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Five things to watch for in the final
JOHANNESBURG -- There will be dozens of storylines in the World Cup final, not least of which will be the crowning of a first-time winner, as well as the first European winner outside of, um, Europe. But here are five things that might be worth your particular attention:
1. First blood
Spain has won three knockout games in a row by a score of 1-0, against Portugal, Paraguay and Germany. The Spaniards are masters of lead conservation. Their defenders are comfortable with the ball, especially Pique, and they are probably the best keep-away team in the world. (As the clock ticked down on Germany, Spain put together pass after pass, the ball on the proverbial string.) The Dutch, then, will find themselves in deep trouble if they allow an early goal. On the plus side for them, and perhaps for us, there has been only one final decided by a 1-0 score: West Germany's win over Argentina in 1990.
2. Fernando Torres
It's not often that one man can turn a game entirely on his own, especially not a World Cup final, but there's something about Torres that makes his team's fate seem tied to his. He was benched for the start of the semifinal against Germany, because he'd looked slow during a troublesome lead-up, perhaps not entirely fit after knee injuries. He eventually came in for David Villa in the second half and made a couple of decent runs, showing flashes of his previous speed. That's a good sign. The most telling moment, however, came when Torres was wide open with a clear shot on goal and Pedro kept the ball to himself, eventually losing it in a selfish display. It says something -- none of it good -- when someone like Torres goes wanting for the ball, even when the nearest defender is 10 yards away. If he is delivered the ball against the Netherlands, and he can do something with it, Spain will probably prove unbeatable. Without Torres, Spain will be reduced mostly to Villa's strikes, and the Dutch have looked more than capable of shutting down a marked man.
3. A tale of two keepers
Iker Casillas started this tournament poorly but has been getting better as we've marched along. He made a very good save in the semifinal off Toni Kroos to keep the Germans off the board, and although he punched more balls than he caught, he looked to be reading the play well. Maarten Stekelenburg had been tabbed as the World Cup's best keeper … until the semifinal against Uruguay, when he looked nervous and flat-footed. If both men continue on their current trajectories, Spain will hold the advantage in goal.
4. Tired legs are fresh legs
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, in the six finals in which teams have played on different levels of rest, the team with fewer days off -- in this case Spain -- has won five times. Only Italy's shootout win against France in 2006 broke the not-so-tired streak.
5. Wesley Sneijder
The 26-year-old workhorse has played well enough for the Netherlands -- he's tied for the tournament lead with five goals in six games -- to have reportedly become the subject of a $42 million bid by Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson. Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has said he's inclined to keep Sneijder in Italy, but it will be interesting to see whether the transfer chatter has any effect on his play. Sneijder might also be helped -- or will he be hurt? -- by his playing head-to-head in the final against Villa, who also has five goals. If there's a single winner of the Golden Boot, that man stands a very good chance of hoisting the World Cup as well.
Chris Jones is a contributing editor to ESPN The Magazine and a writer-at-large for Esquire.
