Stereotypes

Live blogging. Spain versus Italy. Extra Time. Whenever a game is without a goal and there have not been many chances, the cliche is always the same, the sterotype is always the same: it's a chess match.

This game is not like that. The cliche is in the teams. Spain are pretty to watch, knockng it around with the ball fizzing across the turf. Slick one-touch passing. The beautiful game. Perfect football ... except for one thing, typically lightweight and always muscled off teh ball in challenges, and despite the bullish centre forward, toothless in attack.

Italy have embodied their cliche too. The dour, negative tactics. Their one creative midfielder (Pirlo) not playing. No width in midfield. Fullbacks who stay back. Catenaccio. The dying swan impresson after the slightest challenge. The "injured" player even crawled back onto the pitch to waste more time. World cup finalists apparently playing for penalties from the kickoff.

Fabregas is stepping up for the final penalty ... justice!

(links later - the fastest post on the web)