2010 World Cup Final: Andres Iniesta & Co. Teach Total Football As Spain Win

When Andres Iniesta volleyed the ball past Maarten Steklenberg, total football had prevailed above all else at the 2010 World Cup.

Iniesta and company were a delight to watch at times throughout their time in South Africa, and not for the usual reasons.

Spain scored just eight goals in seven games. They didn’t create chance after chance, but they played with such appetite and desire that you just knew they were going to be hard to stop once they found their feet in the tournament.

Although they lost their opening game against Switzerland, which meant New Zealand were the only team not to lose a game at this year’s World Cup, their passing and possession was faultless—tiring teams out and finally breaking them down late in the proceedings.

In all of their knockout games, the goals came in the second half—even later in the final—because they wore their opponents down. They left opponents chasing shadows for long periods of the game, and scored at pivotal points.

David Villa’s goal against Portugal in the round of 16 came at a time when neither side was really creating anything. Portugal were very defensive, leaving just Cristiano Ronaldo in an attacking position. But as soon as they created that one chance, Villa took it, and sent Spain into the quarter finals.

The wore down Paraguay, another team who parked the bus, so to speak. Although both teams missed penalties in a crazy couple of minutes, Villa scored again late to send Spain into their first ever World Cup semi final.

Against the Germans, arguably the most eye-catching team of the tournament, the Spaniards again wore them down. In the Euro 2008 final, Germany described the defeat as ‘death by a thousand passes’—it would be much the same in this semi final.

Spain scored their winner, through an unlikely source and in an unlikely way, as Carlos Puyol rose the highest to head the ball past Manuel Neuer into the German goal after a beautiful delivery from Xavi, one of the best players in the world right now.

Spain were favourites going into the final against the Dutch, a team renowned for their total football approach adopted when they last reached the final in 1978, and before that in 1974.

This time, it was Holland’s opponents who played total football, keeping the ball, and wearing the Dutch side down.

One of the players of the tournament, Wesley Sneijder, was unable to get enough time on the ball. The one time he did, he played a superb ball through for Arjen Robben, who was denied by a fantastic save from Spanish captain Iker Casillas.

Spain did not only play well in possession of the ball, but without it, they pressed and hurried the Netherlands and forced them to make errors.

Pressure finally wore off with less than five minutes remaining in extra time as substitute Cesc Fabregas played in Iniesta who smashed the ball past Steklenberg.

For Iniesta though, it was not about those who were with him, it was a chance for those to remember his friend Daniel Jarque who died after a training session with Espanyol the previous season.

Although Diego Forlan won the golden ball, there is no doubt a number of the Spanish side could have won the award, including Iniesta, Xavi, and Villa.

To them it will not matter, for they have won the biggest prize in world football.