#ESP v #NED

So the World Cup is almost coming to its end. To be honest I didn't expect the Netherlands to make it to the final. They defeated Brazil, my favourite to reach the final, albeit it was triggered by Felipe Melo pushing self-destruction button that resulted in Brazil being kicked off the tournament. And questionable goals against Uruguay, but lets not take anything against them. They do not reach this stage by luck, they're doing things right.

Spain may not have scored many goals in the tournament, but they are still a joy to watch. I think the reason that Spain have not been able to score a lot in the World Cup is that the teams playing against them defend in numbers, making it harder to penetrate the defense. But most of the times they remain calm and play their style of football, they pass and pass and pass, rarely resorting to long balls towards the front or attempting impossible dribbles. They pass and pass the ball around, recycle the possession, from the front to the halfway line, look for an opening, and bam, they find some unexpected space with an unexpected player running in it. Their passings wear their opponent down, and they're good at pressings too, making it sometimes impossible for the opponents to even complete simple passes.

I think the key to winning the final is the battle in midfield. In Van Bommel and de Jong for the Netherlands and Busquets and Alonso for Spain, they have fine holding midfielders in their time. Van Bommel is a tough tackling bully everyone hates but loves to have him in their teams, while de Jong protects the back four and provides links between defense and attack. Busquets raised a few eyebrows earlier in the tournament, but as the tournament progresses I think he grows in stature. Tough in tackles,has the ability to smell danger and can pass too. Alonso has been a joy to watch. What he lacks in pace, he compensates with great positioning. His passings are as good as ever.

Okay now it's too obvious I favour the Spaniards, right? But somehow I want Dirk Kuyt to win, no one deserves success more than he does. Lets see how it turns out. :)