World Cup Notes Final

1) The third place game was fun to watch, and even had the outcome I was hoping for (you may remember I decided, for fairly arbitrary reasons, to root against South America), but I still wish Germany had made the Final.

2) On the plus side, this means at least that 2010 will crown a world champion that has never won before.

3) I have read a couple of articles recently suggesting we should root for Spain over the Netherlands. Why? Well, the Korea Times quotes a Korean brokerage house that thinks a Spain victory will boost the global economy more--Spain is the doldrums, while Holland has a healthy economy:

Spain was feared to be a cause of another economic downturn together with other highly indebted neighbors situated in southern Europe such as Portugal, Italy and Greece - called the PIGS countries.
Over the past two decades, World Cup winners have chalked up a substantially better economic growth rate in the year following their success compared to a year before.
For example, Argentina clocked an economic growth of 7.1 percent in 1986 when the Latin American nation won the World Cup in Mexico compared to negative 7 percent a year previously.

Slate is carrying a story titled Orange Devolution bemoaning the Dutch side's retreat from "total football"--a syle of play that emphasized creativity, fluid positioning and Johann Cruyff. And the offside trap, the only part of the system that was adopted by the wider world.

Whatever.

4) I am watching the final live right now, and you have to give the first half to Spain, though it remains scoreless. The Oranje have come out stronger in the second half. Gotta say, though, yellow has been the most impressive color, so far--yellow card, that is.

5) Spain goes up in the 116th minute, so it looks like Netherlands remains the bridesmaid, never the bride. It's only fitting as Spain played the better game. And I can catch a half-hour or so of shut-eye.

Congratulations, Leo Labato Rodriguez, wherever you are!