And mind you, it took a little while before we had a winner.

Exhausted and out of breath, the players knew just one goal would be enough to win the elusive 2010 FIFA World Cup for their nation.

As the clock ticked toward penalty kicks, the shivering crowd at Soccer City Stadium grew anxious. Spain or the Netherlands would win its first championship. That is if somebody can find the back of the net.

Andres Iniesta did, and Spain rules the soccer world at long, long last. “We have all done an incredible job,” Andres Iniesta said Sunday night, shortly after the 1-0 extra-time victory. “I don’t think we even realize what we have done.”

They beat the Netherlands on Sunday to go one better than the European title Espana won in 2008. Spain won its last four games by a score of 1-0 — a tight margin that characterized the month-long tournament. The World Cup featured a record 31 one-goal decisions out of 64 matches — four more than the previous high set in 2002, according to STATS LLC.

This final was a physical test of attrition that sometimes turned dirty — a finals-record 14 yellow cards were handed out and the Dutch finished with 10 men. In the end, it was Iniesta breaking free in the penalty area, taking a pass from Cesc Fabregas and putting a right-footed shot from 8 yards just past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg with about seven minutes left to play, including…

Silverstone is looking forward to welcome the reigning Formula 1 World Champion, Jenson Button and his teammate Lewis Hamilton.

This race of the 2010 F1 season has become one of the sporting highlights of the British Summer. Few sporting occasions match the intensity, glamor and drama of the Santander British Grand Prix and whether it’s a wide eyed first timer or seasoned veteran, the experience is breathtaking.

Nothing beats the atmosphere at Silverstone when a British driver takes to the circuit. This year, both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button will be aiming to impress the loyal British fans at their home race, hoping to mount the steps of the Silverstone podium.

And trust me, Lewis Hamilton won’t let his teammate upstage him this Sunday.

Running alongside the thrilling on-track action, spectators are treated to a host of additional entertainment including the ever popular post race party, air displays, entertainment zones and the F1 trade mall.

The 5.42km Valencia street course, located in the port area of the city, is a relatively high speed street course and incorporates a bridge in its layout. Twenty five corners and several sections where speeds are around 300 km/h mean a track where finding a good set-up compromise can be a challenge. The non-permanent nature of the facility means that track surface evolution is likely to be a factor over the weekend.

Hamilton, the 25-year-old Formula 1 star from Herts, has been…

Can they avoid stumbling in the end again?

The Netherlands rallied through qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup with a perfect record, winning all eight of its qualifiers whilst scoring 17 goals and conceding only two. They finished 2009 ranked third in the FIFA World Rankings, but the concern is that this is a side that some times suffers inexplicable defeats.

In Euro 2008, for example, Netherlands looked almost unstoppable after winning their group games by scores of 3-0 over Italy, 4-1 over France and 2-0 over Romania. Yet in the quarterfinals they suffered a shock 3-1 loss to Russia after extra time. In 2009, there were no losses for the Dutch, however. They won six matches and drew four, scoring 18 and conceding only four goals.

The Netherlands are traditionally among the most technically proficient teams in the game and their passing can be a thing of beauty, but it’s the cutting edge they will be looking for in South African in 2010.

Assistant coach Frank de Boer, their second most capped player of all time, told the FIFA website: “We have a mission: that mission is to be champions of the world.” They have the players to do it. What they will need in South Africa will be consistency throughout the month-long tournament.

If there’s one clear advantage that the Netherlands has…

2010 WORLD CUP TEAMS
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2010 WORLD CUP TEAMS
Can they avoid stumbling in the end again?
The Netherlands rallied through qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup with a perfect record, winning all eight of its qualifiers whilst scoring 17 goals and conceding only two. They finished 2009 ranked third in the FIFA World Rankings, but the concern is that this [...]

2010 WORLD CUP TEAMS
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