dedicated player. He is the perfect player as he has with a very deep and passionate love for the game itself. Iker has been known to train around the clock and also is known to incorporate training into his own daily routines in order to be up to the mark and also to remain fit. He is a good trainer and he also makes a lot of time to work out a lot so as to maintain a good physical set up. In the year 2009 he was voted and made a part of the UEFA team of the year and this had happened for the 3rd time in his career path. In terms of popularity and likeness he is a heart throb for many people and is idolized by many others. People of all ages are familiar with him and he is a hot favorite amongst football fans.

Iker is one such goal keeper who believes that mental training is just as important as the other kind of training that soccer players and football players should undergo as it helps the players all evolve and play the game at a higher level. He trains and plays the game all the time. He has never been known to have problems with drugs or any other kind of problem with abuse of any substance. He is a rule abiding player and is also known to make sure his work is a good example for the younger generation and especially those people who have the intentions to enter the football sport at a professional level.

He is highly recognized and very famous for the many titles that he holds in being the youngest team player to win so many matches as well as make a significant amount of appearances.

Tridipta Ghosh is a successful Freelance writer over 3 years. He has written a lot of articles over so many topics with a great success.

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A Brief History of "South Africa 2010"

By Gianni Truvianni

The world cup "South Africa 2010" was the first one held on the African continent and as such it will for the most part be remembered. Africa in fact being the last major continent to host a world cup, it being a tournament won by Spain. This factor making Spain the first European nation to win the world cup outside of Europe as well as giving Europe a grand total of 10 world cup wins which passed the 9 won by South America. Europe in fact going ahead of South America in total number of world cup championships for the first time since Italy won in 1938.

South America however for its part despite not having overly successful runs by either Argentina or Brazil managed to set two records for their continent. The first being to have all five of their teams qualify in to the round of 16 and four in to the quarterfinals. It was however unfortunate for South America that 3 out of their 4 teams would be eliminated with Uruguay being the only South American team to go on to the semifinals.

Africa for its part despite having the home field advantage only managed to get Ghana in to the round of 16, where they defeated the USA to make it to through to the quarterfinals. It being in the quarterfinals where Ghana would loose to Uruguay yet it was Ghana who could have made it to the semifinals had they just converted a penalty in the last minute of overtime which would have made them the first African nation ever to get to that stage of the world cup.

South Africa 2010 was also marred by bad calls from officials, most notably England's goal against Germany which was not seen by the referee or Argentina's first goal against Mexico which was scored from a clear offside. It being these and several other officiating errors which led to many fans and teams to ask for video and other forms of technology to be used in matches to decide controversial calls.

For myself, perhaps however this world cup was more than a tragedy as Italy not only did not qualify to the second round of a world cup for the first time since 1974 but failed to win as much as a single match. This being the first time ever in the history of Italian football that the national team did not at least win a match. Italy, of course one could say was plagued with problems from the start, such as loosing their starting goalkeeper, Buffon to injury in the first half of their match against Paraguay. It being against Paraguay that they would dominate yet despite of it were not able to get a win which they should have. Against New Zealand, they went down early by 1-0 thanks to a goal which was scored by a player who was clearly on offside yet despite this Italy would tie the game though could have won; if a shot had gone in instead of hitting off the post. It however was in the match which saw them exit the tournament against Slovakia that on one occasion they scored a goal which to me seemed onside though not to the referee. It also being in this match that an Italian shot was cleared off the Slovakian goal line which might have gone in for a goal though it is hard to tell with certainty from the angels presented during the match. I, as an Italian fan and total supporter would say that Italy's performance was substandard for our team which has won four world cups yet it did not have to end so quickly in the first round and perhaps if a few factors had gone differently it would not have.

Regarding interest moments, this it did have and I would say they are as follows.

First Round

1. Slovenia 1 Algeria 0
This was the first game ever played in a world cup on a field which was not 100 % natural grass.

2. Germany 4 Australia 0
In this game three Foreign born players scored goals for Germany. Klose and Podolski were born in Poland while Cacau was born in Brazil.

3. Brazil 3 Ivory Coast 1
In this game Brazil's Fabiano scored a goal in which he clearly used his hand twice yet the referee saw nothing or perhaps did not care to say anything as he in a jest suggested to Fabiano that he was allowing him to get away with blatantly breaking the rules.

4. South Africa 2 France 1
South Africa despite winning this match became the first host nation to be eliminated in the first round of a world cup.

Round Of 16

5. Ghana 2 USA 1
US President, Obama's father was born in Ghana which makes him half Ghanaian and half American. This perhaps creating conflict for the American president for whom he should cheer for.

6. Germany 4 England 1
In this match England's Lampard scored a clear goal in the first half which would have brought England level with Germany at 2-2 yet the referee failed to see that the ball had crossed the line. It being a shot similar to the one Hurst got a goal on in 66 though the goal was given despite the ball not going in while on this occasion the goal was not given though the ball did in fact cross the plain of the goal. England and Germany also played each other in the round of 16 for the first time which made them the only two teams to have played against each other in every phase of a world cup past the first round.

7, Argentina 3 Mexico 1
In this match Argentina's first goal scored by Tevez was a clear offside with not even one player standing between Tevez and the Mexican goal at the time of the pass.

Quarterfinals

 8. Uruguay 2 Ghana 1
In this match Uruguay's Suarez prevented a Ghanaian goal by stopping it with his hand on the goal line which gave Ghana a penalty which they missed in the last minute of overtime. This causing many Africans to feel they were cheated and calling his the "hand of the devil". This as opposed to Maradona's "hand of God".

9. Spain 1 Paraguay 0
In this match both teams missed penalties, almost within a minute of each other. It being Paraguay who failed to convert on their spot kick followed shortly by Spain who likewise failed on theirs.

Match For Third Place

Germany 3 Uruguay 2
In this match Germany and Uruguay became the first two teams to face each other twice for third place. The first time being in Mexico 70 where Germany won by 1-0.

Final

Spain 1 Netherlands 0
With this win Spain became the first European nation to win a world cup outside of Europe and Europe overtook South America for the first time since 1938 for having won the most world cups.. The Netherlands, for their part became the first nation to loose three finals without having won at least one.

In conclusion, I would say that the world cup South Africa 2010 was the worst ever played and it was not really a matter of not enough goals being scored or too much defensive play like in Italia 90 but of teams seeming as if they were weak or simply did not care to win. This perhaps due to the long seasons most of the players are made to endure by their very demanding European clubs which undoubtedly took its toll. It being a case that players through out the year are made to play sometimes as many as three matches a week and contrary to some sports do not really get an off season since they also have to play for their national teams.

I, for my part got the impression that none of the teams were really playing well or were all that good. It being a case of them being able to give a good performance or perhaps two but not being teams of the great quality of some in the past. It also being a case of several great players of the time, who in my opinion are not as good as those from generations past; simply not showing what was expected of them. This specially applying to players like Kaka, Ronaldo and Ribory, who perhaps had too much pressure heaped on their shoulders not only by the media but their fans back home.

Another factor which in my opinion influenced mediocre performances by the usual powerhouses like Italy and Brazil was the fact that both these nations were caught between generations. This meaning that the new generations were still too young while their more experienced players were simply too old. This being what can be called a world cup which was used to develop future generations. This perhaps being what will lead to both Italy and Brazil coming back very strong in the next world cup and perhaps once again playing for top honors yet hopefully it will be the "azzuri" to once again come out on top.

My name is Gianni Truvianni, I am an author who writes with the simple aim of sharing his ideas, thoughts and so much more of what I am with those who are interested in perhaps reading something new. I also am the author of the book entitled New Yorks Opera Society which is now available on Amazon.

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Football Reform - Why FIFA Should Support Nigeria

By Joseph Ezie Efoghor

World football history can never be complete without Nigeria, because of her great exploits in the soccer world. The African giant has achieved what so many countries (developed and underdeveloped) have not been able to achieve. FIFA therefore needs to support her on the steps she has taken to reform the game of soccer and make her national teams a force to reckon with again.

The recent performances of Nigerian teams in both continental and world football have been appalling, considering the nation's rating and previous achievements in both male and female football. For instance, the Nigerian Golden Eaglets was the very first team in the world to win the U-16 world cup (China '85); they have now won a total of three editions, and also played in three other finals.

The U-20 national team has also played in the final in 2 editions (Saudi '89 and Netherlands 2005), and staged the greatest comeback in the U-20 history, where they came back from a 4-0 deficit to beat the USSR on penalty kicks. The U-23 team became the first African side to win an Olympics gold medal (Atlanta '96), after beating Brazil and Argentina in the semi final and final respectively.

The Super Eagles participated in the FIFA world cup for the first time in USA '94, and got voted as the most entertaining team, after treating the world to great soccer artistry. They were even rated 5th best team in the world (FIFA ranking). So far, the Super Eagles have won 2 African Nations' cup titles (1980 and 1994), 4 silver medals (1984, 1988, 1990 and 2000), and 7 bronze medals.

The Female national team (The Falcons) has won 5 consecutive African Women Championship titles (1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006); participated in all Women world cups till date, and also participated in all female Olympics football competitions. They even got to the quarter finals of the USA '99 female world cup, where they were eventually edged out by the Samba girls of Brazil. The female U-20 has also been to all the female U-20 world cups.

The country has also hosted 2 nations' cup tournaments (1980 and 2000); hosted the world U-20 championship (1999), and the world U-17 (2009), and did remarkably well as host.

However, the fortunes of the Nigerian national teams dwindled recently; in 2008, the Super Eagles got their worst Nations' cup outing in Ghana, where they failed to win silverware for the first time since 1984. The U-20 team failed to get beyond the second round in Egypt (2009); while the U-17 failed to qualify for the African championship, having been knocked out by little known Benin Republic in the qualifiers (They only participated in the world cup as host in 2009).

Our female team (The Falcons) lost the last edition of the African women championship to Equatorial Guinea; and they even failed to reach the final.

In South Africa 2010, the Super Eagles failed to advance beyond the group stage, losing to Greece and Argentina, thereby making Greece win a world cup match for the first time. The performance of the team was less than impressive and has actually drawn condemnation from soccer fans worldwide.

The world soccer governing body therefore needs to support the effort being made by the Nigerian government to reform her football, instead of declaring a war against the nation. We understand tournaments would not be exciting without Africa's best team; we should at the same time remember it would be ridiculous if we participate and lose scandalously. It makes sense therefore for the country to go back to the draw board for sometime to try to fashion a way to improve the fortunes of her teams.

When they have fully reorganized themselves, they would come out more entertaining, more result-oriented and better focused. They would add colours to FIFA organized tournaments and help attract more fans, which would translate to better earnings for FIFA. Africa would be happy to see Nigeria bounce back and win more trophies for her.

Joseph Ezie Efoghor is a sports analyst and professional nurse with years of practical experience. He writes on variety of topics which you may find beneficial to you. For more on his write-ups visit http://efoghorsportsarena.blogspot.com

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