La Roja create history: Spain are World Champions

The two European giants Netherlands and Spain vouched to become the first World Cup winners in the first football World cup in Africa, but after a tense battle of more than two full hours of countless fouls, yellow cards and not necessarily the most beautiful football, it was Spain who snatched the title courtesy a wonderful goal by Andres Iniesta only a few minutes before the expected onset of penalty shootout.

It took them 76 years to break the jinx and for once call themselves World Champions, not biggest underachievers. La Roja, or the Reds, had since times immemorial all attributes that are required to be the best in the world – the footballing culture, the talent, the coaches, a league that is one of the best football leagues in the world; but on the big stage they choked, and how. It was way back in 1950 that this powerhouse of Europe made it to the last our of the World Cup – the only time they did that and which was the farthest they had reached in any World Cup. On 12 July, 2010, they have created history. These deserving players will have a story to tell their grandchildren – a moment that they will cherish throughout their lives.

For most of the match, however, it very unclear whether the deadlock will be broken at all and which team will create history for their respective sides. The game could not live up to the beautiful build-up it got – Shakira’s ‘This time for Africa’ and footballing moments captured at the tearing of the newspaper in the football pitch. It was full of yellow cards and free kicks, one of the most difficult matches to officiate for the English referee Howard Webb.

The Dutch came into this match having worked out a game plan against the possession seeking Spanish side. Playing a kind of frantic game and not allowing their opponents to settle, the Dutch sought to surprise their opponents and have an advantage on counter attacks. But that coupled with the fact that most of the participants were too afraid of the big stage to play freely, made sure that it was not the best football match on display at Soccer City, Johannesburg.

Spain: deserved champions

Spain almost got a goal through a pinpoint header by Sergio Ramos in the fifth minute off a free kick that was conceded by the Dutch captain Giovani van Bronckhorst. But Spain looked clearly unsettled and out of sorts in those early minutes because they could not get the ball and pass it around like they so characteristically do. A great build-up by Spain in the 12^th minute sees Ramos right of the penalty area this time going for goal, but it is put out for a corner from just in front of the goal mouth, and the resultant attack only succeeds in side-netting. The flurry of yellow cards just start in these minutes as Robin van Persie and Carles Puyol are both cautioned for unsporting tackles. Puyol’s card, incidentally, was the first caution for a Spain player in this World Cup.

The Arsenal midfielder and the Barcelona captain are followed by van Bommel and Sergio Ramos, who was having a great final so far. At the half-hour mark Spain had 56 percent possession, but the Dutch were not letting them rest on the ball for even a single second.

Spain captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas suffered an embarrassing moment in the 34^th minute, when a ball meant for him bounced in front of him and luckily went just wide outside for a corner. The Jabulani could easily have gone into the empty net. The net on both sides would remain undisturbed for almost the next three-fourths of the match.

Pedro for Spain had a chance in the 38^th minute, but his shot went wide. The fouls, free kicks and yellow cards continued. Just before the half time break, Casillas was forced to make a good save off a Dutch free kick that was easily the best chance for them.

The second half started well without the ugly tackles and frantic runs and appeals, and Spain almost benefited from it as Puyol headed a corner just over the crossbar. Peace remains only for a few moments, however, as the game goes back to its unattractive self. A great ball by Sneijder to Arjen Robben in the 62^nd minute should have been a goal for the Netherlands as he had only the keeper to beat, whose boots saved the ball from going into the net and Spain conceded a corner.

It was reciprocated by Spain through a typical build-up attack four minutes later, but a goal could not be produced. Six further minutes later, the Dutch had their hearts in their mouth when Spain squandered yet another opportunity, this time a better one.

Ramos’ header off a corner sometime later went just over – it could easily have found the net, but the Dutch were still in it.

The bad blood between players continued and the referee cautioned players one after the other. A few minutes before the scheduled 90 minutes, Arjen Robben’s great run saw him in a one-on-one position with Casillas, but a tackle by Puyol and then another defender coming in his way denied Robben, who was furious when there was no punishment for Carles Puyol. Puyol had almost got in a rugby tackle, grabbing Robben’s shirt almost to the point it would tear off, but of course it was all in the spur of the moment and Robben did not seem to mind it as he was still not dispossessed, only delayed and distracted. Puyol went unpunished, but Robben’s anguished and angry appeal brought him a caution instead.

Extra time starts, and in the fifth minute Cesc Fabregas this time is in a one-on-one position, but keeper’s boots saves it again and Spain spurn yet another chance. In the 11^th minute, Dutch keeper Stecklenberg watches as a dangerous shot is deflected and side-netted in what was one of the rare Dutch attacks. Then Fabregas is involved with a build-up for Spain again, but the shot is wide.

Heitinga for the Netherlands earns his second yellow card and the subsequent red, conceding a free kick at the edge of the penalty area. But still no sign of a winner as the match seems headed for the inevitable penalty shootout.

Andres Iniesta prevents that, however, when he scores with less than five minutes remaining. Fernando Torres became involved in one of the only significant passes in this tournament – an aerial one, and a penetrative pass later, Iniesta did not waste his chance and blasted home the ball.

Spain scored and celebrated like never before. Now they only had to hold on to this for a few more minutes, which they did. Casillas wept, and so did many in Spain and the Netherlands, some tears of joy and others tears of despair.

Torres smiled, and forgot about the hamstring that he pulled right at the death of the match. The Liverpool striker, who was brought on only in the remaining 15 minutes of the match, would perhaps have accepted his lack of form and injury troubles, if it meant Spain winning the World Cup.

Another World Cup came to an end. And as Iker Casillas and the Spanish team celebrated with the trophy, so did millions in the streets of Madrid and Barcelona and Mallorca. Rafael Nadal must be proud.