FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 : Spain vs. Netherlands...The Final Preview

The World Cup started out with 32 teams and after 62 matches, 139 goals, endless drama, and some memorable moments, we are left with only two.

The magnificent and imposing Soccer City, or the "Calabash" as it is fondly called by the locals, will host the 19th FIFA World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands on Sunday.

Let's have a look at how the two finalists stack up against each other.

SPAIN

Spain landed in South Africa with the tag of "pre-tournament favorites." But their campaign kicked off with a shock 0-1 defeat at the hands of Switzerland. After the initial stutter, they quickly brought their campaign on track.

In the quarterfinals, they struggled against Paraguay, but a David Villa strike ensured that Spain would go through to the semifinals of the World Cup for the first time. They followed that up with a great performance against an in-form German side and came out with a well-deserved 1-0 victory.

After making it to the Final for the first time, they look to become the first team to win it after losing the first game of the World Cup.

With their modern version of "total football" and with a team saturated with talent, they will surely fancy themselves to create history.

STRENGTHS

Spain have adopted the Barcelona style of play and having seven Barca players in the starting 11 helps their cause big time. Their midfield is filled to the brim with quality and the way they pass the ball in triangles while moving forward is beautiful to watch.

They have dominated the possession in every match of the World Cup, and that's their form of defense. They never let the opponents have enough time with the ball. And if they lose the ball, they close in quickly and win it back again.

Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Xabi Alonso control the whole game while Pedro injects pace and trickery to the attack and Sergio Busquets helps the defense to repel counter attacks.

Apart from the star studded midfield, they have one of the best strikers in the world, David Villa. Villa has been in tremendous form in the World Cup and is the favorite to win the Golden Boot.

WEAKNESS

For all their passing and movement in the midfield, Spain have struggled to score goals. They have only scored six goals in their six games and only two of them were created by their illustrious midfield.

So what does this Barca-cloned Spain lack?

Well, they clearly lack a Lionel Messi. They come in with wave after wave of attacks but are easily repelled by the opposition's parked bus. They don't have a player who can open up the over-crowded defense and create some space for the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, or Alonso to work their magic.

Also, they try to be too intricate with their passing. They look for tap-in goals and sometimes they pass the ball too much and end up confusing themselves rather than the opponent's defense.

Sergio Ramos tends to push forward a lot and sometimes wanders too deep into the other half and is found wanting at the back when the opposition breaks.

KEY PLAYERS

Villa, Iniesta, and Xavi

NETHERLANDS

The Netherlands have beaten Denmark, Japan, Cameroon, Slovakia, Brazil, and Uruguay to reach their third World Cup final. Bert van Marwijk’s team would like to continue their winning streak and will look to succeed where his predecessors of 1974 and 1978 failed.

In the quarterfinals, the Dutch showed tremendous character to come from a goal down and vanquish the mighty Brazilians to send them packing.

In the semis, they were up against another South American side, Uruguay. They weren't particularly good but managed to win it 3-2 with a helping hand from lady luck.

Now they face the European champions, Spain, in the finals. They have been in the finals twice, but lost both the times. They will hope...the third time's the charm.

Bert Van Marwijk said he built his team in the image of Spanish club Barcelona. A team who playz beautiful football when in possession and scrap like fury to win the ball back. But he will find it tough to apply that against a Spanish team who seem to have perfected that style of play.

STRENGTHS

They have strong a midfield with Wesley Sneijder marshaling the troops and a potent attacking quality. They also are versatile in their attacking approaches.

With Arjen Robben running on the right flank and Dirk Kuyt crossing from the left, they always seem to have plenty of options. And with Robin Van Persie up front, they have enough quality to trouble any attack in the world.

They also know when to switch from their crisp passing to using the width of the pitch to put in crosses from wide areas.

Nigel de Jong's due to return in the final and he along with Mark Van Bommel will be the holding midfielders who can excel in the physical aspect of the game, especially against a physically weak team like Spain.

WEAKNESS

Their defense is a big concern for them. They have conceded five goals in this World Cup, which shows the frailty in their defense.

Giovanni Van Bronckhorst seems to be a weak link. He has lost his pace and awareness. He will be up against the swift Pedro and he might not be able to contain him.

Van Bommel has been very lucky not be sent off against Uruguay and Brazil. He has been living dangerously on the line with the refs and will have to be very careful with his challenges against the silky movements of the Spaniards.

Also, Maarten Stekelenburg seems to be very ordinary in front of the goal. In the semis he let Uruguay back into the game after he failed to stop a Diego Forlán strike that he should have. A mistake like that against Spain will be very costly.

The Netherlands will also be worried about the form of their striker, Van Persie. He has had a pretty ordinary World Cup. When in the dire need of goals, the Dutch have had to turn to the likes of Robben and Sneijder instead of him.

KEY PLAYERS

Sneijder, Robben, and Kuyt

PREDICTION

They both have a pretty similar style of play. If the Dutch sit back and wait for the moment to break then they will pay for it like the Germans and the Portuguese did.

Spain will look to play like they always do, keep the ball in the Dutch half and attack the Dutch defense relentlessly. But they will have to be careful about Robben and Sneijder, who can be deadly on the counter attack.

Spain have too much quality. Along with their fluid passing and movement, their ability to win the ball back quickly is probably their biggest strength.

SPAIN will win it 3-1. But hey... just wait for what Paul the Octopus says.