SPAIN WINS FIRST EVER WORLD CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

For a team that had made narrow victories a World Cup trademark, Spain’s victory over Holland came in a very fitting fashion.  Andres Iniesta scored in the 116th minute of play to break a scoreless tie and give Spain a 1-0 win and their first ever World Cup championship.  It was Spain’s fourth consecutive 1-0 victory—a fact that underscored the gritty manner in which the team fought throughout the tournament.
 
Spain was the pre-tournament soccer betting favorite, and they were likewise a +115 favorite in Sunday’s championship match.  Takeback on Holland was+240, but the winning three way wager was on the first 90 minutes ending in a draw at +225.  Due to Spain’s streak of narrow victories the total for the game was posted at 2 goals, but the single score in the contest once again made the UNDER the winning betting position.  Spain had been a +410 choice to win the World Cup before the tournament began.
 
The Spaniards controlled the possession (57% to 43%) and held a 19-13 shots advantage for the game, but neither team was able to score in either regulation time or the first 26 minutes of added time.  With the game on the verge of being settled by penalty kicks and the Dutch team down a man, Iniesta took a pass from Cesc Fabregas and beat goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg with a right footed shot from 8 yards out.  After the match, Iniesta was in a state of disbelief as he recounted the goal:

“When I struck it, it just had to go in.”

He also suggested that the enormity of their accomplishment had yet to sink in:

"We have all done an incredible job. I don't think we even realize what we have done.”

Spain’s coach Vincente del Bosque was able to give the victory some perspective:

"This is immeasurable for Spain. They made it very difficult for us to play comfortably. It was a very intense match."

No postscript of the 2010 World Cup would be complete without mentioning Paul the Octopus, who went eight for eight with his tournament selections including tipping Spain in the championship game.  Iniesta even gave props to soccer handicapping’s most famous cephalopod mollusk:

"As for the octopus, what can I say? We won and I'm sure the octopus will be more popular in Spain."

Prior to the 2010 World Cup, Spain had never made it past the semifinal stage and hadn’t done that since 1950.  Holland was making their third World Cup finals appearance and has yet to win the championship.