1. Accusations that the Dutch played "too ugly." This is different from claims that other teams in the tournament played "dirty," though I've been trying to think about what the difference between playing ugly and playing dirty might be and can only suggest that "playing dirty" might be what happens when a team aggressively tackles or attempts to deceive the referee in a haphazard, individual manner. When it is part of the game plan, I guess it's just strategy.
The Dutch strategy was clearly geared towards playing physical and attempting to wear down their opponents, leading to many aggressive tackles. The best description I heard was simply that the Netherlands played "like bullies," but I find this curious and problematic, since it suggests that there are limits that a particular team should push their natural advantage. For example, would we criticize Spain for running too fast? Should Peter Crouch be banned from jumping at headers during corner kicks?
To say that the Dutch were correct to press their physical advantage is not to say that they played perfectly, or to suggest that we are endorsing violent player behaviour during the match. The level of violence, or more specifically "contact," falls within the parameters of the officials to decide. It is incumbent on the officials to indicate what is, and what is not, acceptable contact. Once these parameters have been established, the Dutch ought to have kept their aggressive tactics within it. It is reasonable to expect that after the hyper-aggressive beginning, the game ought to have settled down, that it didn't suggests a failure on the part of the officials.
2. Spain dove too much. Diving is a problem. It's one of the ways that smaller teams attempt to counteract the physical play of larger teams. There are rules against diving, or "simulation", but it is up to the officials to determine what's what. I watched all but three games this World Cup and think I saw only one yellow card for diving.
3. The officiating. Both of the above mentioned issues involve players trying to push the boundaries of acceptable behaviour. Everyone, including Howard Webb, knew that this game was going to be a tough one to referee, and I feel sorry that Webb botched it so bad. Clearly he felt that he had a strategy in place, but obviously it only made things worse. Had Webb been more forceful (or more clear) early on, players might have got the message and held back. For example, de Jong might not have been so reckless in his attempt to battle Alonso in the air for the ball had Webb cracked down earlier. Players would have understood what would have been deemed acceptable, however reviewing Webb's carding decisions reveals little in terms of a pattern.
4. Inconsistent officiating. One can argue that even if Webb had cracked down earlier, de Jong might have still given Alonso that ninja kick. I believe that giving Alonso a yellow, instead of a straight red for a "studs up" high kick, sent the players a message that Webb, for all of his warnings, was reluctant to send players off. This was certainly the impression I had towards the end of regulation when Robben attempted to navigate past Puyol, forcing the Spanish defender to put two arms around his waist. Unfortunately for the Dutch, Robben refused to be taken down, and tried to make a go of it, but lost too much balance and momentum in the process. It was an odd moment. Puyol was the last defender and Robben failed to gain any playable advantage, this alone should have warranted a free kick. Since Puyol was the last defender however, a free kick would have meant an automatic card, and since Puyol already had one, he would have been sent off. That Webb called nothing, suggested his reluctance to send players off. However, later in the extra time, Heitinga executed a similar foul on Iniesta, and Webb didn't hesitate to show the Dutch player a second yellow card.
5. Missed Calls. There were arguably many others, but shortly after Heitinga's sending off, the Dutch won a free kick that ended up rolling out of play after being touched by Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Instead of awarding the Netherlands a corner kick, Webb grants Spain a goal kick, and the Spanish are able to use that play to build-up to their inevitable goal.
