Spain were the Chelsea of this tournament. Despite oodles of offensive talent and technical skill, they played a cautious, defensive, unattractive, “possess you to death” style. Although ultimately successful, it left all of the neutrals longing for more.

As a Liverpool fan, I sure hope that Fernando Torres is OK.

FIFA has to find a way to deal with the twin scourges of fakery and rough play. They are two sides of the same coin. The only way to stop a Messi is to put him on the ground, and the only tool a Messi has to protect himself is the referee. How to fix the problem is beyond me. Stronger enforcement against rough play only encourages more fakery!

South Africa acquitted itself very well, at least from my view in Southern California.

It was a tough month for the referees, and for the FIFA stance on using technology to aid referees. It is now clear to the world that the referees need help with the modern game.

Congratulations to the Spanish team and their fans everywhere!

3rd Place Germany 3 – Uruguay 2

This was a wonderful soccer game to watch; in retrospect I am surely not alone in wishing that the final had been as entertaining and well played. The game was wide open, as both teams had nothing to lose and consequently no inhibitions.

Final: Spain 1 – Holland 0 (a.e.t)

Spain followed the script that was widely predicted. They controlled possession and defended with pressure and numbers rather than with physicality. Holland, on the other hand, was rougher than I expected, and not as oriented to attack. With the possible exception of Dirk Kuyt, the Dutch played scared. Consequently, the game was tight and tense, and not very exciting. Dutch winger is losing lots of sleep, because he was in on goal twice in the second half, against the run of play both times, and failed to convert both.  The second (or 82′) included a borderline penalty that was (correctly IMHO) not called, although the cynics will say that Robben should have collapsed on contact. The only goal came near the end of the second extra time period. Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas sent Man of the Match Andres Iniesta through and he calmly curled the ball past Dutch goalie Maarten Stekelenberg.

The referee (my favorite Howard Webb) controlled the rough Dutch, although he didn’t have a great game. He missed a clear red card to Nigel de Jong for a flying Kung Fu kick to the chest of Xabi Alonso while challenging for a header. In Webb’s defense, replays show he was screened on that incident. He ended up giving 11 yellow cards, and sent off Dutch defender Johnny Heitenga for a second yellow in the first extra period.

Germany 0 – Spain 1

While the score was tight, Spain was the better team from start to finish. Spain was consistently threatening, while Germany only generated a few chances. Spanish goalie iker Casillas was only troubled a couple of times. Spain held possession for relatively long stretches, and then took it back quickly. Spain controlled the midfield, and also took away the German long balls and counter-attack. Basically, the Germans played scared, which was very surprising.

Netherlands 3 – Uruguay 2

Neither team ever took control of this exciting, back and forth game. Netherlands were better in the first half, although not by much. Dutch left back Giovanni van Bronckhorst scored an unlikely 30 yard beauty on 18′, after picking up the ball near the touchline and moving in a few strides.  It was among the finest strikes seen at this tournament, striking the inside of the right post 2 inches below the crossbar. Uruguayan star Diego Forlan also scored a powerful strike against the run of play in the 41st minute, from 20 yards or so in the center. The teams went into the break level.

The second half continued back and forth, with both teams having possession and both teams making minor chances. Controversy came on 70′.  Wesley Sneijder got the ball at the top of the area on the left post, and took a shot.  After a couple of Uruguayan deflections it went toward Robin van Persie, who stepped out of the way and allowed the ball past him and into the corner. The goal was allowed to stand, wrongly in my opinion. Three minutes later Arjen Robben scored a nice header from a Dirk Kuyt to effectively seal the game at 3:1. Uruguayan midfielder Maxi Pereira pulled one back in stoppage time with a seeing eye strike through a packed penalty area from the top right elbow.

Uruguay, the cinderella team of the tournament, will rightfully feel unjustly treated after this match. They had three VERY close offside decisions go against them when they had players in on goal in the first half, and then the same assistant allowed the Sneijder goal. One might say that they deserved it after Luis Suarez stole the previous game from Ghana with the handball.

Referee Note #1: The commentators got the offside discussion wrong, again. They focus on the deflections, which are irrelvant. The relevant questions are whether Robin van Persie was in an offside position when the shot occurred and whether he was “active”. The replays are pretty clear that he was in offside position, despite (Dutch) announcer Ruud Gullit’s assertions otherwise. RvP certainly thought he was; there is no other reason he would not have put a touch on a ball in that position. The second question is whether RvP was “active”. He had to get out of the way of the shot, was screening a defender away from the ball, and the goalie appeared to stop in front of him, so I think he was active.

Referee note #2: I fail to see how Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel escapes yellows for his consistently bad fouls.  He got a silly yellow late in stoppage time for kicking the ball away, but should have been booked several times earlier for terrible fouls (18′ no call, should have been red, 43′, 64′, 89′). Dutchman Khalid Boularouz was booked in the 70th for a hard (but fair) challenge far less dangerous than any of MvB’s. The same story has been played in all of the Dutch matches.  I don’t get it.

Argentina 0 – Germany 4

Argentina went out with a whimper. German young star Thomas Mueller scored 3′ in on a free header at the top of the goal area from a Schweinsteiger free kick. At that point, the Germans relied on their stout defense, which was not particularly physical or dirty, just did not get bent out of shape by the slick Argentine passing. Argentina had a lot of the ball, but couldn’t make much, and in the second half the German counter attack netted three more goals.

Paraguay 0 – Spain 1

The game started quickly, with Spanish goalie Iker Casillas forced to save a Jonathan Santana shot in the first minute.  But it quickly became tedious. Spain had most of the ball, but couldn’t get through midfield. Paraguay made a few advances, and actually looked more dangerous, but could make no serious attacks.  The most exciting moment of the first half was a Paraguay goal by Nelson Valdez (correctly, though controversially) waved off for offside. The second half was far more interesting and entertaining. Paraguay earned a penalty kick when Gerard Pique took Oscar Cardozo down on a Paraguay corner kick, but Casillas made a fine save. Not even a minute later Paraguayan defender Antonin Alcaraz took down David Villa on a counter, and Spain had a PK! Xavi Alonso scored the kick easily, but referee Carlos Batres ruled encroachment, and the re-take was blocked. Spain called for another penalty in the ensuing scramble, but Batres got it right. David Villa scored the winner late on a Spanish counter attack,, collecting the ball after a Pedro shot hit the post, stepping to his right, and slotting the ball off BOTH posts and then in.

The PK fiasco was the only issue I had with referee Batres, but it was huge.  Both PK calls were deserved, but the encroachment calls were screwy. If the second PK needed to be retaken due to encroachment, the first should have been as well, because the encroachment was worse!

WOW!  Two wonderful games in one day ..

Netherlands 2 – Brazil 1

This was a tremendous game. Brazil was the better team in the first half.  Robinho scored a nice goal on 10′ on a long ball down the middle which he controlled and put in the goal.  Brazil controlled the rest of the half, and had a couple of good attempts that they would deeply regret not scoring. The second one was a gorgeous strike curling into the upper corner nicely saved by Dutch golie Stekelenberg,

The Dutch came out and dominated the second half.  Dutch winger Arjen Robben wreaked havoc down the right wing; the equalizer came at 53′ on a Wesley Sneijder free kick drawn by Robben. 15 minutes later Sneijder, the smallest man on the pitch, got the winner on a free header from a corner kick.  The Brazilian hopes ended in the 73rd minute when Felipe Melo got sent off.

Brazil is the more talented team, but they could never really get things going this tournament.

Uruguay* 1(4) – Ghana 1(2)

This was the most dramatic (and heart-breaking) game of the tournament. Ghana was the better team for much of the game, although Uruguay generated quite a bit of positive play and good chances. Ghana earned a goal at the stroke of halftime through Sulley Muntari, who struck from above the penalty circle while the goalie was screened and put it in the corner. Uruguay leveled early in the second half on a gorgeous 25 yard free kick from Diego Forlan, who had no trouble bringing the troublesome Jabulani ball down over the wall and under the crossbar. That was the scoring for the game, which was surprising given how open and aggressive both teams were playing. Even during extra time, which is often horrible as both sides play not to lose, this game was open and entertaining.

It was also dramatic.  In the 120th minute, Ghana mounted a furious attack at the Uruguayan goal, and would have scored but for a Luis Suarez handball on the line.  The referee saw it, and properly awarded the penalty and the red card. Ghanian star and leader Asamoah Gyan stepped up to take the kick, and bounced it off the crossbar!  Literally a minute later the game was into “kicks from the penalty spot”, and Gyan was the first kicker. This time he nailed it, but two of his teammates failed, and Uruguay won the game on PKs.

So, a depleted Uruguay play Netherlands in the Tuesday semi-final. I fail to see how, with leading scorer Luis Suarez and defensive standout Jorge Fucile suspended, that they can even make a game of it. But I hope they do, if for no other reason than to make the game interesting.