Holland v Spain- WC Preview

Holland will be looking to break their World Cup finals hoodoo when they take on Spain in the final game of the 2010 World Cup on Sunday evening. The Dutch reached the finals in 1974 and 1978 but fell to West Germany and Argentina respectively at the final hurdle.

Holland won all their games in qualifying, and should the Dutch win on Sunday, they’ll equal the record created by the famous Brazilian World Cup winning team of 1970 that also won all of its qualifying games. Like the Oranje, Spain also cruised through qualifying, but La Furia Roja have already been beaten once at this World Cup- by Switzerland in their very first game.

Nigel de Jong and Gregory van der Wiel will return from suspension for the Dutch. Germany made the mistake of giving too much respect to Spain and Holland coach Bert van Marwijk will not want his charges to make the same mistake. Spain coach Vicente del Bosque chose not to start with Fernando Torres in the semifinal against Germany and the Liverpool star could again find himself on the bench on Sunday. Torres has not scored a single goal, but his strike partner David Villa has five, and is in contention for the Golden Boot award along with Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder, who also has five goals to his credit.

Holland captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who scored an absolute stunner against Uruguay, will earn his 106th and final cap for the Netherlands this Sunday.

And on a parting note, Paul the Octopus says that Spain will become world champions on Sunday.