Well, I thought the Netherlands would win far more comfortably than they did. As it's the semi-finals of the most followed sporting event in the world, there would have to be nerves.
Spain really blitzed the Germans from the first seconds, and with their control of the ball (especially in the midfield) and pressure applied to regain possession and put the Germans off their game, the strategy worked. The Germans were certainly a more lethargic team and picked a bad time to have an average match. They missed Mueller more than they realised.
I was very impressed with the Spanish coach who, with 10mins left and up 1-0, substituted their best player this tournament (David Villa) with Torres (another class player, but overcoming knee surgery). The reason for my admiration was replacing one striker with another, rather than taking a defensive stance and replacing Villa with an attacking fullback.
The consolation with Spain's win means that one of my pre-tournament picks in now in the final and I expect them to win. The Dutch have a few players who play in La Liga, so it should be an exciting final. Hopefully Germany can account for Uruguay in the playoff for 3rd/4th place.
Please don't think that I've flipped my lid or am sleep deprived when you read the following. Can you believe that Paul the Octopus retains his 100% strike rate? When my brother was down, he spoke of Paul, but as I thought it was a gee-up, I didn't dare even contemplate googling it. I saw it on TV yesterday morning and was then sad to hear that Paul had chosen Spain. Anyway, rather than go on about it, here is one (of many) link that will help it make more sense.
