What a nail-biter! After almost two hours of play, Spain finally scored a goal in the final minutes of overtime to secure their first World Cup championship, besting a valiant effort by the Netherlands. The first half of the World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands ended without a goal, but plenty of fouls—referee Howard Webb drew a yellow card five time. Both sides appeared a little cautious and struggled to build any real rhythm. Still, Spain dominated the early proceedings, much as it did in its semi-final against Germany, before the Netherlands worked their way back into the game. Spain’s best chance came in the fifth minute, when Sergio Ramos’s header drew an excellent diving save from Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. The Netherlands found a small opening in the dying moments of the half, but Arjen Robben’s shot from range was well stopped by Iker Casillas.
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