world cup

the greatest mystery of this World Cup: How did New Zealand depart South Africa as the only undefeated team?"

It is a trainspotter's delight.

Little old New Zealand, ranked No78 by the folk at Fifa, yesterday emerged as the only unbeaten team from the World Cup.

Spain's 1-0 triumph against the Netherlands in the tournament decider meant all of the other 31 teams had suffered defeat, including the Spaniards, who lost 1-0 to Switzerland in pool play.

Only three teams had previously exited the World Cup unbeaten after the first round of matches – Scotland (1974), Cameroon (1982) and Belgium (1998).

All Whites goalkeeper Mark Paston, inspirational in the draws against Slovakia, Italy and Paraguay, described the achievement as 'weird'.

"It's obviously not something you would have thought would happen four weeks ago but I think it'll be in trivia questions for years to come.

"Most people will probably get it wrong as well," Paston laughed.

"I think it's just one of those things that just pops up from time to time."

Despite punching well above their weight, New Zealand were eliminated as Paraguay and Slovakia advanced from their group.

"It's fantastic, obviously, to go through three games unbeaten but in saying that, it would have been nice to get that crucial goal in the last game and go through to the second round," Paston said.

"But that's football and we didn't get the goal we needed and unfortunately we were eliminated."

Holland played 'anti-football' against Spain in the final, says Johan Cruyff

Former Holland international Johan Cruyff has launched a scathing attack on the performance of Bert Van Marwijk's team in Sunday's World Cup final against Spain.

Cruyff, Holland's greatest ever player, expressed his regret and sadness at the "vulgar tactics" employed by the Dutch - a country that coined the phrase 'total football' in the 1970s and who have been associated with attractive, elegant play ever since, until now.

"I said, 'No, no way at all'. Not because I hate this style. I said no because I thought my country wouldn't dare to and would never renounce their style.

"I said no because, without having great players like those of the past, the team has its own style. I was wrong.

"Of course I'm not hanging all 11 of them by the same rope, but almost. They didn't want the ball.

"And regrettably, sadly, they played very dirty. So much so that they should have been down to nine immediately, then they made two (such) ugly and hard tackles that even I felt the damage.

"This ugly, vulgar, hard, hermetic, hardly eye-catching, hardly football style, yes it served the Dutch to unsettle Spain.

"If with this they got satisfaction, fine, but they ended up losing. They were playing anti-football."

The flying kick by Nigel de Jong into Xabi Alonso's chest was particularly bad and the Holland midfielder was incredibly lucky not to shown a straight red card.

Instead, referee Howard Webb, reluctant at that stage to dismiss a player, produced a yellow.

Alonso has since described it as the worst tackle he has ever faced. The Real Madrid playmaker said: "I am in pain now. It was one of the worst tackles I have ever had, certainly one of the most painful.

"It was hard to play on. I have probably broken a rib, but right now I am not worried. It is an amazing feeling to have won the trophy."

On his so-called tackle, De Jong said: "The referee gave me the yellow card so, for me, it was a little bit of luck."

The three point for a win stupidity.

Team A - Three ties = three points

Team B - Two ties and a win = five points

Team C - One win, one tie, one loss = four points

Due to the tiebreaker rules, Team C may advance instead of the Team A

3 points for a win is one of the bst things about football and it means that teams have to try to win

"It's fantastic, obviously, to go through three games unbeaten but in saying that, it would have been nice to get that crucial goal in the last game and go through to the second round," Paston said.

"But that's football and we didn't get the goal we needed and unfortunately we were eliminated."

How did New Zealand depart South Africa as the only undefeated team?