Armchair Diaries: Good Cup, Bad Cup
Editor’s note: CNN's Hong Kong Operations Supervisor Matthew Booth watched every match of the World Cup on television in the wee small hours of the night from a cruel South-East Asian time zone. At the time of writing he is still married, still employed and not noticeably crazier than he was at the beginning.
Hong Kong (CNN) - It’s finally over. The Spaniards have paraded their new shiny trophy around the stadium.
Across the globe, people have jumped into canals and fountains, weeping men are already regretting reckless tattoos, gushing women are naming their new babies Iniesta, and children are dreaming of the day when they might lift the famous old trophy themselves. Millions of inches of copy are rampaging across printing machines for thousands of publications worldwide, and I am at the end of my road.
Lessons learned from the 2010 World Cup
Atlanta (CNN) - Congratulations to Spain for deservedly claiming their first World Cup, but man, what a terrible final. It was never going to be a classic, mind you, with the Netherlands compelled to break down Spain’s midfield artistry by hook or by crook - or risk being passed to death.
However, the cynicism of the Orange went way beyond what many believed they were capable of, even provoking the Spaniards into some football that was very unlike their usual renowned "tiki-taka" style.
Spain: The greatest of all time?
Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN) - After 64 games and 145 goals, we have new world champions. And worthy ones at that. Spain were the best team at the 2010 World Cup, and they deserved to take home the trophy from South Africa.
As I walked away from Soccer City Stadium on Sunday night, I felt privileged to have watched, in person, one of the best national teams of all time. You could argue the contrary, saying they scored only eight goals in seven games, but I can’t recall watching a national side that played with the class and the skill La Furia Roja did here in the Rainbow Nation.
