Tournament News

Alonso hits back at De Jong

2010-07-13 10:47
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Netherlands' midfielder Nigel de Jong, right, fouls Spain's midfielder Xabi Alonso with a kick to the stomach. (AFP)
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Johannesburg - Xabi Alonso fears he may have broken a rib after describing Nigel de Jong's challenge in the Soccer World Cup final as 'one of the worst tackles' he has suffered.

VIDEO: De Jongh's kung fu kick on Xavi Alonso

Holland midfielder De Jong was fortunate not to be sent off in Sunday's Soccer City showdown after a kung-fu style kick into Alonso's chest in the first half.

The Spain ace was able to continue playing before being replaced by Cesc Fabregas towards the end of normal time, but he was unhappy with De Jong's tackle.

"It was one of the worst tackles I have ever suffered," said the Real Madrid midfielder.

"It was a tight game, there was respect from both sides and they had to close us down.

"But that challenge was really hard. It was one of the most painful tackles in my life and it was hard to play on.

"I have probably broken a rib, although I am not too worried about that."

Reigning European champions Spain have now become the third side, after West Germany and France, to hold both tournaments at the same time.

No country has ever managed three on the trot, which will be Spain's task in two years' time at Euro 2012, and they have already been installed as favourites to complete a memorable hat-trick.

Alonso accepts there is plenty of work ahead of his team-mates before then, but the raw talent is certainly there.

"Right now is not the time to think about the future, but of course the basics are there with this team," he said.

"The style is there, the mentality is there and the team spirit is there. If we keep working in this way many more big things may come." 

 

Your Comments

English fan7/14/2010 1:17 PM
Biased and subjective has the same meaning, but all footballers are actors... geez they could win oscars!
CK7/14/2010 12:23 PM
Great game Spain....loved the theatrics of Villa, Ramos and Iniesta - you guys really know how to make a fall look like you been murdered when you haven't even been touched!! Camera's should be brought into the game to stop crap like that!! Try staying on your feet and winning the World Cup next time.
Footy fan @LolWut7/14/2010 10:43 AM
LolWut.... you really think rugby players respect the rules of the game, with all the punching in scrums and fights breaking out, stamping on people heads, raking etc etc..... and well lets look at Bakkies headbuting incident... nice respect there. Yes football has guys diving and con'ing the ref,but rugby has the complete other end of the spectrum with players diliberately trying to injure others, and you can't tell me that you've never seen a rugby game where a forward pass resulted in a try, or an offside player scored etc. Refs in rugby get it wrong aswell.
e7/14/2010 10:07 AM
rugby is a nice game but there's also many citations for dirty play and dangerous play / high tackles ... i like all sports .
Dirty dutch7/14/2010 9:06 AM
Good Lord that Picture is so crewel! What a harsh kick. I remember Alono's head jerking back! How Webb missed that is just too strange. What a pity the Dirty dutch got to the final. Hope they don't see a even a quarter final for many future world cups!
LolWut7/14/2010 8:52 AM
Oh please. After watching the SWC I've come to realise that soccer is no more than pro wrestling. Full of fakery and cheating and blind referee's who "miss" everything. I'll stick to my rugby. There the players respect the game and the rules and dont resort to "falling" to win favours from the ref.
e7/14/2010 6:51 AM
i miss the days of dennis bergkamp , marc overmars , edgar davids , clarence seedorf , patrick kluivert , ruud van nistelrooy , ruud gullit , frank rijkaard , marco van basten ronald koeman ....
Andrea7/13/2010 10:04 PM
Too bad the Dutch didn't think to play football rather than their game of thuggery.
rightguard7/13/2010 7:09 PM
I do not think De Jong's reckless challenge warranted a red card,a yellow yes.Ref did the right thing in an ill-tempered match .The overall verdict was that Holland was too physical and therefore did not deserve to win the match.It would have been a bad advert for world soccer had they won.Football should be all about skills and application which the Spanish team possessed in abundance.Van Bommel was in his element in this particular match.
Footy fan7/13/2010 5:07 PM
For all those that believe the ref blew a poor game, read some critical reviews by other refs on the net. You'll soon find the Webb was the only reason that the game was kept alive, yes he missed a corner that should've been given, but he also didn't send 1/3 of the dutch team off. The dutch should've been down to 9 men by half time. I wouldn't say dutch were utterly out classed but the best team on the field was definately Spain. As for those who think Alonso was a pansy for this challenge... lets see you get "Bruce Lee'ed" in the ribs with studs and see how you react.
Duke7/13/2010 4:24 PM
Typical! The Dutch love to blame the ref when losing... @ Dutch Man - You say the Dutch football is physical, please sit down and accept defeat like a man! deliberately kicking a man in the chest should be liable for a red card and you know it! Don't blame the ref for doing his job! there was dirty playing from both sides and he made the players pay for that, in De Jong's case he was lenient where as he should have given him a the red. Both teams played well when it came to the actual game play, Spain just managed to win. As for the Dutch, accept defeat and move on!
war - whites against racism7/13/2010 4:23 PM
Cruyff is a better analyst than any of us HOWEVER, he is biased and subjective when it comes to the Dutch, he is a bitter man, so in any other game, yes listen to his view, but he cannot be objective where the Dutch are involved. The game should have gone to penalties, the refs missed the obvious corner. (Or did they just ignore it?)
Dutch Man@bob7/13/2010 3:31 PM
well after being born in zutphen and currently owning a family home in apeldoorn i dont see how Cruyff is more dutch if your comment was implied towards me but i will tell you this Cruff has been a bitter old man for many years behaving like a little spoiled bratt after not having things go his own way before his final move to spain all those years ago...some would even argue an attention seeker coming up with crazy spy kidnapping stories that he supposedly was invloved in that could never be proved...but bob i appreciate the way you see the game regading de jongs challenge where he should have been sent off and yes i could agree, but then you will agree that a corner technically should have been given to the dutch at the end and which i am pretty sure at least one of the refs did see but chose to ignore so spain probably would not have scored that winner either then...so techincially they did not deserve that goal, i am glad we can agree there.
erewhon7/13/2010 3:26 PM
I am sorry that Spain and Germany did not contest the final. They were the best teams there and the final would have been a cracker.
Enlightened7/13/2010 2:39 PM
Fatality!!!
bob7/13/2010 2:33 PM
um... to the people who don't seem to understand cause and effect, if Webb sends De Jong off after 28 mins, the chances of Puyol being on a card and holding Robben back while one-one-one with the keeper at 0-0 towards the end of the 90 vanish. down a man and against a side that intends to keep possession in a war of attrition, you will either commit more fouls/get more cards, or the opponents will eventually score. The better side won regardless of Webb's agenda to keep all 22 on the pitch for the 90. Go read what Cruyff had to say about the final; he's both more Dutch and a better football analyst than any of you.
james usa7/13/2010 2:20 PM
Not quite the character builder that Rugby is.
Neelsie7/13/2010 2:03 PM
"Alonso hits back at De Jong" - please show me where in your article appear the facts that justify this masthead?
MP7/13/2010 2:03 PM
De Jong should have been red - carded
WAYNE G7/13/2010 1:47 PM
Worst ref in history. Dutch were robbed and they have every right to feel robbed.
Mark7/13/2010 1:42 PM
@ Dutch Man - Holland - played in 3 world cup finals - Won - Nil So you guys have been outclassed everytime ! If Holland are as good as you think they are - surely they should have won a world cup by now ??? The Dutch blew 2 great goal scoring oppurtunities to beat Spain - unfortunately the moment was too big for them. Match stats show MAINLY in Spains favour. Dont blame the ref - you were beaten by a BETTER team ! Typical dutchman - always looking for excuses or to blame some one else for your downfall. Football is a game of possesion and SKILL bru - something Holland is clearly lacking ! Enjoy the Spanish celebrations - you chop !
Ninja!!!7/13/2010 1:37 PM
De Jong is my hero!!! What a NINJA!!!
Jim7/13/2010 1:34 PM
A kick like that is A RED CARD.
hansi7/13/2010 1:29 PM
But the Dutch are bad sports and pigs. I recall in the 90's when Frank Rijkaard spat Rudi Voller not once, not twice but three times.
@Spartan7/13/2010 1:29 PM
i have never seen anyone get kicked in the chest in rugby. why do you bother watching the football if its not tough enough for you tosser.
Charlie7/13/2010 1:21 PM
De Jong and Bakkies have now been offered a staring role in Jackie Chans New Movie....
shaam7/13/2010 12:56 PM
Even in previuos WC's SPAIN has undoubtedly been the better players & team . Since they realized a win in the Euro Cup it was confirmed that they are unstoppable. Well deserved win Espanol.
Dario7/13/2010 12:46 PM
Im sorry, as a neutral i have to disagree with you chockstar. Spanish soccer is boring,.. they say they the best team in terms of ball possession, but thats only cause pique and puyol pass the ball between each other like 40 times before moving the ball forward. Spain are divers. its a fact now. probably even worse than the Portuguese (ronaldo). They go down so so so easily, twist and turn on the ground, hold their faces in complete agony, and then stand up and take the free kick. As a soccer player myself, i had my shin bone fractured, and i was got up and walked off the pitch. Thought Holland played decently, and it deserved to go to penalties... Thats life! Sweet
DeonGP7/13/2010 12:45 PM
That certainly looked painfull, but his chest bone (sternum) might rather be cracked than a rib.
Crazy Mexican7/13/2010 12:28 PM
That was the best sportsmanship I have ever seen.
wikki wikki7/13/2010 12:27 PM
The match statistics say it all: Netherlands Match Stats: Shots on Goal: 13 Shots off Target: 8 Shots on Target: 5 Fouls: 28 Possession: 44% Offsides: 7 Corners: 6 Yellow Cards: 8 Red Cards: 1 Spain Match Stats: Shots on Goal: 18 Shots off Target: 12 Shots on Target: 6 Fouls: 19 Possession: 56% Offsides: 6 Corners: 8 Yellow Cards: 5 Red Cards: 0 Spain outclassed the Netherlands and deserved to win, case closed.
Alex7/13/2010 12:27 PM
Dutchman is right. The dutch have been doing this kind of thuggery for quite some time. See for example the Euro 2008 game vs Portugal. Of course, nobody was expecting they would have no shame to show that during a final. Well they lost and now everybody knows about their true character. Compare that with Germany for great contrast. Now rest well and wait for another chance in a few decades to show how dirty you can be.... Not only that they were a bunch a cheating cry babies, so Spain also gave them a free lesson about that. You are welcome!
Dutch Man@chockstar7/13/2010 12:23 PM
pretty football does not always win you trophies no team knows this better than the dutch infact...the goal was to stop spain in their tracks and try score...we achieved the first part and almost achived the second by scoring and in the end spain could not beat Holland in 90 minutes.Now hopefully for other teams they have learnt from the dutch how to beat spain by stoping their game plan, unfortunately their were some missed timed tackles but thats football.Anyway in the end i think spain know they were lucky to win that world cup and they know full well that holland are capable of beating them and they will know this when the teams meet again hopefully in the euro cup
@chockstar7/13/2010 12:18 PM
"Solidly outclassed".... What planet are YOU coming from, you stupid nitwit. If the dutch were solidly outclassed, why did Spain only score one goal, and that 3 minutes before extra time? The ref made mistakes to both sides, but he was particularly harsh on the Dutch side. FACT. However, I do agree that De Jong deserved a red card. But so did some of the Spanish players. Even the Spanish goal was controversial. The scorer was passed the ball from a player that was offside. Spain didn't play better, their "acting" was better and the ref was not good enough to see it....
kwk_za7/13/2010 12:16 PM
Holland should have been with 9 players end of first half. There's no such thing as dutch footbal, but football. Once the dutch were "touched" they complained like hell. I predicted Holland in the final from the beginning as they were playing good soccer. Tactics were completely wrong for the final, they tried to undermine spain game with fouls. The better team won, hollnad had a spectacular worl cup but not enough in the end
ref sucked7/13/2010 12:13 PM
the ref cost the dutch the game when he did'nt give the penalty in the box when robben was clearly interferred with and held back in the goal box
Danny7/13/2010 12:12 PM
Stupid Dutch Man haha sulk for the next 4 years we'll party:)
Nick@Joe7/13/2010 12:12 PM
"The Ref Sucked" - If it was not for the ref the game would have been over by the end of the first half, with 2 red cards against Holland. He managed to keep the game alive for 120 Minutes, would it have been better for you to watch Holland whipped 10 - 0 with 8 men on the park. The best team on the park were the officials, Holland can thank the REF they lost 1-0, and FIFA/SA can thank the REF for not turning the FINAL into a FOOTBALL FLOP because of the reckless Dutch.
johan7/13/2010 12:05 PM
This is not rugby and rather than rugby a prefer to have an opponent in a boxing ring, where I have an equal opportunity of inflicting pain/insult on my opponent- rather than having a pathetic "high school-ish" "spoiled brat" head butt me from behind...on the topic- if the Dutch want to play a physical game, I suggest they go for rugby then. Football is not about physicality- that just slows the match- with all the yellow- red cards being thrown around then. The Spanish showed what football is about. As they described it better, “ being one with the ball” (sic) That should have been a red card and Spain would have scored the wining goal earlier.
bekkie7/13/2010 12:04 PM
It was not a tackle, both players were after the ball. The ball was coming in high and De Jong jumped up to attempt the bicycle kick and Alonso ran into his foot. So it was not a red card offence or a foul, or intentional. Spain won the SWC with the help of the ref. Everytime the Dutch did something he blew to stop the game. The holding back of Robbie was a visible obstruction and nothing came of it...
Non Dutch Non Spanyard man7/13/2010 12:04 PM
Dutch man you are hillarious. Holland has been helped by the referee who has allowed them to play with 11 guys on the field for most of the game. If the referee had not been smart enough, Puyol would have been sent off and Holland would only have 8 players after 90 minutes. The mere fact that only 2 Dutch did not get booked says it all. Luckily Holland did not win. It would have been a shame for soccer.
johan7/13/2010 12:03 PM
This is not rugby and rather than rugby a prefer to have an opponent in a boxing ring, where I have an equal opportunity of inflicting pain/insult on my opponent- rather than having a pathetic "high school-ish" "spoiled brat" head butt me from behind...on the topic- if the Dutch want to play a physical game, I suggest they go for rugby then. Football is not about physicality- that just slows the match- with all the yellow- red cards being thrown around then. The Spanish showed what football is about. As they described it better, “ being one with the ball” (sic) That should have been a red card and Spain would have scored the wining goal earlier.earlier
Non Dutch Non Spanyard man7/13/2010 12:02 PM
Dutch man you are hillarious. Holland has been helped by the referee who has allowed them to play with 11 guys on the field for most of the game. If the referee had not been smart enough, Puyol would have been sent off and Holland would only have 8 players after 90 minutes. The mere fact that only 2 Dutch did not get booked says it all. Luckily Holland did not win. It would have been a shame for soccer.
Sheriff7/13/2010 12:02 PM
De Jong opted for a wrong career,black belt is waiting for him at kung-fu.that boy can kick,i am telling you!
paula7/13/2010 11:59 AM
Hey Dutchman,that was a cowardly tackle of De Jong,not an accident.The same with Robbin who is another coward,always ''play acting'' that he was injured.This time it did not work.Well done Puyol for obstructing this cheat(Robbin).He did the same thing in their Brazil game.They were lucky to have won that game(Referee assisted).Robbins facial expression is already growing like he's just been injured.Its a tactic that referee's should give a straight red card to
Picture7/13/2010 11:56 AM
The picture does not show the whole scene, he was going for the Ball when Alonso moved in, still glad spain won though
Crypto7/13/2010 11:56 AM
@Dutch Man: Get over it! The Dutch lost!You trying to make excuses for that isnt going to change that! @Spartan: Lets see you take a kick to the chest with a boot and then comment again. No matter what sport it is, that will be painful.
Az7/13/2010 11:54 AM
@Spartan - the point is this is NOT rugby and should be minimal contact!!! It is not the players fault that football is more popular than rugby around the world - the market dictates what you get paid!
Garreth7/13/2010 11:51 AM
i would hate to see wat he would say if him and Bakkies were put in the same room. Just think. One that cant stop fouling and the other to pansy to take a knock to the chest. roast spaniard anyone??
chockstar7/13/2010 11:46 AM
Dutch Man.. if you honestly believe that Spain werent the better team and that they were assisted by the ref, then you are living on a different planet to everyone else who watched the game. I can understand you being upset your team didnt win, but they were solidly outclassed and can count themselves fortunate they only lost 1-0. Enjoy the bitterness, the Spanish are enjoying the win.
Dutch fan Marc7/13/2010 11:43 AM
It was great to see Xabi deal with this incident like a real man....just got up, rubbed his chest for a while and got on with the game. And all this whilst other players writhe around in complete agony when touched ever so softly by another players boot. Or when touched by a breath of fresh air.
Freddy7/13/2010 11:33 AM
That deserved a red card. can anyone tell me ...Is there not a citing system like in rugby ?
Dutch Man7/13/2010 11:23 AM
even though it was an accident as de jong did not see you come in from the side i must say this"welcome to dutch football alonso the spaniard" dutch football is physical and always has been, perhaps the ref should not have let you guys get away with some decisions which only irritated the dutch...anyway enjoy your refere assisted world cup.
Joe7/13/2010 11:22 AM
That was a red card offence. This ref sucked
Spartan7/13/2010 11:11 AM
ag please, what a woes, this happens all the time in Rugby, even after the whislte, & they dont get paid $ 10 mil a year.
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