Champion


Spain were rightly crowned world champions for the first time to add to their European title of two years ago while the Dutch were guilty of crimes against football.

The Spanish bulls tried to play the game and it would have been a scandal had Holland nicked it by kicking Vicente Del Bosque's team off the park.

As it was, Andres Iniesta's winner four minutes from the end of extra time, which he rattled into the corner from a pass by sub Cesc Fabregas, sparked a fiesta.

Iniesta typifies Spain's approach. They want to pass the ball, run with it, love it and entertain.

Ironically it is what the Dutch "total football" sides of the 70s used to do but this one was a disgrace to their memory - this was more "total thuggery".

Holland collected nine yellow cards and a red for Everton's Johnny Heitinga while Spain, in the face of serious provocation, got five of their own.

That established a rather dubious World Cup record for English referee Howard Webb for the number of yellow cards dished out in a final - 14. The previous record was six in 1986.

Dutch players surrounded Webb at the end berating him for goodness knows what. They were lucky they only had one man sent off. It could have been three.

This final will not be remembered as a classic, nor indeed will the competition as a whole but you have to hand it to Spain.

要約　2010年サッカーワールドカップ決勝が行われスペインVSオランダは延長後半4分のスペインのイニエスタのゴールでスペインが初優勝した。スペインが攻撃的なのに対してオランダは守備を固めたが全体でイエローカードを9枚もらい、DFのハイティンハが退場するなどした。

感想　毎回優勝候補とされながらもことごとく負けてきたスペインが勝ったことは新しい歴史になった。今回も優勝候補の大本命と言われていたのですごいプレッシャーの中で試合をしていただろうがそのプレッシャーに勝ったことは素晴らしいと感じた。

単語　nick 妨げる berate しかりつける