August 18th, 2010 by admin

The 2010 FIFA World Cup came down to two powerhouse teamsSpain and the Netherlandsanxious to win the championship for the first time. Fans eager to learn the outcome had to wait much longer than expected as the game stretched onand on. Shortly before the two hour mark, Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta delivered a kick into the goal and ended the game at 1-0. That one goal made Iniesta, and the rest of his teammates, national heroes.The Netherlands team was no stranger to having the title snatched from them at the last minute. This year marked the third time they have lost the final match, after 1974 and 1978. It was particularly heartbreaking this year, however, as the Dutch had not lost a single game either in this tournament or in the qualifying matches. Overall, the Dutch have won 19 World Cup games without gaining a title, making them the record-holders.Spain’s national team had another big win in 2008 at the European Championship, where they turned around decades of invisibility on the international arena. Other Spanish athletes have delivered either around the same time or slightly before, such as Rafael Nadal’s Grand Slam tennis career and Fernando Alonso’s Formula One titles. The Spanish basketball team has also made headlines, and Spaniard Pau Gasol is currently a star on the LA Lakers.In this year’s World Cup, Spain started off with a loss to Switzerland but bounced back and managed to win every round since. The last four games were 1-0 victories, including a match against the top-ranked German team. That efficiency has given Spain two records: being the only team to win after a first-round loss and winning with the fewest goals (8).As Spain celebrates its championship win, fans attempt to return to the relative un-excitement of their everyday lives. Still, the memory of this victory will live on for a long time to come.