España 4 – Italia 0

El Pais says:España ha inscrito su nombre con letras de oro en la historia del fútbol –  Spain has written its name with gold letters in the history of football.

They’ve won their second European Cup final against Italy, 4 – 0, following their World Cup win last year and European Cup four years ago.

They are the first team to successfully  defend the European championship title and win three major titles in succession.

I watched the start of Spain’s opening pool match against Italy, which they drew 1 -1, in a wee bar in Vejer de la Frontera. The locals were very excited about that; the oles will be even louder now.

Just wondering . . .

. . . if it’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game which matters, why do football games continue until one team scores?

España 0 – Holanda 0 UPDATE: España 1 – Holanda 0

Glimpses of World Cup games have confirmed my conviction that you have to know a lot more about sport than I do to appreciate a game in which the fulltime score is a nil-all draw and the best performances are the Hollywoods.

Update with two mintues to go : Spain got a goal: Spain 1 – Netherlands 0.

Update: España ha ganado la Copa del Mundo.

El País, Spain’s major newspaper, says:

Directo: España campeona del mundo

El 11 de julio es ya un día histórico en el deporte nacional. España ha ganado su primer Mundial. Un golazo de Iniesta a cuatro minutos del final la prórroga ha dado la victoria. Ha sido una final agónica, con oportunidades por ambos bandos y jugada con mucha dureza por Holanda.

Spain world champion

The 11 of July is already a historic day in national sport. Spain has won its first World Cup.  A goal by Iniesta four minutes from the final extension has givent he victory. It has been an agonising final with opportunities for both teams and played with much toughness by the Netherlands.

Three draws, no losses makes them winners

Here I am, not knowing one end of a football from the other (though I do know they’re round and therefore don’t have ends), writing a third post on the World Cup.

The All Whites went to South Africa as underdogs and return with three draws. They didn’t lose a game and while they didn’t win any either, they finished ahead of last year’s champions and they won lots of hearts in doing so.

They did this because they defied expectations though, Cactus Kate is right that they were so close but nowhere near:

Anyone who thinks this is New Zealand’s greatest sporting achievement is either a soccer fanatic or clearly knows nothing about sports. Sure it was the heart-warming Disney moment in New Zealand sports in living memory, but the result is tomorrow they fly home.

The All Blacks can only wish they could get away with three draws in their World Cup and have acceptance from the nation.

But this wasn’t the All Blacks, Black Caps, the Silver Ferns or Black Ferns, our rowers, runners, sailors or even Black Sticks any or all of whom we expect – sometimes even demand – to win some of the time.

No-one expected the All Whites to win and few would have been surprised if they’d lost every game. They didn’t, they drew them, surpassing expectations, and in doing so they did a lot – for themselves, the team and the sport.

Lindsay Mitchell finds plenty to celebrate.

Keeping Stock has a song for the All Whites and says it was great while it lasted.

Adolf at No Minister says they are out but not down.

Monkeywith typewriter says well done All Whites.

Not PC thinks it was a great result.

And PM of NZ is underwhlemed and looking forward to a return to normality.

Update: Kiwiblog notes we never lost a game.

1-1: excitement’s contagious

What many regard as the beautiful game doesn’t feature on my radar and when I’ve come in ear shot of the TV while the World Cup’s been on the sound of the vuvuzelas, has driven me away.

But excitement is contagious and I have to applaud the All Whites for the 1-1 draw this morning.

Like the Hand Mirror, this is probably the only post I’ll write about the World Cup (soccer) edition.

For more informed views:

Keeping Stock has some bleary eyed reflections.

At No Minister Barnsley Bill says goooooooal

Kiwiblog says well done the All Whites – and philosophers may be interested in his comment that anything that isn’t a loss is a win.

And Not PC mixes art and sport with Glad Day William Blake.

November 30 in history

On November 30:

1554 Philip Sidney, English courtier, soldier, and writer, was born.

1667 Jonathan Swift, Irish writer and satirist, was born.

1786  Peter Leopold Joseph of Habsburg-Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, promulgated a penal reform making his country the first state to abolish the death penalty.

1810  Oliver Winchester, American gunsmith, was born.

1872 The first-ever international football match took place at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow, between Scotland and England.

1835 Mark Twain, American writer, was born.

1874 Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Nobel laureate,was born.

1886 The Folies Bergère staged its first revue.

1934 The steam locomotive Flying Scotsman became the first to officially exceed 100mph.

 

1936  The Crystal Palace, London. was destroyed by fire.

 

 

1940  Lucille Ball married Desi Arnaz.

 

 

1949 the first National government was elected in New Zealand, led by Sidney Holland.

1953 June Pointer, American singer (Pointer Sisters), was born.

1955  Billy Idol (born William Michael Albert Broad), British musician, was born.

1965 Ben Stiller, American actor, was born.

 1966 Barbados became independent

1967 The People’s Republic of South Yemen becomes independent.

1995 Official end of Operation Desert Storm.

2005  John Sentamu became the first black archbishop in the Church of England with his enthronement as the 97th Archbishop of York.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia.

Sports talk

* Adam Smith corrected me last week for calling the football match between Bahrain and New Zealand a test. Can someone enlighten me as to when a match between two national teams is a test and when it isn’t?

* 99 then out – how frustrating for Daniel Vettori.

NZ 1 – Bahrain 0

Now is not the time to confess I’ve never been interested in what some call the beautiful game.

The last time the All Whites qualified for a FIFA World Cup was 1982.

I was in Britain then. As happens when you’re overseas and someone from home does something of note, even those of us who had no interest in what we then called soccer and is now known as football, got excited.

UPDATE: Keeping Stock has come out of retirement for an enthusiastic first hand report on the game.