Dutch forwards will be key, in many ways

Sunday, 11 July 2010

Is there anything left unsaid about tonight's final of the 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa? Has any angle been missed, any player's merit or weakness not been snuffed out and overanalyzed?

Tonight final is an encounter of two teams who have absolutely no secrets for each other. They play at the highest levels all season long, many of tonight's opponents have played together for a while, or played against each other on many occasions at club level. Some are even the best of friends (Puyol and Van Bronckhorst, Ramos and Sneijder). But not tonight.

Wesley Sneijder said yesterday that this is the final and "anything is allowed in a final". But don't expect Sneijder to pull open a can of nastiness in Soccer City tonight. Leave that to Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong. For they have been named the two players to contain Xavi and Iniesta, Spain's glimmer twins and beyond any doubt the best midfield duo in modern football.

Xavi's way of playing football is breath taking. He may be just 1m70 tall, with a curiously hunched gait, but no player more influences the way his whole team plays. He doesn't score, doesn't really tackle: he just passes and passes with a precision and wit unmatched by any of his peers.

The same goes for Andrés Iniesta, also only 1m70, but towering over all opponents when it comes down to skill and understanding of the game. He's a bit more of a dribbler than Xavi is, but his passing is as accurate and his eye for a fellow player is that of a predator.

Of course almost all pundits have discussed Van Bommel and De Jong's ability to keep Xavi and Iniesta quiet. Most agree that the two Spaniards are so hot at the moment that there's nothing the Dutch destroyers can think of that can stop them from finding holes in the Dutch defense.

Of course all pundits are wrong.

For containing Xavi and Iniesta is not mainly the task of Van Bommel and De Jong. You don't man-mark such players, cause they will then pull your organization apart. They will just move there where you don't want to find your holding midfielders, leaving acres of space for Spain's other very able players to devastate the back four.

You also don't want to sit back deep, like the Germans did, and succumb to the endless pressure they will put on your back four. You just cannot neutralize all Spain throws at you for 90 minutes.

Yet there is one very effective way to take the sting out of Spain's forward play and that is to not let Xavi and Iniesta get to the ball to start with. And that's where Holland's forward line of Sneijder, Kuyt, Van Persie and Robben come in.

Their role will be key tonight. They will have to close down the passing lines from the back to Xavi and Iniesta. That's done by leaving Alonso and Busquets unmarked, forcing these two to do the build up. That's a lot easier said than done, but knowing the tactic cunning of Bert van Marwijk and Frank de Boer, it seems obvious that they will do it that way tonight.

Also, doing it that way will mean Holland get a chance to intercept the ball high up the pitch and catch the Spanish defense and midfield moving forward. If Spain can not find their trusted passing lines from the back to Xavi and Iniesta they will start using the long ball to Villa and Pedro out wide, but at this altitude playing the long ball accurately is almost impossible.

It will leave the Spaniards frustrated after 20 minutes, and frustrating the Spanish passing game is the first step towards beating the Red Fury. Chile did it exactly that way in their group encounter, and it was only for the Chilean lack of quality that they weren't able to benefit from the fact that the Spanish don't have a plan B.

Another big advantage for Holland could be that Spain will most likely play a 4-3-3 tonight without a real striker. Pedro is expected to take the place of Fernando Torres again, which means David Villa will be their target man. But Villa is no target man, and lack of service will draw him to the wings or into midfield. Dutch players grew up with 4-3-3, they know how to play against such a system, and they know how to close down the service lines to Xavi.

If the Dutch forwards do a good job at that tonight, there can be little doubt about a positive outcome for Bert van Marwijk and his yet unbeaten side. But only then...