11 July - The Final - Soccer City - Spain vs Netherlands

Spain reign as the Dutch get all butch....


So that, ladies and gents, is that. Match number 16, the biggest of them all and most certainly the biggest event I've ever been to.

I had to shake my head in disbelief a  few times. You keep saying to yourself  "I'm at the World Cup Final" but it's hard to really take it all in.



Joburg was buzzing on Sunday morning. We went down to Nelson Mandela Square for breakfast and the atmosphere was electric. Dutch and Spanish fans trying to outsing each other and a real sense of something huge happening.



Then on to Gold Reef City to while away a couple of hours in the early afternoon. It was deserted and very eerie. The kids got to ride everything they wanted witout any queues but eventually the quiet became too much. This was World Cup Final day and we needed noise. A quick hop to Soccer City (we were there by 4pm) and the goosebumps started to make their appearance. Thousands of Dutch fans were camped outside the ground having their own party with their own stage and their own dj.



One of the wonderful things about a World Cup Final is how the nations of the world are represented. It's considered proper form to wear the colours of your country.......... even if they didn't qualify. So of course I wore my Irish shirt while the rest of the family wore Bafana shirts.

The closing ceremony really was as good as it looked on tv. I was following a BBC website on my phone while sitting in the stadium. They sugegsted, tongue-in-cheek, that the only reason the stadium was full for the ceremony was because Shakira was appearing. The BBC probably don't realise how close they were to the truth given the immense popularity of the Colombian superstar and her World Cup anthem 'Waka Waka.'



While waiting for the game to start I sms'ed a contribution to the BBC site........"From John, an Irishman living in SA.....I watched my first World Cup Final on TV in 1978 when Argentina beat Netherlands. Have always dreamt of going to a final since then. I'm writing this from the stand at Soccer City. Am so proud of what this country has achieved over the past 4 weeks. There might be a few tears shed tonight."


And there were. The closing ceremony was spectacular and the appearance of Mandela was the real highlight.

What chance did the actual game have after that? Even less once it became clear that the Dutch were going to try and kick their way to victory. Not a classic by any means but not as bad as people are making out. Apart from the last 20 minutes of the first half chances were being created on a regular basis, mostly for Spain, but not exclusively. I do think the referee was too quick to hand out the first couple of yellow cards. It just raised the temperature from what was already boiling point.


So, a disappointing game, but, in truth, it's been some time since we've had an exciting World Cup Final. I would say France-Brazil in 1998 was the last quality final and even that wasn't brilliant. Before that you have to go back to Argentina-Germany 1n 1986. But thank God it didn't go to penalties. That really would have been a pity for everyone except the Dutch.

At Soccer City you have a brilliant view no matter where you are sitting and I am proud to say that I saw live a goal that won a World Cup. It really was like watching it in slow motion. Iniesta looked odds on to score as soon as he got the ball. In the precise moment that I saw the net bulge I knew immediately the enormity of this strike.

To watch the Spanish celebrate there and again 5 minutes later when the final whistle went was so gratifying. To watch the Netherlands players crumple and collapse was heartbreaking.

Which is why the World Cup is as big as it is. One single shot  means a lifetime of regret for one and immortality for another.


My kids got up at 6.30 this morning to go back to school . It was dark and exceptionally cold. I think they were completely shellshocked. The contrast with the last 5 weeks is so huge it's disorientating. Which is how the whole country is feeling today. It'll take us all a few days to readjust but nobody's really complaining. Successful people recover quickly and it's abundantly clear after the last 5 weeks that South Africans are particularly successful people !