The World Cup Final 2010

It is the World Cup Final in an hour, Spain versus Holland, so there will be a new name on the cup. I'm still not sure who I will be supporting. Spain have been playing exciting, skillful, close passing football for the last couple of years. They are the European champions. The team is made up of mainly Barcelona players, and I have a great affinity for the Catalan capital. The city is, sort of, twinned with Manchester. Both cities are regional capitals, have a strong socialist history and a cultural counter balance to the respective National capitals. Both are great footballing cities. On the other hand the Dutch also have a strong footballing history of flare and excitement, total football. Both teams have underperformed over the years. I wont know who I'll be supporting until I actually see them playing.

So the game is about to start. The British interest is that the referee is Howard Webb. Guy Mobrey is commentator and gives us lots of match statistics before the game. The anthems are played and the camera pans the crowd. Off we go. 'Can the Dutch stop the Spanish from passing their way to cup success?' asks Guy rhetorically. Spain has six of the top eight passes in the world official list, we are told. The pundit for the night is Laurro and he makes a quick assessment of the formations, but before he finished his sentence Spain have an early chance from a dead ball position. Then another great save from a cross. The Dutch are under early pressure. Then the ball switches to the other end. Kuyt shoots and it trickles to the keeper.

Laurro confirms that the Spanish have the best midfield in the world, and they are getting into the Dutch early. I think I'm wavering on the Spanish side now. 'Who are you supporting?' asks Rachel. I'm not sure still. Ramos has the ball into the box and crosses. He seemed to waltz past the defender. From the corner a first time left footed strike from Villa hits the side netting. 'It's a shaky start from the Dutch' points out our commentator. We are reminded that some of the Dutch team play for Barcelona too and that there is a strong historical link.

The first booking. It goes to Van Persie of Arsenal. Laurro thinks its down to a bit of frustration as he hasn't done as well as he might on the goal scoring front.

Oh dear. Puyol, Mister Barcelona himself, also gets booked for a tackle from behind. 'Howard Webb wont want to ruin his run of not sending someone off' we're told. Cassilas makes a save from the free kick. Laurro thinks Holland need a period of passing to regain confidence. The Dutch manager has won his last 12 games and unbeaten in 25. I'm swinging towards the Dutch now. A crunching tackle goes in, and another booking, two to one. Then another booking two all.

We've seen some games of cat and mouse as teams compete for the control of midfield, but this is high tempo exciting stuff. Another tackle from one already booked and a gasp of anxiety from his bench. Twenty five minutes gone already.

Hamid is supporting Holland because the Dutch have a reputation for generosity towards the destitute and asylum seekers. That's true. I'm heading towards the Dutch a bit more.

'It's a world cup final just waiting for something to happen'. De Jong is booked for studs up in the chest of Alonso. 'There'd be no argument if that was a red' says Laurro sagely. Clarence agrees they are lucky and agrees with me that 'we have a bit of a game of chess going on'. Half an hour played and we're no nearer knowing who is going to win. 'Can either team step it up that extra notch that's required?' Another rhetorical question. Laurro doesn't think there's any rhythm yet to the game. Cassilas miss judges a pass back to him. The vuvezellas are being blown tentatively only. Then he Dutch crowd starts singing again.

A corner for the men in orange. They miss a sitter. Now the Spanish carve their way through and just miss the upright. I think we need a goal. Another foul from Van Bommel. The Spanish centre backs go forward. It's knocked out, and back again. Off side. Laurro doesn't think this is a normal Spanish performance. The midfielders are playing very deep. Sneider breaks up another attack, but comes out worse from it. No booking as the ref thinks he was going for the ball. A free kick from the edge of the box. Shot on goal wide.

Van Persie has an attempt, also wide. 'He's been fed scraps' says Laurro. Robben shoots low. Good save by Casillas. Corner wasted, but plenty to talk about at half time. 'Get it to Van Persie and something will happen' explains Laurro. It's half time in the nineteenth world cup final.

Half time assessment is that it's been more like thuggery than football. Shearer and Hansen are both convinced the Dutch should be down to ten men, may be nine. Lee Dixon thinks the Dutch have ruined the game because of their tactics. Hansen doesn't mind putting the foot on the ball but this is too much. Then some examples of the highlights and the change in tactics. Mostly the horrendous tackles, which all look much worse in slow motion. The half time break is concluded with the best goals of the tournament so far. Clarence Seedof thinks that Robben is a key player but hasn't had the ball yet. Right get on with it now. Hansen thinks the Spanish need to just keep going. I think I'm back to Spain now.

A heavy pass to Van Persie or he was through. Then the Spanish take control again. Corner to Spain. Puyol gets on the end of it, but not enough and wide. Alonso attacks the box, and shouldered off the ball. Then back to the other end and a cross just wide. The Dutch crowd are more vocal. Torres warms up but things have swung back briefly to the Dutch. The game opens up a bit and a few mistakes are creeping in. Ramos is fouled on the edge. A yellow card for the Dutch captain. Xavi to take the kick, just over the bar.

The Dutch are off again, but loose the ball and a break is on for the Spanish. Villa is felled, another yellow card for the Dutch. I'm definitely going for the Spanish now. Then a kick to the Dutch but nothing happens from it. First substitute. A cross goes in to the 'Perse' but nothing comes of it. Clarence confirms it's a tactical game, but wait Roben is free. Casillas dives the wrong way but gets his foot in the way. The chance of the game is wasted. 'There is something brewing in this world cup final' confirms Guy, the commentator. The Spanish are starting to do their stuff on the edge of the box. Villa is put through and just off side. Good decision by the English linesman.

Xavi to Iniesta to Davas who runs into the box and crosses. Villa must score, but blocked. 'The game has stepped up in pace' Guy tells us. A Dutch substitution and Kuyt comes off. 'A nice balance now' Laurro tells us. Xavi and Iniesta try to thread the ball through. Still goalless at seventy minutes.

Iniesta is brought down again on the edge. The wall is reluctant to go back. It's Xavi or Villa. It's Villa and over the bar. Sixteen minutes to go. Laurro thinks they'll throw Torres on. The commentator thinks that's 'the story still to be told'. Sneider gets a ticking off for a wayward tackle. Another cross in from Davas and Villa just misses. 'Where is the break through going to come from?' asks the commentator. Villa shoots wide again. Xavi crosses and, oh my goodness, Ramos misses the easiest chance of the game. A straight forward header into an open goal goes over the bar.

Iniesta into the box. Great tackle from Sneider. It needed to be. The Dutch are under siege. Nine minutes to go. Wait, the Dutch are through, Robben is pulled back by Puyol but didn't go down. Casillas stops the shot again. Robben could have had a foul and Puyol off but he didn't. Suddenly the Dutch regain confidence. It's more open now than at any stage. Cesc Fabrigas is about to come, the best player in Europe, in my opinion. The stage is set. Alonso comes off. Laurro thinks this is a more attacking move.

Three minutes of normal time left. The pace slows a little. Not a good time to concede. Xavi turns Robben, but the Dutch break again. The Perse gets the ball, but just off side. The ninetieth minute.

Three minutes of extra time. At least. Iniesta to Xavi, the move breaks down. Fabrigas, too hard into Xavi. The Dutch can't get the ball. Quick free kick. Xavi is dispossessed and Sneider goes for a shot from forty yards and wide. The whistle goes and we're all set for another half hour.

'Extra time it is' says Linacre. Hansen is desperate for the Spanish to win. Shearer raises the standard by asking 'who says football has to be pretty?' Weeeeelll. Hansen thinks there's no way the Dutch should have eleven players on the pitch.

We're off again. Fabrigas goes down on the edge. Only a corner given. Puyol goes for it. Keeper saves. 'Desperate stuff, but then it is the world cup final' Xavi has gone forward and Fabrigas a bit deep, which puzzles Laurro for a while. Fabrigas is through. Must score. Great save from the Ajax keeper.

A Dutch cross comes in, Casillas flaps and the ball is headed over the bar. Both sides are going for it now. 'Neither side wants penalties' reckons Laurro. Xavi corner, Puyol in but nothing. The Dutch break but Roben is off side. Iniesta through this time, but brushed off by the defender brilliantly. Another Dutch substitute as the booked DeJong does off. A positive move by the Dutch manager, we think.

Villa to Davas and a shot. The net bulges. Into the side off a deflection. Laurro thinks this is the best period of the game so far. Cat and mouse again in midfield. Clarence confirms it's tactical. Fabrigas suddenly turns on the pace and shoots just wide. The household here has changed it's allegiance to the Spanish. Even Ross who joined us at half time, has switched. Sneider makes another decisive intervention. The end of the first half of extra time.

Clarence is still hopeful as they're still in the game. Spain look like bringing on Torres for Villa, and sure enough. All the Spanish cards have been played. So have the Dutch. Iniesta, Fabrigas, Iniesta, Tores, Xavi and it breaks down. Then the Dutch come forward. Van Bommel, Sneider, Van Persie and back to the Spanish. Heisinga pulls back Xavi and he has to go. The Dutch are down to ten men, some justice at last. A free kick on the edge of the box. Xavi takes, and over the bar. Even Hamid has now gone over to the Spanish.

Iniesta is brought down and another booking. Another chance for Spain, great cross, great goal keeping. Poor control from Torres and the ball goes free. The Dutch are away again but Robben is off side. He kicks the ball away, already booked. Mr Webb shows leniency on this occasion or he'd be off too.

Now it's a free kick to Holland outside the box. Deflection and wide. The referee didn't see it and it's a dead ball.

The ball now breaks to Fabrigas. Torres to Iniesta and then shoots past the keeper and into the back of the net. Yes! 'No, no it's off side' says the commentator. No it isn't. The goal stands. Iniesta 116 minutes. Replay shows he's clearly on side. There is uproar. Queen Sofia is clearly made up. Two minutes of extra time left. Robben sends the ball into the box. Poyul away.

Torres goes down, hamstring gone. The replay of the goal shows great technique to score the goal. Iniesta, it seems, according to Hansen, has magnets in his shoes. The whistle goes. The Spanish have won for the very first time. 'This was their team that was meant to win this prize' asserts Guy. The Spanish are overjoyed. The Dutch are distraught. Spain become the nineth country to win the world cup, and the only European side to win it outside Europe. Overall the best team won. Hansen thinks they were a credit to the game and thoroughly deserved it. Shearer agrees. So do I. A real victory for football says Linacre. For Lee Dixon, Iniesta stood out head and shoulders. I agree with that too. Apart from a few breakaways the Dutch didn't do enough, a tough day for them. Even Clarence concedes the Spanish were tactically better in the added time.

Viva Espania. Viva Barcelona. I wish I was there tonight.