Well if anyone read my previous post on my prior views about the game, here's my after game analysis.
Again just got back from the bar and it was a good game. Spain played exactly the way I had anticipated and how they've played throughout the entire WC. Slow, methodical, and always keeping control of the ball with short passes. They literally jam up the middle of the field with players and play keep away with the other team to tire them out and wait for an opportunity to press an attack. Very valid and good strategy and it paid off again.
Basically Spain stuck Puyol or Alsano on Klose and had him shut down. Germany has a mild threat with Podolski and Trochowski they brought in as a replacement for Muller was no threat at all. In fact, I wouldn't rank him higher than your above average high school player, but I digress. By effectively shutting down the German offense, Spain managed to play keep away the entire time. Until the 80 minute mark I think the Germans only had 3 shots on goal. The Germans tried to adopt the same strategy as Spain but did much longer passes which allowed Spain's faster midfield to snap up the ball.
Spain did get a few more calls their way than the Germans, but I didn't see it as being a clear advantage nor something that would have changed the outcome of the game. The officiating was decent in my opinion.
I was surprised that when Spain finally made the goal that it was not done by David Villa, but by Poyul the sweeper! Crazy and clutch. Basically by the 65 minute mark the Germans looked completely gassed and frustrated. I could tell the Spanish smelled blood as they started to press several attacks. It was shot after shot from the Spaniards. It was a bit of a gambit on their parts because doing continual attacks can gas your team and build up frustration over missed or stopped shots. However, Poyul pulls it out at the 71ish minute mark with a great header from a corner kick.
The Germans tried to regroup and counter attack but it was sloppy at best. I could tell the heart and mind were willing, but their bodies were not. Their coach did a bad job on subs in this game in my opinion to let his players get that gassed. They were shanking passes, bad touches, horrible traps, and finally resorting to long ball attempts at the goal. It was really horrible to watch such a well synchronized team fall to pieces. However, that was Spain's strategy from the start and it worked. The last 10 minutes Spain would just sit around kicking the ball back and forth and only press an attack on a clear breakaway counter when the Germans over extended themselves on an attack.
Speaking of which, Pedro should be slapped for being an idiot on that counter. With a 2 against 1 he should have passed the ball off to Torres. Moron. Good job to the German defender Friedrich I think who stuck with it at least until the end.
All in all a great game to watch. I think it could have gone dramatically different with Muller out there, which is saying a lot that one man can make such a difference in a team sport. Congrats Spain you deserve the win and a chance at the Cup!