World Cup Final Thoughts

I'm a day or so late, but the World Cup concluded on Sunday with a memorable extra time for Spain, giving them their first World Cup title just two years after they took home the European crown.  Andres Iniesta's emphatic volley put an exclamation point on what has been a fun, exciting tournament in South Africa, and it earned the trophy for the team that has dominated over the past cycle.  As if a 35 match unbeaten run, a Euro title, and a third place finish at the Confederations Cup weren't enough, La Furia Roja added the crown jewel to their collection on Sunday, and deservedly so.

The match was really a microcosm of Spain's World Cup campaign.  Mesmerizing spells of possession, players perpetually moving and probing, patiently waiting for a seam to open up before attacking with speed and skill.  But ultimately, all of the beautiful passing and off-the-ball movement only resulted in tease after tease, as David Villa and company were unable to take advantage of the created opportunities and open up a sizable lead.  Instead, the Spaniards had to deal with yet another close game, with inadequate finishing, physical play from the Dutch defense, and some huge saves from Maarten Stekelenberg keeping the match level until Iniesta's now-legendary goal.

This wasn't really anything new for Spanish players or fans, with all but one of their seven matches being decided by one goal despite the fact that Vincente del Bosque's men dominated possession and had the majority of the scoring chances in each of those games.  Such a run surely tested the intestinal fortitude of every Spanish fan, but the players themselves never seemed to panic and abandon their strategy and style.  No Route 1 soccer, no reckless passing; no matter the score, it never seemed as if Spain were forcing the issue.  And that poise and belief in their game plan ended up paying off handsomely.

The match could have gone very differently had the Spanish scored earlier in the match (Sergio Ramos' opportunities in front of goal come to mind, but I'm sure there were others).  With a lead, the Dutch would have been forced to chase the game and press for an equalizer, likely opening them up to counterattacks and completely changing the complexion of the match.  With that being said, the flip side of the coin also applies; the Oranje had a couple of golden opportunities to go ahead that very well could have put them in front for good, namely Arjen Robben's pair of breakaways that he failed to convert.  But sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, and the champs definitely were fortunate not to be punished on those occasions.  It also doesn't hurt to have Iker Casillas behind you to clean up those mistakes, either.

I'll admit, I started off the match pulling for the Netherlands.  It wasn't because I disliked Spain or because I was particularly infatuated with the Dutch; it was just more of my inclination as an American sports fan to pull for the underdog.  But my desire to see Giovanni van Bronckhorst ride off into the sunset as a World Cup champion quickly faded with every crunching, cynical challenge that his teammates put in.  Mark van Bommel contributed a couple of clumsy, clattering tackles as usual, while Nigel de Jong only reaffirmed what Americans already know all too well: he's a huge hack.  His chest-high karate kick early in the first half should have been a straight red, which would have almost certainly doomed the Dutch to defeat, and I think Howard Webb rightly has gotten some criticism for not going to the back pocket on that one.  But ultimately, the Spaniards still won (which was a fair result considering that they probably should have had a man advantage for nearly 70 minutes), so all is forgiven.

In the end, I think Webb actually did a pretty good job in this game, and it must be said that he didn't have an easy job.  As if officiating a final wasn't hard enough, he had to oversee one of the most physical and, quite frankly, dirty finals I've seen.  On the surface, the 14 cards might seem like the result of an over-eager referee, but Webb dished out the yellows (and red) fairly and was really given little choice on most fouls.  The rough-and-tumble style of Bert van Marwijk's men led Dutch legend Johann Cruyff to say that his countrymen "didn't want the ball.  And, lamentably and sadly, they played very dirty."  That quote pretty much tells the story, so when you consider what Howard Webb had to work with, I think it's fair to say that he did a more than adequate job patrolling the field. 

Aside from the euphoria in Madrid and Soccer City, the final provided a couple of other memorable moments that won't soon be forgotten.  Nelson Mandela, who missed out on the opening match of the tournament due to a family tragedy, made a brief, albeit captivating appearance in front of his adoring public.  Andres Iniesta, meanwhile, made the most of his post-goal celebration with his heartfelt tribute to former Espanyol defender Dani Jarque, who passed last August at the age of 26 after suffering a heart attack.  Just two more wonderful moments on an already incredible afternoon.

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So in just four short years, Spain have completely wiped away a reputation as underachievers and instead established themselves as the team to beat.  I've heard more than a few publications discuss the possibility of a Spanish dynasty, and while such a statement is a lot harder to make in the spaced out world of international soccer, it seems like a pretty safe bet that there still could be a lot more ahead for this team.  Only five of Spain's 23 man World Cup roster will be over 32 by the time Brazil 2014 rolls around (for a USMNT frame of reference, Landon Donovan will be 32 by then), with Carlos Puyol (will be 36), Joan Capdevilla (36), Carlos Marchena (34), Xavi (34), and Iker Casillas (33) being the only exceptions.  When you consider that 33 isn't exactly old by goalkeeping standards, that means that there are very realistic odds that 19 of the 23 could be back in four years, and even having all 23 back wouldn't be completely out of the question (though, admittedly, it would be a little unlikely).  That kind of continuity could allow Spain to defend both of their current titles and continue their dominant run for another cycle.  Only time will tell if that actually is the case.

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Goodbye, South Africa.  You were a very good host and exceeded my expectations.  Now it's your turn, Brazil...