JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- The first foul of the 2010 World Cup final was committed by a spectator who ran onto the field Sunday night and tried to grab the golden World Cup trophy, which was on display on a pedestal in the moments before the players from Spain and the Netherlands were due to walk out from the tunnel. Security guards tackled the man and carried him off the field.
Almost three hours later -- in the 116th minute of hard-tackling, bad-tempered soccer that produced a record 14 yellow cards -- Spain grabbed that trophy for the first time in history, winning 1-0 on an extra-time goal by midfielder Andres Iniesta, one of the smallest but most exquisite passers on the field.
The Dutch were down to 10 men, and the ugly game was grinding its way down to a penalty-kick shootout when substitute Cesc Fabregas found Iniesta free on the right side in the 116th minute, and the Barcelona magician they call "El Ilusionista" (The Illusionist) gave it one touch and then volleyed it 8 yards past the outstretched arms of Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. The goal spared the 84,490 fans at Soccer City and the estimated TV audience of 700 million a shootout.
After he scored, Iniesta ripped off his jersey to reveal a T-shirt that read: Dani Jarque Siempre Con Nosotros (Always With Us), a tribute to the former Spanish player who died last August of a heart attack at age 26.
"I simply made a small contribution in a match that was very tough, very rough," Iniesta said. "All sorts of things were happening on the pitch. Spain deserved to win this world championship. It's something we will always remember."
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Despite an impressive pedigree of world-class players, this was Spain's first World Cup final. La Furia Roja, as the Spanish team is known, entered this tournament as co-favorites with Brazil after winning the 2008 European championship. Spain started slowly, with a shocking 1-0 loss to Switzerland, but eventually found its stylish passing game and reached Sunday's final.
Spain's opponent was formidable. The Dutch were riding a 25-match unbeaten streak. They won all eight qualifiers and all six matches here, and their orange army of fans was hoping they finally would be able to celebrate their first World Cup title after the Dutch lost in the 1974 and 1978 finals.
The red-and-orange party started early in the afternoon, as thousands of fans of both teams gathered at Nelson Mandela Square and serenaded each other with light-hearted digs. It was a festive atmosphere, as Dutch and Spanish fans danced arm-in-arm.
There was no such camaraderie between the teams once the game began. It was clear from the start that the Dutch plan was to thwart the silky-passing Spaniards with muscle and not let them find a rhythm. English referee Howard Webb pulled out his first yellow card in the 11th minute for Dutch forward Robin Van Persie, and by the 25th minute, five players had been booked.
The fouls continued, and the stop-and-go match never found a flow. Fans expected quality soccer from the two talented teams, but instead got 120 minutes of bruising. When it was over, nine Dutch players and five Spaniards had been carded. The previous high for a World Cup final was six yellows in 1986. Angry Dutch players surrounded Webb after the match, but their complaints didn't help.
"It's not our style to commit horrible fouls," Dutch coach Bert Van Marwijk said. "It's not our kind of football. It has been our intention to play beautiful football, but we also were facing a very good opponent. Both sides committed terrible fouls. It might be regrettable for a final."
