Spain won a titanic and sometimes ugly game against Holland in controversial circumstances in Soccer City and take home international football’s most coveted prize.  Though the match itself was a tense, edgy affair, it was fitting and deserved that the side who actually sought to play football, rather than fight, were victorious.  In the end, a single goal from Andres Iniesta in the dying minutes of extra time proved decisive in a game with considerably more yellow cards than goal attempts. 
 
As was expected, Spain’s superior possession play saw them dominate the opening stages, and they created three good chances in the opening quarter of an hour.  Xavi floated in a free kick from the right and Sergio Ramos powered a free header at goal from fifteen yards, but it was well saved by Martin Stekelenburg.  Ramos turned provider a couple of minutes later, bursting down the left side of the Dutch defence but brainlessly lashing the ball across the six yard box when there were Spanish attackers to pick out.  John Heitinga put the ball behind, and from the short corner Spain worked a crossing opportunity for Alonso.  His deep, pacy cross was met with a far post left-footed volley from star man David Villa, but he could only find the side netting. 
 
The Dutch came into the game, pressing Spain higher up the pitch and interrupting their passing flow with some hefty tackles.  The most unsurprising moment of the night came when Mark Van Bommel was booked for a tackle from behind on Iniesta, though the Spanish weren’t beyond the odd foul themselves, with both Ramos and Carlos Puyol getting yellow carded in the opening quarter of the game. 
 
Not long after, the key moment of the first half came when both Xabi Alonso and Nigel De Jong challenged for a dropping ball.  Alonso won the ball comfortably with a header, but De Jong’s raised foot caught him full in the chest, studs up and straight-legged.  Had De Jong been trying to assault Alonso then he probably couldn’t have made such a good job of it, but the only Englishman in the final, Howard Webb, saw it as only worthy of a booking.  It was almost universally condemned as a straight red card offence, and though this was accurate, the exaggerations that the Dutch ‘were lucky not to be down to 8 or 9 men at half-time’ were not.  Other than De Jong, the bookings meted out were fair and proportionate. 
 
The Dutch contrived to create two good chances shortly before the break.  The first from a corner knocked along the ground to the edge of the box.  No one in a Spain shirt was anywhere near Van Bommel, and his pass found an unmarked Joris Mathijsen.  However, the Hamburger SV defender showed why he’s a centre back and not a centreforward, managing to almost completely miss the ball with his effort.  Minutes later, Robin Van Persie laid the ball off for Arjen Robben, who cut inside and hammered the ball towards Iker Casillas’ near post, but the Real Madrid keeper was equal to it.  They went in at halftime with the scoreline 0-0, and with half a dozen players in the referee’s book. 
 
Spain sclaffed a similar chance to Mathijsen’s early in the second period.  A Xavi corner was met by Puyol, who flicked the ball towards the back post but Joan Capdevila fluffed his lines, mis-kicking with his right foot from three yards out.  The game livened up, with both teams creating openings but lacking a clinical finishing edge.  This didn’t stop Heitinga from getting his name in the book for a needless late foul on Villa, nor did it stop Iniesta from doing his best to get a yellow card for a challenge on Wesley Sneijder. 
 
Some minutes later, Sneijder was the creator of what turned out to be Holland’s best chance of victory.  He slipped a ball through and behind the high Spanish backline that was misjudged by Gerard Pique and allowed Robben to bear down on goal.  He waited and waited, Casillas waited and waited and though the keeper went the wrong way he still managed to stretch out a foot and divert Robben’s finish past the post.  It was an outstanding save, and kept Spain in the hunt. 
 
Jesus Navas, on for the ineffective Pedro, then whipped in a cross from the right side.  Heitinga made a total hash of intercepting the ball, and it fell to the waiting David Villa.  He looked certain to score but Heitinga made an amazing recovery and like Casillas threw out a foot to turn the shot wide.  With less than fifteen minutes to go Spain created another opportunity, when a Xavi corner was met, six yards from goal, by Sergio Ramos.  Though he had a free header and the whole goal to aim at he somehow missed completely. 
 
Five minutes later, Arjen Robben again burst through the middle of the Spain defence and appeared to be held back by Puyol.  Unexpectedly, the Bayern Munich winger stayed on his feet, allowing Casillas to come off his line and smother the ball.  Though Robben then chose to fall over, before sprinting over to Howard Webb to appeal, nothing was given.  Had Robben gone down then the likelihood would have been a Dutch free kick on the edge of the Spain box, and Puyol watching the rest of the game from the dugout.  It was a moment of bizarre honesty from Robben, ruined by his subsequent efforts to persuade Webb of his error.  There was still time for Sneijder to slip a neat pass through to Van Persie, who was flagged for offside but obstinately rounded the keeper and shot anyway.  The ball came back off the post, and though Van Persie had already been booked, the referee showed a little leniency in giving him a final warning.  The 90 minutes finished 0-0 and for the fifth time the World Cup final went to extra time. 
 
After only two minutes there was further controversy, after Xavi’s attempted a shot in the box, which ended in a tangle with Heitinga.  The referee gave a corner, which replays showed was the right decision, as Xavi had actually kicked Heitinga on his way to making the shot.  Shades of Fabregas and Puyol in the Champions’ League a couple of months back, though this time the referee saw sense.  Iniesta then found a pass to send Fabregas, on in place of Alonso, scampering towards goal.  The Arsenal captain looked for all the world like he would score, but Stekelenburg blocked well, and Fabregas shot more or less straight at him.  Mathijsen found space well from a Holland corner, but like Ramos could only direct his header over the bar.  Navas used his pace and trickery to fashion a shooting opportunity for himself, but Giovanni Van Bronckhorst managed to divert it wide. 
 
The second half of extra time saw a red card and the game’s only goal.  Iniesta played a one-two and was heading towards the box with the return pass.  Heitinga put a hand on his shoulder, and though there was minimal contact Iniesta went down, Webb bought into it and showed Heitinga his second yellow card.  Relative to De Jong’s martial arts it was soft, though on balance a red card was inevitable given the way the Dutch approached the game. 
 
Spain were the better side in extra time, and made their advantage matter with less than five minutes to go.  Substitute Fernando Torres crossed for Iniesta, but the ball was intercepted.  Fabregas was first to the loose ball, and couldn’t fail to pick out Iniesta.  The Barca playmaker took a touch, which spooned up in the air, but was unerring in his volley to the far post.  Stekelenburg did well to get half a hand to the shot, but couldn’t keep it out.  The Dutch were flattened, beaten by a side who stuck to a style and tactic and had the patience to see it through.  Though they might not be everyone’s cup of tea in terms of entertainment, Spain are a special side who certainly deserved their victory on the night.  Though the final game wasn’t a brilliant spectacle, it was a great end to what has been an impressive first World Cup on the African continent.