A new World Cup champion will be announced on Sunday night as Spain take on Holland in an epic final in Johannesburg. Although both are regarded as two European powerhouses, neither nation had the honor of winning a World Cup title. The final is also new territory for European champions Spain, who are undoubtedly enjoying a golden era thanks to their talent-brimming squad. Should Barcelona duo Xavi and Andres Iniesta turn on the style, it would be very difficult for any team to overcome the Spaniards, who also have the competition's joint top-scorer David Villa. "I don't see David Villa as Spain's most dangerous player. The ones you really have to watch are Xavi and Iniesta," said Holland ace Arjen Robben. "They're the players who set the tempo and make sure the ball gets to Villa. We have to stop them from playing and getting free. "We need to mark them very tightly because if we give them the slightest space we'll have problems." Casillas influence vs. Dutch run Vicente Del Bosque's team have also been tight at the back, only conceding twice in South Africa so far, courtesy of a couple of scrappy goals against Switzerland and Chile. The defense partnership of Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique has been impressive, but the five clean sheets are largely due to the consistent heroics of goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
"We've felt a bit anxious all the way through the tournament, even the early matches," said the Spain captain. "This is a very important match - the most important of our careers - and we do feel nervous." Casillas' anxiety is probably justified given that the Dutch are on a staggering 25-match unbeaten run, with a 100% winning record in qualifiers and finals. The Oranje have found the net 12 times in South Africa, even though their main striker Robin van Persie has only scored once so far. But manager Bert van Marwijk, the man who could enter history books on Sunday, has faith in his lone striker as he expects the Arsenal hitman to 'play his best game in the final'. Team News Holland are set to regain the services of Gregory van der Wiel and Nigel de Jong after both had missed the semi-final win over Uruguay through suspension. Spain boss Del Bosque will decide whether to stick with Pedro or reinstall EURO 2008 final hero Fernando Torres alongside Villa upfront. A head-to-head contest for the top scorer is anticipated between Villa and Holland star Wesley Sneijder, with both players on five goals so far.
