World Cup final: Netherlands – Spain line up

World Cup 2010: On July 11th, the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg will host the final of the 2010 edition of the World Cup. Two fresh teams reached the final: Spain, the European Champion with an incredible quality in their midfielders, and Netherlands, a concrete team led by 2 great players.

After several editions dominated by the “classic” football teams (Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy), this time the two teams that will play Sunday 11th are “fresh”. Neither Netherlands nor Spain won a World Cup before and this is a prelude of a great match.

Netherlands, who won all the 6 matches played up to now in South Africa, is a way different from the team who invented the “Total Football”. Sneijder instead of Cruyff as playmaker and two great strikers, Robben and Van Persie (the second one still needs to show his talent in this World Cup), made this team one of the two candidates for the title of one of the “strangest” editions of this Tournament.

On the other side we have the big favorite, Spain, with a long list of wonderful players, from the defender Puyol, who scored the goal against Germany in semi-final, to the striker MARA-Villa, who wants to win the title of top goalscorer.

No changes in the line-up for Netherlands, a big dilemma with the strikers for Del Bosque: Pedro or Torres? Probably Pedro will be in the starting eleven, as in the match versus Germany, since Torres is (still) not in shape.

THE LINE-UP OF THE FINAL

NETHERLANDS (4-2-3-1): Stekelenburg, Van der Wiel, Heitinga, Mathijsen, Van Bronckhorst; Van Bommel, De Jong; Robben, Sneijder, Kuyt; Van Persie. Coach: Bert van Marwijk

SPAIN (4-2-3-1): Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Puyol, Piqué, Capdevila; Xabi Alonso, Busquets; Iniesta, Xavi, Pedro; Villa. Coach: Del Bosque

• 2010 World Cup Qualifying results and fixtures.
• 2010 World Cup Qualifying groups standings.
• Calendar and results – World Cup 2010
• Groups and Standings – World Cup 2010
• World Cup Winners List.
• News on World Cup 2010.
• World Cup Ball.