Sportspeak Calls For Seven Goal Thriller To Settle World Cup Final 2010

Soccer City will look like a colour blind clown’s wardrobe tonight as Holland & Spain’s fans shake their flags & blow their vuvuzeelas to cheer on the two sides who will contest the World Cup final. A tournament that has been a huge success financially & socially for the host nation of South Africa has had it’s moments of laughter(Engerlund’s disallowed goal), it’s moments of drama & the odd bit of barefaced cheating(Luis Suarez’s handball against Ghana). Not too many people will argue with the final pairing as both were consistently good throughout the competition as more vaunted & fancied sides fell by the wayside. The Argentinians, inspired by the madcap lunacy of the living God that is Diego Armando Maradona played by far the best football but turned out to have a marshmallow defence when those pesky Germans were having one of their more ruthless afternoons.  A functional Brazil side never really convinced, a youthful German side surprised & a Uruguyan side inspired by the golden maned lion that is Diego Forlan astonished the World by making it to the semi finals & gave us the game of the tournament against a brave Ghana. The last two finalists World Champions Italy & France had both qualified at Ireland’s expense & they got exactly what their play deserved- a first round exit. The permanent conundrum that is England remains unsolved as yet again reality failed to meet arrogant expectations.

This was the World Cup where the vuvuzeela became  the constant soundtrack & where an octopus named Paul suddenly started to make Paddy Power & his colleagues sweat like the poor chap who’s had to run around dressed as the tournament mascot.

And then there were two- Holland, the country who gave us total football in the 1970′s & saw them lose two World deciders in 74 & 78 to West Germany & Argentina. The Spanish are the reigning European Champions tring to emulate the Germany of 72 & 74 & the France of 98 & 2000 by holding both the major baubles at the same time.

Both sides owe a huge debt to the great Johan Cruijff who has spent time moulding youngsters in both camps. His association with Barcelona has seen him watch the Catalan backbone of this wonderful Spanish side grow & breathe on the biggest stages of all, while the Dutch still look for the approval of the godfather of total football. Who will win? We will know later tonight, but it would be fitting if we get the game this tournament deserves, one which will put a smile on a billion faces around the World , one of the sides winning by the odd goal in seven would be an ideal scenario but lets just hope that the 22 players on the park produce some magic to make Maradona,Pele, Platini,Zidane & Cruijff nod their heads in agreement their hands aloft applauding today’s generation on the biggest stage of their lives. Howard Webb- the World is watching- no pressure mate.

Bob "The Voice" McKenzie Twitter: @BobTheVoice About: