Spain wins World Cup
Spain won its first World Cup championship in dramatic fashion on Sunday, eking out a 1-0 win against the Netherlands in extra time. A controversial red card issued to Netherlands defender John Heitinga gave Spain the advantage they needed to score in the extra period, providing for an exciting climax to the 2010 World Cup games in South Africa.
Andreas Iniesta provided the sole goal of the match, which saw missed opportunities by both clubs during the regulation period. In addition to missed shots, spectacular saves by the keepers on both sides, the championship game was also filled with penalties, as a whopping 13 yellow cards and one red card were issued during regulation and extra time play.
The defeat was the third in the World Cup finals for the Dutch, who also lost in 1974 and 1978 to West Germany and Argentina, respectively. Spain had never made it to the championship match prior to last night’s win, although the squad was favoured to win it all prior to the start of the games due to its incredible success in world play over the course of the past two years. The stadium at Soccer City in Johannesburg was filled to capacity during the match, including legendary South African figure Nelson Mandela, who toured the field in a golf cart to greet the thousands of fans in attendance.