From absorbing the press hype prior to the World Cup final it would seem that either Spain has already won or that the Dutch are one of the weakest teams to make the final. If Spain are over looking the Dutch they are making a huge mistake. The Dutch have won every game they have played in the tournament and have often done so through grit, determination, and at times individual brilliance. Spain have not played a better side this tournament.
In a previous post I slagged off Spain -- in a slightly over the top and provocative way -- for boring stifling play - i.e. they use possession to stifle not to open up their opponents and create chances. Whether one loves or hates Spain's style, I think it is worth noting that they have been playing on a bit of a knifes edge throughout the tournament and the bounces have largely gone their way. Against Germany, Ramos could have been called for a penalty for clipping Ozil's heels in the box. Against Paraguay they could have easily fallen behind both on a correct, but marginal, offside decision and as a result of a penalty that was saved. Roque Santa Cruz also nearly equalized at the death. And against Portugal, while Spain again dominated possession, Portugal created some dangerous chances on the break and looked a bit vulnerable during Portugal's late flourish. This is not to say that Spain didn't "deserve" to win each of these games -- but winning by such small margins (no team has scored fewer goals and gotten to the World Cup final) is always a dangerous way of winning.
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