Now I've had a full 5 days to calm down, I can comment on this.
Football had died when Netherlands employed those tactics against Spain and got away with it, or a number of other instances over the past 2 decades in similarly important games.
FIFA could have led by example and taken retrospective action against the aggressors - fines, suspensions, whatever. Footballing authorities around the world would have followed suit, players would have learned not to risk their careers if the retrospective action was strong enough and we wouldn't be in the 21st century watching the art of cheating win a football game rather than the football itself.
Yes Real are class, and yes it showed that our midfield area and goalkeeper are the clear areas of weakness. Attackers are world class and defense has stabilized and will only get better with VVD, so it was obvious. But even with substandard midfield and goalkeeper, we could have won that game fair and square, outplaying these dirty, overgrown lump of filth that is Real Madrid.
Logged