scrubs seasons dvd box setRegulation had spilled into overtime of this fractious game Sunday. The clock was nearly exhausted, as were the players. Soon, the World Cup final would be decided by its harshest verdict, penalty kicks, and skill would give way to nerve and caprice.A record 14 yellow cards and a red would be issued by the English referee Howard Webb. A potentially beautiful game between two elegant teams had turned nasty and destructive. scrubs 1-9 dvd box set
Finally, Spain prevailed, 1-0, over the Netherlands with great patience and an accustomed sense of drama in the 116th minute by the goal-scoring wing Andrés Iniesta, taking its first World Cup title, even if this one will be remembered more for meanness than splendor. scrubs dvd box set
The Dutch intended to take Spain away from its graceful passing game. And they frequently did, sometimes with brutal intent. Still, Spain showed hardness of its own, becoming unnerved at times but never discouraged.
Finally, it prevailed for a fourth consecutive 1-0 victory, displaying resolve, endurance and a flair for white-knuckled theatrics while completing a remarkable turnaround. Spain, the 2008 European champion, became the first team to win a World Cup after losing its opening match, which La Furia Roja had done in stunning fashion to Switzerland. scrubs seasons dvd
“I can’t quite believe it yet,” the diminutive Iniesta said. “It is something absolutely incredible. I simply made a small contribution to a match that was very tough, very rough.” scrubs seasons box set
Essentially, two World Cups ended Sunday, one with Spain winning on the field, the other with South Africa prevailing by most accounts on a referendum about whether it was ready to stage the world’s most popular sporting event.
For years, rumors persisted that FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, would move the World Cup, concerned that South Africa was not equipped to handle matters of security and logistics 16 years after the dismantling of apartheid.
But those concerns proved largely unfounded. The stadiums were built, nearly full and free of violence. Outside, crime did not become a major headline-grabbing factor. scrubs dvd set
“Organizationally, it has been a great success,” said Sunil Gulati, the president of the United States Soccer Federation and an economist at Columbia University. “All the concerns people had about Africa were dispelled.”
Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s president, said on Saturday, “The world has seen this country in a different light.” scrubs seasons 1-9 dvd
Danny Jordaan, the chief World Cup organizer, said that the tournament had brought pride, unity, self-assurance and the sharing of a vision to South Africa, adding, “The nation has crossed a huge psychological barrier.”
Yet it remains unclear just how thoroughly South Africa was able to project itself internationally as a modern, technologically advanced, democratic and tourist-welcoming nation, said Peter Alegi, a visiting Fulbright scholar at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban and an associate professor of history at Michigan State University.
In some places, anecdotal evidence indicated that the country was portrayed as just another soccer host or in the stereotypical African safari image, he said.
“South Africa saw this as very much a political project, even more so than an economic one,” Alegi said. “The verdict is still out on whether brand South Africa sold around the world.” scrubs box set
Even as the World Cup ended, debate continued about whether it was worth spending about $5.4 billion to put on a soccer tournament when some of the stadiums were likely to become white elephants and there was hardly any system in place for youth development in sports. scrubs dvd
“It was a waste of money,” said Marcus Solomon, who spent 10 years as a political prisoner on Robben Island during apartheid and who later founded a youth center in Cape Town. scrubs on dvds
A kind of hangover is expected in South Africa on Monday now that the World Cup is over. And an urgent question is already being raised: what happens next in a country where millions do not have adequate housing, electricity or running water, and half of the population lives at or below the poverty line?
Some fear a return of the xenophobia that led to violent attacks on foreigners two years ago. The plight of the poor must be addressed, The Times of Johannesburg wrote in an editorial Sunday, saying, “Freedom will forever remain elusive as long as they continue to witness the rich getting richer while their situation is rapidly deteriorating.” scrubs seasons 1-9 box set
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