Spain gets set to take on the Netherlands tomorrow for the World Cup final. Here are 5 reasons to root for the Spaniards.
1) David Villa – He has signal-handedly carried Spain to the World Cup final, scoring 5 goals in 6 games – tying Wesley Sneijder as the tournament’s leading scorer. Spanish fans have known of Villa’s talent for years with his play at Vallencia. This World Cup has been his coming out party for everyone to see. Even Netherland’s fans have to enjoy watching Villa play.
By: Justin Mertes-Mistretta
2) David Villa isn’t the only superstar on Spain:
- Midfielder Xavi – mastermind with the ball at his feet.
- Defender Carlos Puyol – scored one of the most important goals in Spain’s history against Germany in the semifinals.
- Forward Fernando Torres – Though not playing like it, he is one of the best forwards in the world. He’s due for a big game. What better time than the World Cup final?
- Defender Gerard Pique
- Midfielder Andres Iniesta
- Do I need to continue? This team is stacked.
3) Spain has more team chemistry than the Netherlands: On Spain, you won’t find players getting in a feud with their coach over a late substitution (ala Netherland’s Robin Van Persie threw a fit that Sneijder should have been subbed out instead of him against Brazil.) Not only does Spain avoid rifts off the field, they play well on the field. They pass the ball together as if they have played with each other for 100 years. On the other hand, the Netherlands have players who, granted are great players, play for themselves at times, shooting from far out when a simple pass would set up a better shot. Just watch Robin Van Persie, who is hogs the ball more than Stephon Marbury.
4) Chance to make history: There are a lot of firsts if Spain wins the 2010 World Cup.
- No team has ever won the World Cup after losing their first game (Spain lost their first game to Switzerland 1-0.)
- If they win tomorrow, they will become the first European team ever to win the World Cup away from Europe.
- Spain has never won the World Cup
5) Everyone is pulling for the Netherlands. Spain has been doubted all tournament. They lost their first game against Switzerland and everyone wrote them off. Going into the semifinals against Germany everyone assumed Germany, who had been on a roll, would just walk right over Spain. People forget that Spain is and has been one the best teams in the world for years. Heck, they won the Euro Cup in 2008. Everyone is pulling for the Netherlands as the underdog, but they are the fourth best team in the world. If anyone is the underdog in this game, it’s Spain. Don’t be surprised if they prove everyone wrong, again.
Read the top 5 reasons to root for the Netherlands here.
Read more of Justin Mertes-Mistretta here.