Spain World Cup Champion

From Javier...

What can I say. I thought it would be very difficult that Spain would ever be World Cup champion. And here the team has made us champions before I am even 40. And not only has Spain won, but it has also created a unique football style that fans can recognise as truly Spanish.

We started this blog as a showcase for Monte Carlo Simulation. But we continuously have highlighted the importance of psychology and mental strength in football, away from tactics or skills. I was again very impressed yesterday with the Spanish team. The Dutch took the lessons of Spain's games against Switzerland, Chile and Paraguay and took them to a different level: interrupt play continuously, apply strong tackles to destabilise, intimidate and provoke the Spaniards, force Spain to commit mistakes. The Spanish players maintained their composure remarkably well in face of what the British press today defines as "thug football". The karate kick on Xabi Alonso is front page on the Times supplement today.

I understand the Dutch tactics and the rationale for them. But the Dutch also have to understand that Dutch football's image has taken a formidable beating, the romantic 74 team has been superseded by the ice hockey players of '10. Johann Cruyf must be very mad today. Probably the Dutch mistake was not to start pressure further up field (like Chile did so effectively against Spain) and to incur in unnecessary rough play that tested the referee's patience. And of course The Netherlands missed some very good chances.

I saw the game surrounded by a large contingent of political family, my wife, my four young daughters and my mother. I missed my dear father who passed away last year and would have loved so much to see Spain crowned champion. When Iniesta scored the goal the release of tension and sense of relief was overwhelming. Four grown-up men spent a minute hugging and jumping in front of the TV.

So never again will we have to endure that "Spain are perennial underachievers". For the future I hope team Spain does not become a parody of itself and tries to take the "tiki-taka" and passing football too far. We cannot forget that the semifinal against Germany was won with a classic English-style header by a defense on a corner kick. We cannot forget the wake-up call given to us by Switzerland in the first game and confuse possession with winning. At the same time, who would have guessed that even with our star striker (who adds Northern European style definition to the passing game) in very poor form that Spain would still make it.

Team Spain is an example of humility, hard work, teamwork and cool headedness. Great example for Spain's young and not-so-young. Hopefully the country's politicians will learn from the national side composed of a variety of regions and will start to exhibit the same attributes.