Holland 0 - 1 Spain
World Cup FIFA 2010 (Final)
11-Julay-2010
Holland
Players:
Reserves:
Coach:
Bert van Marwijk
Changes:
Goals:
- 1 Stekelenburg
- 4 Mathijsen
- 3 Heitinga
- 5 Van Bronckhorst
- 2 Van Der Wiel
- 8 De Jong
- 6 Van Bommel
- 9 Van Persie
- 10 Sneijder
- 7 Kuyt
- 11 Robben
Reserves:
- 13 A. Ooijer
- 23 R. Van der Vaart
- 21 K. Huntelaar
- 19 R. Babel
- 16 M. Vorm
- 15 E. Braafheid
- 17 E. Elia
- 12 K. Boulahrouz
Coach:
Bert van Marwijk
Changes:
-
Min 71
E. Elia por Kuyt
Min. 99
R. Van der Vaart por De Jong
Min 105
E. Braafheid por Van Bronckhorst
Goals:
Date: 11-Julio-2010Stadium: Stadium Soccer City (Johannesburgo)
Spectators: 84490
Referee: Howard Webb (ENG)
Spain
Players:
Reserves:
Coach:
Vicente del Bosque
Changes:
Goals:
- 1 Iker Casillas
- 15 S. Ramos
- 3 G. Piqué
- 5 C. Puyol
- 11 Capdevila
- 16 S. Busquets
- 14 X. Alonso
- 18 Pedro
- 6 Xavi
- 8 A. Iniesta
- 7 D. Villa
Reserves:
- 4 Marchena
- 23 Reina
- 9 F. Torres
- 10 Cesc Fábregas
- 22 J. Navas
- 19 F. Llorente
- 21 D. Silva
- 13 J. Mata
Coach:
Vicente del Bosque
Changes:
-
Min 60
Navas for Pedro
Min 87
Cesc Fábregas for Xabi Alonso
Min 106
Fernando Torres for D. Villa
Goals:
-
0-1 A. Iniesta (115)
Spain became the world´s champion being true to a playing model that its rival however betrayed.
From the beginning on both teams used a very different strategic game plan. Spain chose for its 1-4-3-3 and Holland for its 1-4-2-3-1. The Spanish national team usually uses the constant incorporation of Xavi in front of the two middle-players, which confuses anyone in the use of the playing formation. The main difference in the positioning in the field is embodied in the location of the exterior points, the Spanish are at the level of the most advanced front player and the Dutch exteriors form a threesome behind the most advanced player. From the beginning on Spain showed that it had bigger arguments than Holland, all the quality of the tulips was set in the trident Robben-Sneijder-Van Persie, but the Spanish defensive strength hampered any surprise. While the minutes passed by and after a brilliant start from Spain the game was evening up. The same story would continue in the second half, entering in a give-and-take that almost ended bad for Spain if it hadn´t been for the intervention of Casillas when Robben saw himself alone after a pass from Sneijder. All of this until Iniesta showed up during the prolongation to give justice to the team that not only tried to play the most during the final, but through the whole championship..
THE BEST
The performance of Iker Casillas cannot be left without mentioning, although he had been accused of having a rather doubtful season, his performance stood out when most needed. The last three matches gave the national team the confidence sent from the base of a team, the goal. The good decision of Don Vicente el Bosque. He knew how to keep alive the team spirit he inherited from Luis Aragonés. On top of that he showed great wisdom in the direction of the game through always making the correct changes the team needed. All the players deserve to be mentioned for the great championship played, but without any doubt, the best player of the World Championship has been Andrés Iniesta.
THE WORST
The performance of the English referee puts signature to the worst referee performance in the history of soccer World Championships. The no –expulsion of De Jong after his entrance on Xabi Alonse deprived Spain of playing for many minutes in numeric superiority since the first part of the encounter. Apart from any tactical aspects, the worst of this match was the performance of the Dutch national team, first of all for betraying a game model that has been a reference in the whole world, and second of all for the complaints issued after showing a violent way of playing through the whole match, the only way of stopping Spain..
PRESS ROOM:
VICENTE DEL BOSQUE (Spanish coach)
“This title gathered momentum in 2008 when Spain won the Eurocup. This is its continuation. We have found ourselves with a good heritance and we haven´t wiped out those traces since the line was well marked. However, and logical, we introduced a few changes. “
“The Spanish people have supported us greatly, we know there lives an enormous joy over there and we are very happy. We all owe it to these magnificent players.”
“This final has given prestige to soccer of quality and attack and as a counterpoint to this, the teams have given us a lot of pressure, but I believe that the soccer comes first. This final has been its prize.”
BERT VAN MARWIJK (Dutch coach)
The Dutch national coach admitted during the press conference after the defeat suffered by his team in the great final of the World Cup 2010 that “the best had won”.
“There were faults from both teams, it is not our game style to commit those terrible faults, it´s a final, but the Spanish also committed faults. However I would like to be clear, the best team has won”.
ANDRES INIESTA (Player from the Spanish national team)
“It has been an incredible job of all of us, we don´t know yet the implication this will have and we will take it in gradually”..
THE BEST
The performance of Iker Casillas cannot be left without mentioning, although he had been accused of having a rather doubtful season, his performance stood out when most needed. The last three matches gave the national team the confidence sent from the base of a team, the goal. The good decision of Don Vicente el Bosque. He knew how to keep alive the team spirit he inherited from Luis Aragonés. On top of that he showed great wisdom in the direction of the game through always making the correct changes the team needed. All the players deserve to be mentioned for the great championship played, but without any doubt, the best player of the World Championship has been Andrés Iniesta.
THE WORST
The performance of the English referee puts signature to the worst referee performance in the history of soccer World Championships. The no –expulsion of De Jong after his entrance on Xabi Alonse deprived Spain of playing for many minutes in numeric superiority since the first part of the encounter. Apart from any tactical aspects, the worst of this match was the performance of the Dutch national team, first of all for betraying a game model that has been a reference in the whole world, and second of all for the complaints issued after showing a violent way of playing through the whole match, the only way of stopping Spain..
PRESS ROOM:
VICENTE DEL BOSQUE (Spanish coach)
“This title gathered momentum in 2008 when Spain won the Eurocup. This is its continuation. We have found ourselves with a good heritance and we haven´t wiped out those traces since the line was well marked. However, and logical, we introduced a few changes. “
“The Spanish people have supported us greatly, we know there lives an enormous joy over there and we are very happy. We all owe it to these magnificent players.”
“This final has given prestige to soccer of quality and attack and as a counterpoint to this, the teams have given us a lot of pressure, but I believe that the soccer comes first. This final has been its prize.”
BERT VAN MARWIJK (Dutch coach)
The Dutch national coach admitted during the press conference after the defeat suffered by his team in the great final of the World Cup 2010 that “the best had won”.
“There were faults from both teams, it is not our game style to commit those terrible faults, it´s a final, but the Spanish also committed faults. However I would like to be clear, the best team has won”.
ANDRES INIESTA (Player from the Spanish national team)
“It has been an incredible job of all of us, we don´t know yet the implication this will have and we will take it in gradually”..
The defensive Dutch variant, putting a player in front of the line of three form the system-formation 1-4-2-3-1. The exit of the ball from the Spanish became predictable thanks to the good pressure shown by the Dutch players. With the beginning of the short game the middle point (Sneijder) was at the level of the most advanced player to disturb the offensive Spanish canalisation by the central players. This way the two middle midfield players, behind them paired up with Busquets and Xabi Alonso, closed the interior game. The tactical action was completed by lots of violent moves.
The tactical patterns of both national teams. The changes made if we consider the game patterns used by both national teams over the years. Spain used the 1-4-3-3 that has given the Dutch so many successes at club level. The tulips set out the more conservative 1-4-2-3-1 game. The position of Xavi is a variant in the 1-4-3-3, since in many phases of the game it was broken down to a square (2-2) due to the appearance of Iniesta inside of the middle field.
With the entrance of Navas and Cesc Fábregas, the Spanish national coach wanted to give the mayor capacity of penetration to the team. The player of Seville did not limit himself to playing on the outside, he appeared on the inside, and with this he imbalanced the Dutch defence. Cesc increased the ball possession, and generated a greater offensive mobility through constant rotations with Busquets and Xavi, to alternate the continuation of attack in the middle field.
STATISTICS
| Holland | España | |
| 0 | Goals | 1 |
| 5 | Shots on goal | 6 |
| 8 | Shots from outside | 13 |
| 28 | Faults committed | 19 |
| 6 | Corners | 8 |
| 7 | Offside | 6 |
| 43 % | Ball possession | 57 % |
The keys
• Holland tried to bother the Spanish game elaboration during the first half with two tactical-strategic actions
The first one was to block the connection from the inside of the middle field players by using the variant 1-4-4-2, where Sneijder was pressuring the Spanish central players together with Van Persie. The second one was the pressure of the three players on the goal kicks that Casillas was supposed to realise, preventing this way the constructive combination of Del Bosque´s team.
• The continuous ball losses equalled the game during the first half after a brilliant start by the Spanish
The continuous horizontal passes both in the middle field as in the defensive line, without maximum security, allowed the quick ball recovery by the Dutch and cause more than one scare for the goal of Casillas, and in great part due to the approach of the Dutch national coach who disturbed through his manoeuvre the creation of the beginning of the offensive Spanish game.
The entrance of Navas and Cesc Fábregas gave even more capacity of penetration to the national combination
The Dutch defence had many problems to adjust the imbalances the Seville player caused on the scoreboard. Cesc increased the capacity of ball possession, after filling in for the tired Xabi Alonso. The actions undertaken far away from the ball could once more be the key to the final triumph of any of the two teams. While during the first half Spain had its opportunities, during the second half time they were more shared.
Two fundamental factors not only for the second half, but throughout the whole match, turned out to be the keys for the final outcome
The confidence in a game model and the excellent physical preparation showed by the Spanish players. The preparation that they brought from their teams and the extra from Javier Miñana these days were part of a very important chapter in these kind of championships. From even before the Eurocup, Spain has shown the whole world what is the best way to play soccer. The only thing missing was the World Championship: we have succeeded it now. .
