Why the Dutch may not clinch world football's greatest prize tonight

Anyone who tipped a World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands can be congratulated for having the visionary talent of a clairvoyant.

It means we will for the first time be seeing an all-European final outside the European continent. I personally had been hoping Germany would be in the final. The German team has given this World Cup some of its lustre. There was real quality about the victories over England and Argentina.

Germany made players like England's Wayne Rooney and Argentina's world footballer of the year Lionel Messi look ordinary in the respective 4-1 and 4-0 victories.

I am also certain Germany would have had a good chance of beating Spain had not Thomas Mueller been suspended. Mueller's yellow card for a handball offence against Argentina was a poor joke.

The Spanish have not convinced me throughout this tournament. That has something to do with the fact that they had a sorry-looking striker on the pitch in Fernando Torres who must feel himself he is not at his sharpest following knee surgery. It was left to fleet-footed Andres Iniesta and passing supremo Xavi to produce the goods.

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