Van Marwijk: Best team won
Reuters - Sunday 11 July 2010, 23:14
JOHANNESBURG - Dutch coach Bert van
Marwijk admitted World Cup winners Spain were the better team
but Netherlands could have snatched victory in the World Cup
final on Sunday with just a bit of luck.
Spaniard Andres Iniesta dashed Dutch World Cup hopes for the
third time, after they lost the 1974 and 1978 finals, when he
scored the winner in their 1-0 victory with four minutes left to
play in extra time.
"It is very bitter, very sad, but that is sport," said Van
Marwijk. "It is harsh but the best team won tonight."
In a rough final that saw a record 13 yellow cards and one
red card for Dutch defender John Heitinga, Netherlands had their
chances but twice winger Arjen Robben failed to score from close
range.
"You could feel from the start the team that would score the
first goal would also win the match. Those chances from Robben
could have meant victory but unfortunately we were not lucky,"
he said.
"Nobody expected that we would have been here, playing the
final, and we came so very, very close to the penalty shootout,"
said the coach. "We were unlucky."
"If we deserved it, I do not know. It is disappointing. We
came so close and we really wanted to win. We could have with a
bit of luck."
Instead of Netherlands lifting their first World Cup it was
Spain, appearing in their first final, who became the second
team after West Germany in 1974 to follow up winning the
European Championship by lifting the biggest prize of all.
France, who won the World Cup in 1998, did it the other way
around, claiming the European title in 2000.
Van Marwijk refused to blame referee Howard Webb for his
team's defeat although he did say the Englishman did not have a
firm grip on the match.
"I do not think the referee controlled the match well but
let me be clear: the best team won," Van Marwijk said.
"Both sides committed fouls and it may be regrettable for a
final and it is not our style but you do play a match to win.
"I would have loved to win the match even with not so
beautiful football," he said.
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