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Carles Puyol’s headed goal against Germany was the Spanish answer to the burden of history: it propelled Spain to their first World Cup Final, and also went a long way to shedding the anachronistic tag of ‘underachievers’ that pundits habitually bestow upon them. Spain’s triumph at Euro2008 was only a partial vindication; to be truly regarded as a superpower in the world game, they have to beat the Netherlands on July 11th.
Of course, what makes the Final even more intriguing is that the Netherlands have never won the World Cup either. They played bridesmaids on two occasions, however. In 1974, the Cruyff-led team fell to Germany, while in 1978 they were vanquished by Argentina. The last moment of glory for the Dutch came in 1988, when they were crowned European Champions. Both Spain and Netherlands, then, enter the Final on Sunday as two upstarts who elbowed their way through the establishment of Brazil, Germany, and England to sit at the ceremonial table. They will argue that the jostling for prominence on Sunday will be between two eminently deserving teams. And few could argue against them.
Ever since Spain’s shock loss to Switzerland in their opening game, they have played a cagey brand of football that sporadically culminates into genuine attacking threat. It is as if the Spanish are content to lull the opposition into a false sense of security before striking an incisive (often decisive, as a string of 1-0 wins testify) blow. In David Villa they have a peerless striker, a man who knows how to spearhead such a cerebral attack. Never once does he over-commit; never does he betray a sense of urgency. Patiently waiting for ‘that’ pass from Xavi or Iniesta, Villa bides his time. Though it was Puyol that ended Germany’s World Cup on Wednesday, it is still Villa that shapes the Spanish attack. Quite apart from being an awesome striker, he is also a highly intelligent footballer.
Historically, footballing intelligence has been the preserve of Dutch teams. Their shortcomings in past tournaments have often been explained by their inability to supplement their smart planning with grunt work. This current Dutch team, however, has pragmatism in generous quantity. Their 3-2 win against Uruguay was not brilliant, but it was remarkably effective. Their 2-1 against Brazil was a result of unflinching self-belief. This team has learned how to win as a team by repudiating that infamous Dutch tendency to implode from in-fighting. In that context, one can even say that they are almost characterized by an absence rather than a tangible. For the first time in many years, a coach—in this case Bert van Marwijk—has managed to get the a Dutch team to pull in the same direction. They do not attack with the devastation of the Euro2008 version, but they win games. Even the most committed disciple of football aesthetics will tell you that winning is always preferable to losing beautifully—the latter is something that the Dutch have done routinely over the years.
Spain and the Netherlands can rewrite the history of football. One of them will finally be able to thumb their nose at the likes of Brazil, Italy, Germany, and Argentina, winners who have long enjoyed special privilege as the trendsetters in world football. Even the column inches that have amassed over the last month have mostly lavished praise on the Germans. Few would have thought that Joachim Löw’s men would be fighting for third place scraps with Uruguay. It is fitting that in a World Cup of firsts—first World Cup to be held in Africa, first World Cup to witness refereeing errors that leave doubt as to whether officials actually possess visual faculties—Spain and Netherlands contest the Final. I personally think Spain will have too much guile for the Netherlands. Vicente Del Bosque has instilled a colossal sense of belief in an already hyper-talented team. This Spanish generation of players is worthy of legend.
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