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This has been the best for Dutch fans

Ruud Gullit

The World Cup South Africa 2010 comes to its exhilarating zenith on Sunday night at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg.

For those of us who have been here all month it is a bitter-sweet moment to celebrate the new world champion but also to say goodbye to the wonderful people of South Africa, the vuvuzuelas, the jabulani, the colours and images that have made this World Cup in South Africa unique.

The finale of the World Cup is a brutal, tense, 90-minute game where the players are well conscious of carrying all their nations' hopes and aspirations, under the glare of three billion TV spectators. With aching muscles and beating hearts the players will have to keep their wits about them if they are to attain football immortality.

Holland has lost twice in the finals, of 1974 and 1978. European champions Spain play their first final hoping to complete a double sweep of titles like Germany in 1974 and France in 1998. For us Dutch fans this has been the best World Cup since 1974.

Coach van Marwijk has created a well-oiled Orange machine that is efficient if not spectacular. Key to his 14-game winning streak are stars Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder.

They have come through with key goals versus Brazil and Uruguay. Close to them in midfield Dirk Kuyt runs himself into the ground feeding them balls. Robin van Persie is the lone striker of this Dutch team .

Spain will have to contain these four talents that alternate roles without fixed forward positions. Behind them Manchester City's de Jong and van Bommel of Bayern contain the opponents to re-launch their forward line.

Holland has been more effective in the second half of their games, when their opponents lose steam and they can create opportunities. The defensive line of the Dutch is composed of Boulahrouz, Hietinga, Mathijsen and van Bronckhorst and they have not been watertight.

Brazil scored one and could have scored more. Uruguay scored two. If Holland is to beat Spain they must find a way to contain David Villa, Torres or Pedro. Goalkeeper Stekelenburg has been excellent, especially against Brazil, and will have to surpass himself against Spain. Look for the Dutch to have a more aggressive attitude than the Germans, and look to Robben and Sneijder for an early key goal.

Spain stuttered at the beginning of the tournament, losing to Switzerland, but then got better and better winning the next five games defeating Chile, Paraguay and Germany on their way to the final.

The Spanish domination starts from their Barcelona midfield of Iniesta, Xabi, Xavi and Busquets who play one-touch football by memory and keep 70 per cent possession football. They know that if they have the ball, the other team can't score.

Excellent substitutions

Coach del Bosque has made some excellent substitutions bringing on players of the calibre of Pedro and Fabregas when necessary.

Puyol has won every trophy there is in football, save the World Cup. The vicious header he scored against Germany shows the competitive desire that still burns in his soul.

I pray that my friends Sneijder and Robben can achieve what van Basten, Rijkaard and I could not do and Cruyff and Neeskens almost did in 1974. Hawkeye Communications

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