FIFA World Cup Final 2010: Are the Dutch the favourites now, as they clash with Spain in the Final
The FIFA World Cup started in South Africa on 11th of June, as the teams were ranked according to their probability of winning the tournament. Brazil got the top ranking, after winning the Confederations Cup, while Spain got the second and Portugal the third spot. However, Portugal met its early demise, as they finished second in their group, below Brazil, to be eliminated by the Spanish in the next round. The Netherlands, however, got the fourth place, and thus were the fourth favourites to win the World Cup.
Despite being in the top four, Netherlands was not tipped to be the eventual finalists of the World Cup. Instead, teams like England, Argentina and Germany had the backing of the critics, as the Dutch were almost sidelined, despite the fact that they came into the World Cup after an impressive round of warm-up matches. However, the Dutch proved their critics wrong by beating the World No. 1, Brazil. The Dutch are also the only team in the World Cup, who have won all their fixtures and always looked comfortable. They even beat the odds, especially against Brazil, when they were lagging behind in terms of performance as well as one goal. Now, after beating Uruguay in the Semi-Final, they have earned their place in the Final of the World Cup, to be played on Sunday.
The Dutch would face the Spaniards in their last match, as both teams would try to win the trophy for the first time in their Nation’s history. Dutch, however, have been closer as they came in the second place twice. The Spanish, on the other hand, have never gone past the quarter finals stage of the tournament, and would be relishing their chances to win the trophy.
With the likes of Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, Robin Van Persie, Dirk Kuyt and Rafael Van der Vaart in the team, Netherlands looks like a side that can beat any team in the World. They did show the same class in the Euro 2008, but the complacency let them down eventually, as they lost against a weaker Russian side. This time, however, the Dutch coach, Bert Van Marwijk, would make sure that nothing of the sort happens, and that his team keeps the winning streak alive.
The good thing for the Dutch is that two of their players, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben are in the best form of their lives. Sneijder has been the linchpin of the Dutch attack throughout the tournament, as he scored five of the goals. The midfielder is more threatening as he controls the ball in the midfield, while looking for effective passes to launch the attacks. His sharp skills and exceptional passing has enabled the Dutch to break through even against the best of the defence, like Brazil. When Sneijder fails, Robben is the one who steps in to take the charge of the attack. He has good dribbling skills, combined with excellent ball control and fast sideways movement, which enables him to cut through the defensive lines. As soon as he finds space, he is not reluctant to shoot towards goal, which is another top quality of a top winger.
Despite the form of these two players, the Dutch still have their problems. Although, they have passed the real test against Brazil, but still they are unable to find the real rhythm in the game. The Dutch are supposed to play a real attacking game, as their matches promise a lot of goals. They have scored only 12 goals in six matches, which is just right for a team like Dutch, full of promising players. In addition, they conceded five goals in their road to finals, and that is again threatening against an opponent like Spain.
Maybe this year the Dutch might not need to score a lot of goals. They just have to do what they have been doing so far in the tournament. They just have to edge past their opponents, a thing that they have been doing so far. This might be the Dutch’s year, as more responsibility lies upon the shoulders of their anchorman, Wesley Sneijder.
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