Action of the real kind during the World Cup final

Viva Espana! Better team, better style and a better set of players won the World Cup. The Spanish Armada created history by taking home the ultimate prize in world football — the Fifa World Cup! After missing chances galore at Soccer City, I thought may be Spain will once again live up to that famous adage: “When you miss, you concede.”

But deep in the second half of extra time, substitute Fernando Torres played a very intelligent pass to Andreas Iniesta. And the 26-year-old Barcelona midfielder volleyed home a right footer which gave the goalkeeper no chance.

What a way for this talented midfielder to end the World Cup. When Torres first played the ball to him, Joris Mathijsen managed to intercept it. But the Liverpool striker once again played it for Iniesta off the rebound. Iniesta was very intelligent to come inside and collect the pass. Had he stayed in his place, he would have been clearly offside.

At the World Cup, one tends to get carried away and forget the basics. But it was not to be for this young midfielder.

He was the best player on the field on Sunday, no doubt about that. Tormenting the Dutch defensive midfielders Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong and the rival back-four. At one moment drifting onto the right, you would suddenly find him popping up on the left, behind Gregory van der Weil. Simply amazing!

Had the match gone to the tiebreaker and Holland won the Cup, it would have set a bad precedent. For you can’t win the Cup playing like the Dutch did on Sunday.

Holland came to Soccer City with only one purpose. By any means destroy the Spanish rhythm. They played destructive and negative football throughout the 120 minutes and never thought of clinching the issue in regulation time itself.

Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso were continuously fouled by the Dutch players, who were shown eight yellow cards by English referee Howard Webb.

Holland were living dangerously and my worst fears came true when, in extra time, John Heitinga was shown a red card for a second yellow-card offence.

I think that one man short in defence led to the Dutch downfall.

Take the Nigel de Jong foul on Xabi Alonso for instance. The defensive midfielder stamped the Spaniard’s chest for no reason and that deserved a straight red.

The Dutch were thinking that, by continuously fouling the Spaniards, they would force their opponents to retaliate. It happens in football. Even the coolest of the cool lose their temper. And, once deep into the second half, when Iniesta retaliated against Van Bommel’s nasty challenge, I thought the Spaniards were losing the plot.

Vicente del Bosque’s decision to keep Fernando Torres on the bench and retain the semi-final line-up was a bold step, but very surprising.

Young Pedro has the speed and, with that, loads of energy, but against the big-bodied Dutch players, he looked totally lost. He could not create the space for Villa to manoeuvre and was mostly occupied with mindless running.

With David Villa also finding the going tough against Joris Mathijsen, the Spaniards failed to unlock the Dutch defence.

As usual, Spain were happy playing the passing game, but what’s the point when you can’t wear down a defence with that. The Dutch back-four and the two playing in front of them — Van Bommel and De Jong — did not give the Iniestas and the Xavis any room.

Neither did the lack of third-man movement help the Spanish cause. I saw Fabio Cannavaro in the stands and he must be very impressed by the way the Dutch defended on Sunday.

It was only after Jesus Navas’s introduction that Spain got some wind in the wings. And suddenly there was a spring in Spanish steps.

Villa missed a sitter and then Sergio Ramos flunked a free header off a Xavi free-kick. I was very impressed by Ramos’s performance in this World Cup. It’s not that the Dutch only sat back and defended. They also had their chances and Arjen Robben must be cursing himself for missing those two sitters.

Once he was denied by a brilliant save by Spanish captain Iker Casillas and, then, once again, failed to get past the onrushing goalkeeper. Had Holland got any of those two, it would have been a goal against the run of play.

For, the Spanish were clearly the better team on the field and deserving winners. After the Euro, they win the World Cup. A delightful double.