The Fan

Spain edge poor final

Spain 1 - Holland 0

A goal from Iniesta minutes from the end of extra time settled a poor World Cup final.

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When asked if he [Van Persie] would be prepared to revert from attractive football to play for a side who won 1-0 every week and earned more trophies, Van Persie replied: “Small chance. The way I see it, I would never give that up. There are only a few teams in Europe who play the way Arsenal play. I will always play for a team where I earn less money but play fantastic football rather than a team where you can earn lots of money and win every week…

“I don’t like to run after people all game long; I like that they run after me.”

 

Without meaning to slander a whole nation, there’s something very Dutch about that statement. Style counting more than substance.

It’s one thing to say he is prepared to be paid less money to play in the style he wants, but when the amount of money he is earning is so much greater than the fans that are paying his wages who are wanting to win trophies, it sticks in the throat a bit.

From: The Guardian

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Johan Cruyff has blamed Holland’s World Cup exit on the country’s immigration minister for not allowing Ivory Coast-born Salomon Kalou to become a Dutch citizen.

Not being allowed to include players from another country, is quite some excuse…

See: BBC

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Fifa president Sepp Blatter has hit out at referee Valentin Ivanov’s handling of Portugal’s match against Holland.

 

Ivanov did not have a good game, but the players from both sides need to be condemned too. Holland and Portugal showed a great deal of indiscipline, and both teams were guilty of atrocious play-acting
(or ‘simulation’ if FIFA would prefer it called that) and some horrendous fouls.

The referee was strict from the outset and some players tried to abuse that by diving and feigning injury. If the 2 sets of players choose to try and out-cheat each other, then they must accept culpability as well.

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The Dutch squad have a reputation for imploding at World Cups. Coach Van Basten will keen that these first cracks don’t develop any further:

Arjen Robben has been warned by team-mate Robin van Persie that he cannot win the World Cup on his own despite his match-winning performance against Serbia and Montenegro

From: Yahoo!

 

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Holland sustained three injuries during their 1-1 friendly with Australia on Sunday with Wesley Sneijder’s ankle knock considered to be most serious.

From: BBC

 

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Dutch prosecutors said yesterday that they were investigating possible football fraud in Holland.

De Telegraaf newspaper reported prosecutors were looking into match-fixing and the bribery of players. A prosecutors’ spokeswoman declined to elaborate on details of the investigation.

From: Telegraph

 

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