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Iniesta gives Spain World Cup glory
A global television audience of more than 700 million saw Spain's Andres Iniesta score the winning goal in the final of the FIFA World Cup as Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0 in extra time at Soccer City Stadium.
With just four minutes of extra-time remaining, substitute Fernando Torres slid over a cross from the left which was partially cleared as far as Cesc Fabregas and his pass found Iniesta lurking in the area.
The Barcelona star promptly set his sights and fired past Dutch keeper Maarten Stekelenburg. After scoring Andres Iniesta immediately took off his shirt, the words "Dani Jarque, always with us", was written on his undershirt.
It’s the first World Cup victory for Spain, who despite an impressive soccer pedigree had never reached the final of the world’s most prestigious tournament.
Five minutes earlier, the Dutch were down to 10 men when referee Howard Webb red-carded John Heitinga for a foul on Iniesta.
A niggly game saw a proliferation of yellow cards and missed chances at both ends — most notably in the first period of extra-time when Spanish substitute Fabregas raced onto a pass from Iniesta only to see Dutch keeper Maarten Stekelenburg block his shot.
Then fellow substitute Jesus Navas looked odds on to score but his shot deflected off Giovanni van Bronckhorst and hit the side-netting.
Spaniards cannot recall an outpouring of national pride similar to that provoked by the country's first-ever World Cup win today. "Not since the Spanish civil war have there been so many flags in the streets," El País newspaper reported.
Spain came into the tournament as co-favourites with Brazil and held down the second spot in the FIFA rankings when the tournament began. After dropping their opening game in the group stage to Switzerland, Spain found their form and finished the opening round with wins over Honduras and Chile to finish first in Group H.
In the knockout stage they beat rival Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16, ousted Paraguay by the same score in the quarter-finals and edging Germany 1-0 in the semifinal.
They now hold both the European championship, won in 2008, and the World Cup at the same time.
For the Dutch and their legions of orange, with fans wearing everything from jerseys to jumpsuits to clown gear to pajamas, it was yet another crushing disappointment.
Their first World Cup title tantalizingly within reach, they failed in the final for the third time. This one might have been the most bitter because, unlike in 1974 and 1978, the Netherlands was unbeaten not only in this tournament, but in qualifying for the first World Cup staged in South Africa.
The game will be broadcast at 9:30pm tonight by SBS for those who missed it.
Images:AP
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