I’ve seen it so many times: A team fufills Cantona’s charge to “play beautiful,” out-passing and out-possessing their opponents for 89+ minutes, but fails to find the back of the net. And then, in those waning seconds, comes the knife in the back, cruelly twisted–the junk goal rolling past a desperate keeper’s outstretched fingertips. An impostor emerges from the fray, holding aloft the champion’s cup.<\/p>\n
But not yesterday. Spain’s Fernando Torres<\/a> saw to that.<\/p>\n His immaculate chip in the 33rd minute, made possible by another all-eyes pass from midfielder Xavi Hernandez, proved to be all that was needed as the youthful Spanish, skilled, fit and fast from front to back, created a masterpiece of stingy short-ball<\/a>, rarely giving the Germans so much as a touch much less the time and space to mount any sort of attack.<\/p>\n I thought Die Mannschaft<\/em> looked “old” and a little tired. And who wouldn’t be after tough, and even dramatic, wins against Portugal and Turkey in the quarters and semis? Somewhat lacking in depth compared to past squads, the Germans deserve much credit for a fine run. But, despite the fickle and mercurial nature of our mistress, The Beautiful Game, this time the best side won.<\/p>\n