Who’s next? Spain and Holland go for their first ever World Cup triumphs

One thing is guaranteed when the final whistle blows at the World Cup Final at Soccer City in Johannesburg on July 11 is that second-ranked Spain or fourth-ranked Holland will be lifting their first ever World Cup in celebration. Neither team has managed to get their hands on it yet, however Holland came close in both 1974 and 1978 when they lost in the final game.

The Spanish have never gotten this far before with their best ever World Cup finish coming back in 1950 when they ended up in fourth. Spain has disappointed its fans numerous times over the years as they always seemed to underachieve when it came to the World Cup. But this time it might be different as they appear to be hitting their peak at the right moment. The Spanish completely dominated Germany in their 1-0 semi final win with their passing display and ball possession. However, for all of the excellent football they played, they didn’t really create many chances until the second half.

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Like the rest of the squad, goalkeeper Iker Casillas is improving with every game and it’s going to take a well-placed shot to beat him. Dutch keeper Maarten Stekelenburg struggled a little in his team’s 3-2 semi final win over Uruguay and it appears Spain has the edge in net. Holland midfielder Demy De Zeeuw could miss the game after it’s feared he suffered a broken jaw in the semi final, but midfielder Nigel de Jong and defender Gregory van der Wiel are back from suspension.

Spain likes to move forward and attack as a team and the Dutch will have to counter this by putting pressure on them every chance they get. If Holland stands around and gives the opposition time and space on the ball they will be mesmerized by the tic-tac-toe passing. The first goal in the game is very important, especially for the Dutch. If Spain scores first they like to protect the lead by playing keep away and then catching teams late in the game on the break. Holland, on the other hand, usually likes to keep attacking. If they have one goal, they want to score two, and so on. They don’t try and hang onto a lead, they try and add to it.

As an interesting sidebar, Spanish striker David Villa and Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder go into the game with five goals each and are currently tied for the lead in the Golden Boot award. One of them could win it outright with a goal or two here and each player is the key to his team’s chances. If Villa can be marked tightly, Spanish chances on goal will be reduced dramatically. Striker Fernando Torres might start on the bench again and even though he’s had a poor tournament, can still be a game breaker.

Spain v Netherlands Best Odds and Predictions

The Dutch have more offensive power with the likes of midfielder Robin van Persie, winger Arjen Robben and forwards Dirk Kuyt and Klaas Jan Huntelaar. If they can score first, keep attacking and pile on the pressure over a full 90 minutes they should be able to win by a goal. Holland needs to study the way Germany played against Spain in the semi final and make sure they learn from it and don’t play the same way. Spain will play their passing and possession game, but might pay for it in the end by not creating enough chances. Look for the Dutch to finally lift the World Cup in their third final with a 2-1 win.

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The two teams have met times eight times in the past and Holland has the edge with four wins, three losses and a draw. They’ve been outscored by Spain 12 to 10 in those games though.

Spain is favoured to lift the trophy at Bet365 (non-US) as the site has the odds of them listed at 23/20 while a Dutch victory is posted at 53/20. The odds of a draw after 90 minutes and going into extra time are at 11/5.

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