So here it is, the Final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa has finally arrived. Whilst the standard of football has at times been below what many would have expected, and a number of games have been rather boring and predictable, the organisers have put on an excellent tournament. Further to this millions of South Africans have been given a magnificent experience that they will never forget. Most importantly of all, the World Cup will have a new winner by this evening. When asked at the beginning of the tournament, I very much doubt that many pundits, fans, experts, former footballers or casual observers would have picked Holland as finalists, so it is a credit to those intelligent few who did. Yet more than this it is a tribute to the excellent job Coach Bert van Marwijk has done in forging a cohesive, committed, professional side with the right balance between physicality, strength, pace and flair. This is not his biggest achievement however. Dutch sides of the past always had the potential to collapse amidst internal disputes, with morale and team-spirit being irreparably damaged by critical fractures within the various talented groups of players the Netherlands has had over the past twenty or so years. The fact that van Marwijk's players have been able to steer clear of such problems is a huge testament to his managerial ability, and may well be his main legacy. For these Dutch players, to realise how far they have come by sticking together and avoiding often pointless arguments, the importance of maintaining team spirit is a lesson they should never forget.To have reached the final is a huge achievement for these players, and this cannot be overstated. Whilst Wesley Sneijder, Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben are considered to be among the foremost players in Europe, this Dutch squad has been more than just a flamboyant outfit, able to thrash lesser opponents but likely to crumble in the face of more formidable opposition. Having conceded a sloppy goal early on against Brazil from a simple pass through the middle of defence, Holland demonstrated huge character to come back after half-time, although obviously the introduction of Rafael van der Vaart in midfield was pivotal to the final result. Defensively the Dutch haven't looked rock solid but van Marwijk's defence has still only conceded 5 goals in the six games they have played so far. Whilst this team is almost incomparable to Holland's 'total football' finalists of 1974 and 1978, perhaps van Marwijk has discovered a new 'third way' for the Dutch to approach major tournaments. Solid but unspectacular, they sailed through the group stages and at have yet to appear out of their depth against any opponent. Tonight's game will be very different however, with the Spanish posing a very different threat to any other side in world football. The form of Wesley Sneijder will be crucial in attempting to dominate the midfield, certainly the key battlefield in tonight's game, whilst Mark van Bommel will be looking to disrupt the play of Iniesta and Xavi through his robust tackling and playing style. Arjen Robben could well be the man to break through the Spanish ranks with his pace giving him a huge advantage over Pique and Puyol if Sneijder manages to thread through the inch-perfect passes Holland's legions of orange-clad fans will be desperately hoping he can.
Spain are undoubtedly the favourites for this match, despite the fact that they have been distinctly unimpressive throughout this tournament. Having slumped to a 1-0 defeat in their opening game against Switzerland, Spain just about creeped through the group stages despite the fact that they accumulated six points and topped their group. Victories in the Round of 16 against Portugal and in the Quarter Final against Paraguay were rather fortuitous, both settled by goals from David Villa, who has essentially carried the Spanish to their first ever World Cup Final. It was against Germany that Spain really began to perform as fans and pundits alike know they are able to. A bullet header from the unmarked Carlos Puyol saw them through, and Del Bosque's side were deserved winners on the night. Having played so well against the Germans, few would expect Spain's level of performance to drop drastically, so the Dutch may well be hard pressed to hold back the Spanish tide. Whilst Spain have not been at their best for the majority of this World Cup, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta are two players the Dutch and Mark van Bommel will neither be able to play off the park nor foul out of the game. The primary question mark hanging over the Spanish side is whether or not Fernando Torres will be included. His below-par performances, almost certainly due to injury, have contributed to the rather unimpressive scorelines Spain have amassed throughout the tournament, and have put the goalscoring burden on his strike partner David Villa. Barcelona starlet Pedro, who deputised for the Liverpool forward against Paraguay and Germany, looks set to start just behind Villa, who will be tricky to stop as he bids to become the 2010 World Cup Golden Boot.
As with any final, predicting the result is an incredibly difficult and really rather pointless task, unless of course you are planning to to back one of the finalists with your hard-earned money. This year's game is no different, and we can take few things for granted. Yes the Spanish will dominate possession and play an attractive passing game. Yes the Dutch will be committed and passionate, and this will probably manifest itself in a number of bookings from referee Howard Webb, the first Englishman to officiate a final since Jack Taylor in 1974. Spain go into the match as favourites, and it would certainly take a herculean effort from the Dutch, matched in terms of skill and technique, plus no small degree of luck, for them to overcome Del Bosque's side. However Spain will not just be able to turn up, walk out onto the pitch and effortlessly play with Holland before finishing them off with an impeccably-crafted goal as an when they wish to. Holland will be looking to disrupt Spain's flow, whilst the Spanish will be hoping Iniesta's superior ability will tell in the many clashes the Barcelona playmaker will inevitably have with the robust, to put it kindly, Mark Van Bommel, who has incredibly been booked just once so far. Therefore my final score prediction of this tournament would be 1-0 to Spain, simply because of the superior quality of the Spanish midfield and my growing belief that Vicente Del Bosque's side was destined to win this tournament. Despite not playing particularly well, despite not being the most deserving finalists, Spain have reached the final and look to be finally recapturing the form that saw them triumph in the European Championships two years ago. With a Dutch side desperate to right past wrongs standing in their way, the Spanish are the bookies' favourites, many fans' favourites and judged simply on ability, I guess they have to be my favourites as well. Oh, and Paul the Octopus said they'd win, so it's bound to happen...
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