A Disappointing Conclusion...

Even she shouldn't be happy with this win...

What a disappointing end to the world's best international competition.

The odds-on favorite, Spain, wins the world cup by flopping and diving all over the pitch. Somewhere, Christiano Ronaldo is sitting there proud of his neighbors to the east.

Although its style of play is rather malaise and drab (a.k.a. possession-oriented), I had respected Spain for the majority of the tournament. It fought back after losing the opening game to Switzerland and moved past respectable juggernauts Portugal and Germany with clutch performances. It got the job done without too much unnecessary flailing or bitching (an anomaly in the world of futbol). It usually plays a clean and honest game of futbol.

That was not the case in the final. Midfielder Andres Iniesta was doing his best Greg Louganis impressions (I feel like this is a Rick Reilly joke) and his partner in crime Xavi was following suit. Even my boy David Villa got in on the Oscar award-winning performance, earning a few Dutch yellow cards for dives (Arjen Robben and and his stoner buddies weren't too much better either).

For what a great and progressive world cup this was for America (highest ratings in U.S. history), a final like this -- not to mention a fairly disappointing round of 16 loss for the Americans -- really sets progress back in my mind. The flops. The frustration. The cards (a record 13 in total). Granted, some of them were well deserved (a certain flying cleat to the chest comes to mind) but for the most part it was clinical stage diving. That kind of acting is one of the major reasons Americans can't buy into soccer. It's weak.

What boggles me the most is when players take dives like that when they have wide open runs. Several times today players on both sides had runs, only needing to beat one defender and they are in on goal, but then they get tapped (sometimes not even that) and flail to the ground as if someone had shanked them. Just power through it and score the fucking thing! You can't tell me one tiny little flick of an elbow from that sideshow Bob freak Carles Puyol can really send you spiraling to the ground. I mean, I know his horse mane has mystical powers but give me a fucking break. Stay on your feet and kick it in you clown.

Considering the steady improvement in American soccer and the televising of every cup game here, I really thought this was the tournament that would help soccer catch on in the U.S. I know, I know...it was very naive of me. Especially when two of the best teams in the world turn its pan ultimate athletic competition into an M. Night Shamayamalan film. Only with shittier acting. No, I didn't think that was possible either. But Spain and Netherlands somehow managed to do it.