Dubai: The Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg ushered in a new world champion Sunday night. Spain finally ended their under-achievers’ tag in style when Man of the Match Andres Iniesta scored the match-winner with barely four minutes left in the extra-time to dash the Dutch dreams once again.
Spain, European champions only two years back in 2008, hence completed the game’s biggest double at the end of a bruising encounter while for The Netherlands – it was a case of so near, yet so far again. The exponents of ‘total football,’ who fell short in two successive finals in 1974 and 1978, may now rue their defensive strategy.
Some inept supervision from British referee Howard Webb, who flashed a record number of yellow cards before giving the marching orders to Holland’s Heltinga during extra-time, did not help things either.
The two European superpowers were locked goalless after regulation time, during which Spain looked the more assured early on as a nervous-looking Dutch side ceded territory to their slick opponents. Netherlands goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg was forced into a diving save after five minutes when Sergio Ramos headed a Xavi cross goalwards while Spain forward David Villa crashed a volley into the side netting with the goal looming.
The Dutch, whose pragmatic approach under coach Van Marwijk had paid them well till the final – coming down heavily on the Spanish attackers repeatedly in the middle third. First, it was Robin Van Persie who saw the yellow card, then Mak van Bommel and finally Nigel De Jong.
The game continued in the same deadlocked vein after the break, with frequent stoppages and few chances, until Wesley Sneijder split the Spanish defence with a perfectly-weighted ball into the path of Arjen Robben after 62 minutes.
The winger bore down on Casillas and must have thought he had scored when he sent him the wrong way with a low shot, but the keeper stuck out a leg and diverted the ball to safety.
Spain then began to take control, moving the ball forward more quickly and created two good chances. First, a cross by lively substitute Jesus Navas reached Villa at the far post but his shot was blocked on the line, and then an unmarked Ramos headed wildly over the bar from five metres out.
Meanwhile, Uruguay striker Diego Forlan was on awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the 2010 World Cup, FIFA announced.
