Spain Vs. Netherlands Rematch: The Soccer Gods Have Smiled Upon Us [ANALYSIS]

The 2010 World Cup Final was supposed to be a Final for the ages. It featured a Spanish side that was favored to win the tournament from the get-go, against a Dutch side that was playing beautiful football and surprising everyone along the way. What occurred over the next 120 minutes was anything but exciting. The two teams combined to only put 8 shots on frame, while committing a combined total of 47 fouls. That means that there was a foul almost once every two-and-a-half minutes. A complete set of statistics from the “Anti-Football Final” can be seen here. So the question now remains. What as fans can we expect to see from two of the planet’s greatest soccer-ing nations come June 13?

In one of the most anticipated rematches in recent World Cup history, a strong favored Spanish side once again comes face-to-face with the famous “Oranje” of Holland. “La Furia Roja” have retained a good amount of their roster from four years ago, while the Dutch have brought with them a mixture of both younger and older players. There have been numerous discussions in recent times whether or not the international inexperience of Holland’s squad, especially on their back four, will be able to handle the pressure that comes along with playing in a game of this magnitude. Though no one can definitively say what players will lineup across from each other on game day, most experts have a pretty good idea of what the starting XI for both sides will look like. Look for this game to primarily take place in the midfield, much like it did in 2010, as both teams offer world-class talent at that position. It is hard to bet against the likes of Xavi and Iniesta controlling the ball, but veteran Wesley Seneijder and possible Manchester United target Daley Blind could offer quite the battle in the middle of the pitch.

This game will be close and physical but it will not be anything like the game that was played four years ago. Be prepared for it to be played conservatively as no team wants to start out the tournament with a loss. But don’t expect anything like what you saw in Johannesburg. A rematch like this does not come around very often, so my advice to anyone watching; sit back, relax and enjoy one of the opening and possibly best games that this World Cup will have to offer.