Sports: Soccer: Spain wins WorldCup, Netherlands gets #2 spot on the boards and in the records

Steven Goff, Sports W+ter for Washington Post, gives the most absorbing account of the Final Match of the FIFA WorldCup today, the most followed sports event in world history,  playing in several cities in South Africa over the course of the last month, and around the world daily.  Goff, a seasoned sports w+ter,  wr+ts the story of the last game of this year's World Cup of the Federation of Football (FIFA, in French), he wr+ts in the breathtaking old fashioned way when there were no full-colour moving pictures to help visualize the story, vizualization was restricted to still photos mass reproduced in newspapers.

You'll want to read Goff's slendid 2-pager, "Spain vs. Netherlands: Spain is World Cup winner after 1-10 victory over the Netherlands" (July 12,2k10).

... Meanwhile, I've stumbled on a CBC TV replay of the entire Final match between Nederland and Espana, as the billboards announce the score in the background.  Not much of a score, tho these WorldCup games, so many 0-0 and 1-1 final scores.  Well, so far this is an 0-0 game.

Weird, knowing the ultimate goal in a Spain win over Netherlands, yet being surprized by the level of expertize the players on both s+ds are exhibiting.  ....  I'm musing ... how does my perception of a goaltender in soccer, and a goalie in hockey.  For one thing, an ice hockey goalie is encased in a suit of armor, replete with mask.  In Lacross there seems nowadays to be as much protective gear as in hockey.

Netherlands vs. Spain .... O-0, 0-0, 0-0 ....

'Til the game's over ...

-- Sportikos, a fan of the sport of soccer, football, futbol ...

MarketWatch's Christopher Noble wr+ts up the event, "World Cup final: Spain defeats Holland 1-0 in overt+m."

Sports: Soccer: Dutch beat repeat champions Brazil, 2-1; England vs. USA: Dutch win over Brazil 2-1; FIFA World Cup 2k10, South Africa

12 hours ago, the tide turned in WordCup soccer, as the favoured Brazil sunk into ignominy, while the Dutch came shuffling into first place in the semifinals, with finals already looming.

Netherlands shocks Brazil 2-1

By ANDREW DAMPF (AP) – 12 hours ago

PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa — Don't call the Dutch underachievers anymore.

Not after the way the Netherlands rallied to upset five-time champion Brazil 2-1 in the World Cup quarterfinals Friday.

After waking themselves up at halftime, the title that has eluded the Dutch for all these years is now just two wins away.

"For 45 minutes we went full throttle," said Wesley Sneijder. "We were rewarded."

One of the shortest players on the field, Sneijder put the Netherlands ahead in the 68th minute on a header — a thrill so huge he ran to a TV camera, tapped the lens and stuck his face in for a close up.

"It just slipped through from my bald head and it was a great feeling," Sneijder said.

He was in the middle of the post-game party, too, as his teammates swarmed him when the final whistle blew. John Heitinga picked up Sneijder and slung him over his shoulder as Netherlands captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst, a Brazil shirt in hand, leaped up and rubbed Sneidjer's closely shaved head.

The result was a case of role reversal for both sides.

The top-ranked team in the world and one of the most impressive squads in the tournament until Friday, Brazil lost its composure after falling behind and defender Felipe Melo was ejected in the 73rd minute for stomping on the leg of Arjen Robben.

The Dutch made the championship match in 1974 and '78, lost both, and rarely have lived up to their talent in other World Cups. They did this time, helped by an own goal off the head of unfortunate Felipe Melo that brought them into a 1-1 tie in the 53rd.

"I'm devastated. It was hard to see the players crying back there," Felipe Melo said after emerging from the locker room.

Netherlands team is 2 wins from the championship.