2010 FIFA World Cup Final: How The Dutch Can Take Down Spain

Many teams, such as the United States in the Confederations Cup, and Switzerland in the group stages of the World Cup, have given the world a blueprint on how to beat Spain.

The Netherlands definitely have the right players and play with the right kind of formation to take down the mighty Spaniards.

It is important that the Dutch don't get dragged into trying to out-possess La Furia Roja. Although they have very skilled players, the Dutch will open too many lanes across the field.

The Spanish are masterful at attacking after forcing a turnover. They have a master orchestrator running the midfield in Xavi, and David Villa up top is excellent at finding the holes in a defense and has a knack for putting the ball on target.

The biggest weaknesses the Spanish have on offense actually go together. For one, they lack a true winger in the starting lineup.

Vicente Del Bosque inserted Pedro into the starting lineup for the game against Germany and he provided quite a spark, but he is not a true outside midfielder.

One option on the Spanish bench is David Silva, who has only played in two games in South Africa. He plays for the Spanish club Valencia, and has a natural understanding with former teammate David Villa.

Del Bosque has chosen to go with basically four centrally located midfielders that are interchangeable and that are able to cover for each other on defense, but it has left them without a true presence on the outside.

The other part of Spanish game that is a true weakness is their lack of height in the middle of the field. David Villa is generously listed at 5'9", and Fernando Torres is struggling to regain his form.

The lack of quality crosses from the outside and the lack of a true physical presence on the end of the crosses force Spain to find other ways to put the ball in the back of the net.

The way teams in the past have used this to their advantage, and what the Dutch should do on Sunday, is pack the middle of the field and force the Spanish to play down the flanks.

Then, when the crosses come into the middle, clear them out and get reorganized. The starting goalie for the Netherlands, Martin Stekelenburg, stands at 6'4" and has proven that he is good in the air.

The Dutch also play in a formation that allows them to take advantage of this strategy to the fullest.

They play with two central defensive midfielders, Mark Van Bommel and Nigel De Jong, that will allow them to clog the middle of the field and force Spain to the outside.

They have been pretty well organized on defense, only giving up five goals in six games, with two of those being on penalty kicks, so they should be able to stick to their game plan.

Once the Dutch have successfully defended the Spanish and regained control of the ball, they have a great chance at running a counter attack.

Other than the Germans, who were missing a key player in Thomas Muller, the Dutch field the most talented and technically skilled team that the Spanish have faced.

They have great outlet options in Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt, and Robin Van Persie. None of these players are afraid to take on defenders one-on-one and are more than capable of initiating a counter attack.

This is where the Dutch can take advantage of the other Spanish weakness, the lack of pace in the back four. Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol are both excellent players, but they struggle when going against players with extreme pace.

Sergio Ramos, the starting right back, is the fastest of the back four, but he is often times caught out of position going forward and struggles to get back on defense in time to help out his teammates.

If the Dutch can get out on a break and attack the Spanish defense one-on-one, they have an excellent chance at scoring. Iker Casillas has looked shaky at times and might let in an easy goal if the Dutch are able to test him.

I think it is vital for Bert Van Marwijk to keep the same starting lineup as he had last game, specifically having Dirk Kuyt at left mid. Kuyt's work rate is second-to-none, and he is more than capable of making a difference on both ends.

To recap, for the Dutch to be successful, they need to defend in numbers in the middle of the field, force the Spanish down the flanks, clear the ball when in danger, and counter-attack when they get the chance.

The Spanish will definitely be the toughest task the Dutch have faced so far in the tournament, but the Dutch are no slouches themselves. They have an excellent chance at winning their first ever World Cup title.