Spain 1 - 0 Portugal
Congrats Spain for your superior ball possession, but only one goal :sweat:
However, Germany will defeat you in the semi final
Did not stay up to watch.
Because know beforehand that Spain will win.
Not because Spain is better.
In my view Portugal is far superior to Spain. Could have given Spain a 3-1 thrashing if they wanted to. Their superiority is too obvious.
I think all the Portuguese players and Spanish players, their reserves, coaches, managers and maybe even the referee know that.
You see, all of them know that soon the 2010 world cup will end.
Everyone goes back to their daily grind.
The crowds and home TV spectators will not care two hoots about the heroics, suffering or injuries the footballers suffered in the world cup matches. They have forgotten already.
For the football players, there will be bills to pay, mortgages to service and so on.
Some may know the story of Garrincha the Brazilian legendary winger who died penniless.
So if you are a Portuguese player playing for a Spanish club and paid very well by that Spanish Club. What do you do?
Want to know how much Ronaldo is paid by Spanish Club, Real Madrid?
£556,000 PER WEEK. That is Sing$1,158,000 PER WEEK.
That is £106 Million in 6 years.
That is excluding bonuses if they win any title for the club.
So, if you are so well paid by a Spanish club, do you go all out to score goals that send Spain crashing out of the World Cup?
Do you shame the mother country of your kind and generous benefactor?
Of course you don't.
Ancient ethics forbid it - "Cannot
忘恩负义".
The Portuguese star players who play for Spanish clubs can always run a little slower, shoot a little less accurately, tackle a little less fiercely so that the Spanish team look as though they got more possession of the ball.
The Spanish also know what to do, in broken Hokkien, they Eh Hiao Cho Lang.
Win by 1 goal margin when Portugal allowed Spain to win, is good enough.
They don't overdo it.
Agree with you that the Germans will take the Spanish apart. Maybe thrash them like England. Germany is just as rich, if not richer than Spain. So economics will not save Spain this time.
