Dan Gaspar

Dan Gaspar will be blogging for sportsnet.ca during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa while serving as goalkeeper coach for Team Portugal.

Xavi and Andres Iniesta pull the strings for Spain in the midfield.

Like all soccer fans around the world, I'm hoping for an open and entertaining match between Spain and Netherlands Sunday, one that's worthy of a World Cup final.

Both Spain and Netherlands are attacking teams and I think they will approach the final the same way. That style of play is in their culture and personality so that should be reflected on the field.

The midfield battle will be interesting to watch. The Netherlands have Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben who are two very explosive players. Sneijder, who's role has always been more of a playmaker, has scored more goals than expected at this tournament so I'm curious to see which role he'll play in the final.

Spain has two wizards in the midfield with Xavi and Andres Iniesta. They both have the ability to unlock defences. Spain is confident and composed when holding onto the ball. Every single player on that team is comfortable with the ball at their feet and don't panic under pressure. Often times, it seems like they are playing against shadows.

Spain is also extremely patient. They've scored many of their goals late in the match and that highlights their precision, patience and surgical approach to the game. On average, they keep the ball for almost 60 per cent of their matches. That means the opposing teams are working so hard to win back possession that when they do finally get the ball back, they might be lacking that extra burst of energy for a quick counter-attack.

What Spain did to Germany was very surprising to me. I didn't think they could control the Germans like they did on the defensive side of things. I thought Germany was one of the most impressive teams at the World Cup. They showed they were one of the most balanced, most fit and best organized teams in being able to move the ball down field in two or three touches. And Spain completely dismantled that.

If you want to know how the Spanish national team is going to play, all you have to do is study Barcelona. In the semifinal win against Germany, Spain's starting lineup had seven players from one of the best club teams in Europe. That gives the national team a tremendous amount of cohesion, harmony and understanding among the players. They know what it's like to win. They know what it's like to lose. They know how to manage a game or come back from a deficit because they have done it a countless number of times with Barcelona.

In the back, I think Spain also has the edge. Carlos Puyol has an incredible amount of energy and character. He's a tremendous ball-winner and he's also proven that he can be dangerous offensively on set pieces. I think he will produce another great match. In terms of goalkeeping, Iker Casillas is a big-time player from a big-time club who performs at a consistent level. He wears the captain's armband so that reflects his leadership qualities.

At the end of the day, though, it's all about who can put the ball in the back of the net. Most of the big-name players did not deliver at the World Cup, but David Villa, Robben and Sneijder have all been performing well so it's fitting that they will be on display on Sunday.

With the final being played between two European teams that have never won a World Cup, as well as the success of South American teams like Uruguay and Paraguay, I think it is proof that the soccer world is getting smaller. The so-called "favourites" no longer have the impact they had in the past. We saw that with Italy and France being eliminated in the group stage and Brazil going home earlier than most people expected. The reason that is happening is because every one of the 32 teams at the World Cup is well prepared. Every team has tremendous coaching and scouting staffs. There is no more element of surprise, so Spain and Netherlands are worthy finalists.

From a personal perspective, I would love to see Spain win because they beat Team Portugal. Losing to the eventual champion makes the defeat easier to take! And at the moment, Spain is the most effective, efficient and composed team so it would not be a surprise to see them lift the World Cup trophy for the first time in their history.

Dan Gaspar is the head coach of the University of Hartford men's soccer team and founder of the Star Goalkeeper Academy. Watch for Gaspar's blogs throughout the World Cup as he provides a perspective of what it's like to be on the pitch and in the clubhouse as part of the coaching staff with Team Portugal in South Africa.