Kuyt on Webb

[LeTallecWiz]

Holland forward Dirk Kuyt has suggested that referee Howard Webb cost his nation World Cup success.

Spain overcame the Dutch on Sunday at the Soccer City stadium thanks to Andres Iniesta's late strike.

But the encounter, which went to extra-time, was strewn with fouls and bookings as Webb handed out yellow cards to 13 different players.

Kuyt vented his spleen after the loss as Holland ended with 10 men after John Heitinga handed his marching orders.

The Liverpool forward said: "We are angry because we were so close. The referee was slightly more for them than for us. That ultimately cost us the cup."

Holland manager Bert van Marwijk, meanwhile, was understandably downbeat post the final whistle but felt Spain were worthy winners.

He said: "The best team won. I am disappointed. It is a world championship and we have just lost a final."

I'm sure Kuyt missed that Jet Li kick into Xabi's chest - that could easily have been red. It looked really bad.

Then again, Iniesta and Van Bommel could have easily gone for their altercation (I HATE Van Bommel - he's one of, if not, the most dirtiest players in the world.

I thought he handled Robben well too. Had Robben gone down when Puyol got his shirt, he would have sent him off - but as Robben kept on going, he played advantage. And then he didn't send Robben off later when he kicked the ball away and wouldn't stop yappering. He did a good job there too I thought.

The Dutch red, I thought, was the right call too.

Webb, despite the amount of yellows, had a good game.

 

[localny]

the dutch could have won this game, if they played their own game. blame the manager, the tactics, not the ref.

they played like ireland or any other small country would play making a world cup final. too in awe of the opposition. for jesus sakes, they had a great attacking trio of VP, WS, and Robben.

Webb didn't have a good game, he had a fantastic one. No silly reds, all solid yellows. best display of reffing I've seen in eons. sign him up...whoops!

 

[Farkmaster]

At what point will people stop saying that teams were afraid of Spain and let them play their game, and realize that over the last couple of years, they've dominated team after team, because they are just better?

It was a midfield battle, and Spain's midfield is just fucking better, by some distance. De Jong and Van Bommell showed their essential nature because they were faced with opposite numbers who can do everything they do, and a billion other things.

I've intentionally avoided watching Alonso play for Madrid. This world cup has reminded me why. I'm not singling him out, the whole of the central midfield for Spain is insane, even on the bench, but he was ours, and the soul crushing hole in our midfield last season was shaped like an Alonso. It's sad to watch him striding about.

 

[Frogfish]

Netherlands (Robben) had the two best chances of the 90 mins to win it ..... if you want to play the blame game ...

 

[Portly]

I thought Howard Webb had a very good game. It was a difficult match to referee because Netherlands had made a tactical decision that the best way to deal with Spain's sophisticated passing game was to boot their players up in the air whenever they tried to do it. Spain naturally gave the Dutch players some of their own back. Howard Webb knew that if he sent a player off early on, it would spoil the game as a spectacle, and World Cup Finals only come along every four years, so that would have been a shame. He managed to exert his authority without actually sending a player off until the very end.

 

[Buddha]

If anything I thought Webb was rather lenient with the Dutch. De Jong should have got a straight red in the first half and Van Bommel should easily have either had a straight red or accumulated enough yellows to leave the pitch (yet again).

So much for Dirk being a paragon of all things decent. He'd be better congratulating Spain for being such a wonderful side than trying to blame Webb.

 

[Richey]

Webb did well. He showed a lot of yellows but all were deserved, and a more fussy ref could have easily sent off 3 or 4!

Spain were the better side, the Dutch just tried to kick everyone

 

[Rosco]

He fucked up a couple of decision right before the goal, hence the Dutch response.

It looked a little bit like he was getting help from a fourth official last night.

 

[Farkmaster]

[quote author=Rosco link=topic=40946.msg1134616#msg1134616 date=1278920973]
He fucked up a couple of decision right before the goal, hence the Dutch response.

It looked a little bit like he was getting help from a fourth official last night.
[/quote]

Hrm... I don't know, there was one quite delayed call, but he was pretty on top of everything else.

 

[Spionkop69]

Shut it Dirk. Leave the moaning to your shameless team mates.

 

[Rosco]

It wouldn't be the first time it has happened in a World Cup Final

 

[Farkmaster]

[quote author=Rosco link=topic=40946.msg1134619#msg1134619 date=1278921155]
It wouldn't be the first time it has happened in a World Cup Final
[/quote]

Alright, elaborate, I am not surprised, but this is the first I've heard of this.

 

[spider-Neil]

the dutch were doomed the second the pychic octopus went for the spanish. I don't know why they bothered to turn up.

 

[Rosco]

Zidane's headbutt in 2006 wasn't spotted by the ref initially and was only brought to the Refs attention after the fourth official saw it on a replay.

 

[TheBunnyman]

It was funny watching Webb telling off Sneijder, Heitinga, Iniesta, Robben et al - it looked like a skinhead dad yelling at his naughty skinhead children.

 

[Sunny]

Silly Dirk. Holland played like thugs. The reason the referee was "slightly more" for Spain was Holland kept fouling them "slightly more" times. They were lucky to finish the game with 10 men on.

 

[Avmenon]

I may be alone in this, but I think it's a bit harsh on the Netherlands.

They didnt have the players to beat Spain, they were always going to be very physical.

I do agree that some of it was excessive.

Espcially de Jong's 'shoryuken' moment.

And van Bommel is a prick.

 

[Judge Jules]

[quote author=Farkmaster link=topic=40946.msg1134617#msg1134617 date=1278921046]
[quote author=Rosco link=topic=40946.msg1134616#msg1134616 date=1278920973]
He fucked up a couple of decision right before the goal, hence the Dutch response.

It looked a little bit like he was getting help from a fourth official last night.
[/quote]

Hrm... I don't know, there was one quite delayed call, but he was pretty on top of everything else.
[/quote]

A tad generous IMO. He gave Spain a goalkick which should have been a Dutch corner and which led directly to the goal. Most of the cards were fair enough but De Jong should have been straight off for that Kung Fu flyer on Alonso.

All that said, though, Webb did have a good game overall. It's ridiculous for the Dutch to try and shift the blame for their defeat on to him. Deep down I suspect they know it but are unwilling to face up to it.

 

[keniget]

He could've given the corner, he could've given the foul against Elia and he even could've sent Puyol off... but then he could've seen to it that Holland ended the first half with 9 players and that would've resulted in a Spanish victory in 90mins before they had the opportunity to create any of their chances.

In the heat of the moment you can forgive the team for being emotional about things going against them, however to moan about the refeering in the cold light of day is embarrassing and doing them no favours at a time when most almost all neutrals feel they deserved to lose.

 

[manwithnoname]

[quote author=Avmenon link=topic=40946.msg1134642#msg1134642 date=1278923564]
I may be alone in this, but I think it's a bit harsh on the Netherlands.

They didnt have the players to beat Spain, they were always going to be very physical.

I do agree that some of it was excessive.

Espcially de Jong's 'shoryuken' moment.

And van Bommel is a prick.
[/quote]


Agree with most of that, but they certainly went too far and it was a pretty ugly game.

That said, they did have two very, very good chances with Robben, but Casillas saved both.

 

[the count]

[quote author=Farkmaster link=topic=40946.msg1134589#msg1134589 date=1278912810]

I've intentionally avoided watching Alonso play for Madrid. This world cup has reminded me why. I'm not singling him out, the whole of the central midfield for Spain is insane, even on the bench, but he was ours, and the soul crushing hole in our midfield last season was shaped like an Alonso. It's sad to watch him striding about.
[/quote]

Firstly I thought that Webb had a decent game. He did seem to want to have the match continue eleven v eleven for as long as possible and that may have been a bit of his undoing as an earlier red card may have stopped some of the late more unsavoury stuff.
On second thoughts if he had sent of Van Bommel he would have cut down on the subsequent unsavoury stuff by 80%.
In the lead up to the goal, while Elia may have been obstructed/fouled his theatrical dive forward did him no favours and without having watched the incident again I though that Webb got that one spot on too.

As for Farks comments above, well for me this World Cup has reminded me just how much I admire Alonso. I think at the time he left I said that he appears to be everything that I admire in a footballer and a person and he is showing what a world class he is now that he is surrounded by equally talented palyers.
I still fucking hate him for leaving us though.
Where is Anita when you need a shoulder to cry on.

 

[the_khl]

The right team won on the night and the Dutch should praise themselves somewhat fortunate that it somehow took Webb more than 90 minutes to show them a red card.

Holland played a bit like the Germany of old. Without their standard victorious ending of course.

 

[Atlas]

I think Kuyt will look back at the match maybe in a few weeks or so when the hurt has subsided a little and think again about that statement.

 

[Molbystwin]

Holland made that game ugly, to be fair they were fighting for their footballing lives, it wasn't Webbs fault, kuyt should blame Robben for bottling it when one on one.

 

[Woland]

In as much as you can feel for anyone that earns brewsters doing what they love, I can see why Dangerous was so pissed off. He's been with us for 4 years and won jack shit and this was a great chance to get a winners medal, but he was just lashing out coz he was upset.

 

[manwithnoname]

[quote author=crump link=topic=40946.msg1134701#msg1134701 date=1278936157]
In as much as you can feel for anyone that earns brewsters doing what they love, I can see why Dangerous was so pissed off. He's been with us for 4 years and won jack shit and this was a great chance to get a winners medal, but he was just lashing out coz he was upset.
[/quote]

Regardless of how many trophies you have, or haven't won, I think every player who loses a WC final would be understandably upset.

 

[bkwitche2]

I thought the officiating was pretty terrible.

HOwever, it still stands that the best team won.

 

[Vlads Quiff]

I don't rate Webb anyway, but I think last night he did as well as can be expected, as has been said, the Dutch got off very lightly, they could have had three players sent off.
I think he got the big decisions right, but could certainly have been tougher.
The Dutch did not help things with their over-physical game, and that whiny little fucker Robben.
If Holland had nicked a goal instead of Spain, I think the Spanish team could have rightly felt more aggrieved at the refereeing than the Dutch do now.

regards

 

[Le Chacal]

Good game from Webb and Kuyt showed why Vlad was spot on in the other thread.

 

[Whaddapie]

The Dutch should have finished the first half with nine players, so forgive me if I dismiss any moaning about subsequent decisions...

And they still should have won the bloody thing. DELIGHTED that it was Robben who missed those two glorious chances.