Star-studded midfield battle to prove vital

Approaching a history making World Cup final, either Spain or the Netherlands will win a first ever title. Spain produced its best performance last time out, while the Dutch have played a results-based brand of football.

The stars in the middle of the park point to a vital midfield battle to be the decider.

Both teams deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation, which means the middle third of the park will be rather crowded.

The Spanish have continued to play possessive football, but semi-final opponent Germany allowed them to have too much ball.

The Dutch won’t make the same mistake.

Spain is relentless going forward with the passing game used continually and eventually breaking down the opposition.

The keys are held for the Spanish in what appears to be a breakable Dutch defence.

The back four of Gregory van der Wiel, John Heitinga, Joris Mathijsen and Giovanni van Bronckhorst have conceded four goals in three knockout games – in comparison to the three-straight clean sheets kept by Spain.

Spain will feel confident it can thread through this defence and utilize the attacking prowess of David Villa, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and possibly Pedro.

But it has been a compact Dutch outfit where defensive midfielders Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong have stood tall to largely protect their back four.

They will have their work cut out against the array of talent in the Spanish midfield.

English referee Howard Webb will officiate his fourth game of the tournament – averaging almost six yellow cards a game but yet to award a red or a penalty during the Cup.

Van Bommel has shown he will commit everything to ensure his team isn’t beaten, although he has been walking a thin line in recent games.

He’s a naturally hard player, but he needs to control his emotions in the final.

There is no shortage of midfield talent going forward for the Dutch either.

Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt with Robin van Persie up front can cause trouble.

Robben has played largely a sideshow role to the brilliant Sneijder at this tournament, but he has the ability to turn it on as an x-factor.

While Kuyt isn’t a game breaker for the most part, coach Bert van Marwijk knows he is going to get complete effort for the full game from the Liverpool man.

There has been plenty of reliance on Sneijder from the Dutch, as there has been on Villa from the Spaniards.
Importantly, the Dutch can’t allow Spain to dominate possession as they did against Germany.

Sure, they won’t win the possession percentages, but they can’t allow Spain anything more than 60 per cent of the ball.

As Paraguay did, Netherlands needs to press higher up the park, hopefully in the Spanish half, and force some pressure on the ball players from the holding roles in Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets.

When the Paraguayans piled on the pressure, the Spanish felt it and to some extent – cracks began to appear.

But when the penalty came to fruition for Paraguay, it missed and Villa was the hero later on.

Busquets is only 21, and the Dutch might look to expose his youth and inexperience on the biggest stage of all.

Netherlands, unlike Paraguay, has taken its chances when they have come.

Paul the Octopus has gone for Spain, but it only takes one deflection or a piece of luck to change a game.

But fortune favours the brave and the courage is going to have to come from one of the two star-studded midfields.