WELL, IT’S over. Some tournaments, some games you want more of, but by the time Holland and Spain lurched down the path of the dead and into extra time we’d had an elegant sufficiency of them both. Just enough thanks. No more.

Spain won, having their name inscribed on the cup for the first time and sparking a tsunami of joy back home. But as games go this was a disappointment, disfigured by some bad fouls and an absence of conviction. The bloody octopus could have warned us.

Andres Iniesta, who with Xavi has been at the heart of this Spanish side right the way through the World Cup, had the honour of breaking the deadlock when Cesc Fabregas, appearing like a ghost from the past in extra time, slipped him an inch-perfect ball. 1-0 to Spain. Their favourite scoreline.

First-time winners. The first side to win the trophy on a continent other than their own. The lowest scoring winners of all time.

But Spain’s night and Spain’s glory will not be diluted by statistics or trivia. This was a win for a great football nation.

A poor game, but decent in patches and a story with a just ending. For the first 45 minutes we sat with our chins on our hands bemoaning our lot. World Cup finals aren’t really supposed to be like this. We are supposed to shake the big green bottle for a month and then on the final day uncork the thing letting loose the clearest, most effervescent 90 minutes of fizzing football we can imagine. And it should be warm.

The first half unfolded attritionally and slowly and by the half-hour mark English ref Howard Webb had shown his yellow card to three Dutchmen and two Spaniards, but to little effect. The tackles were late, the studs high.

Webb had declared it his intention not to become a talking point of this final (unlike some yesterday). Both sides appeared to misinterpret this as the issue of a licence to kill.

The Dutch, as had been said early and often in this World Cup, are no slaves to the old, free-flowing tradition of Cruyff et al, and any team placing hardmen like Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong in the centre of midfield aren’t to be messed with.

But it wasn’t until last night perhaps that we realised how – well, how pragmatic this Dutch team is. Put it this way. You wouldn’t make fun of their clogs.

As regards the football, it took five minutes for anybody to eke out a decent chance. Sergio Ramos headed, Maarten Stekelenburg in the Dutch goal saved. And that was it for a while.

The Spaniards were evidently stronger, but as in all their games through the competition they required an awful lot of ball with which to provide a modest amount of excitement. For long periods, if it wasn’t for foul play we would have had no play at all.

Of the two small bald men to whom the Dutch look for inspiration, Arjen Robben seemed in better form than Wesley Sneijder, and late in the first half he had the best chance when he cut inside in trademark fashion and lashed a low shot at the goal. The imperious Iker Casillas produced a wonderful save with a look of near disdain on his face

Robben on the ageing Capdevilla looked to we a mismatch, but not enough ball got out to him for Robben to do severe damage.

Capdevilla’s main moment of prominence would come early in the second half when Carles Puyol rose impossibly high to head a corner down across the face of the Dutch goal. Capdevilla went to sidefoot it home when he had more chance of catching it and throwing it. A bad miss.

As for Robin van Persie, the Dutch persistence with the clearly out-of-form striker mirrored the blind faith which the French placed in Stéphane Guivarc’h 12 years ago. In normal time yesterday Van Persie had just one shot but appeared immune from substitution.

Things had picked up after the break, however, and we didn’t stay angry with Capdevilla for long. If we may, can we be the first to coin the expression it was now “a game of two halves” (although with bookings early in the half to Giovanni van Bronckhurst and John Heitinga the Dutch seemed keen to retain some trace of their earlier style).

The longer the game went on the more one began to appreciate the dilemma which the Spanish were in. No team had reached the final having scored fewer goals, and for all their possession Spain were as constipated in front of goal as they have been all month. Yet if they pushed up and attempted to be a little more cavalier, the more often they got a warning shot over their heads from the Dutch.

On the hour, for instance, they withdrew Pedro and inserted the impossibly quick Jesus Navas and almost got crucified seconds later when Robben was sent through one-on-one with Casillas who, on this occasion, had no time to look disdainful as he saved with a despairing flip of his right foot.

The chance came against the grain, however. Spain were looking the better quality team.

It got better. We warmed up and so did they as the realisation dawned that the game wouldn’t be won by yellow cards alone. Nevas dipped a low cross in front of the Dutch goal. Heitinga fresh-aired his clearance. David Villa reacted well but not as well as Stekelenburg. Fine save.

So it went. A Sergio Ramos header. Another Robben chance one-on-one with Casillas. Etc.

The feeling became irresistible: we were destined for extra time, a deadline nightmare not justified by the quality of the football.

In extra time the limbs were tiring and the concentration beginning to wander. We sensed the liberation of a goal a few minutes before it came. The Dutch were reduced to 10 men when Heitinga suffered a second yellow. You could feel it.

It fell to Spain and deservedly so. Their passing was crisper, their ambitions loftier, their World Cup journey grander.

Soccer City lit up. The hordes of Dutch prepared for the trek home. The traditional dark horses of the global game are champions of Europe and the world.

Olé to that.

How Spain Won The Cup

GROUP H

Spain 0 Switzerland 1 (Fernandes 52)

At Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban Attendance: 62,453

TEAM:Casillas; Ramos, Pique, Puyol, Capdevila; Silva (Navas 62), Alonso, Xavi, Busquets (Torres 62), Iniesta (Pedro 77); Villa.

Spain 2 (Villa 17, 51) Honduras 0

At Ellis Park, Johannesburg Attendance: 54,386

TEAM:Casillas; Ramos (Alvaro Arbeloa 77), Pique, Puyol, Capdevila; Navas, Alonso, Xavi (Fabregas 66), Busquets; Torres (Mata 70), David Villa.

Chile 1 (Millar 47) Spain 2 (Villa 24, Iniesta 37)

At Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria.

Attendance: 41,958

TEAM:Casillas; Ramos, Pique, Carles Puyol, Capdevila; Alonso (Javi Martinez 73), Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets; Torres (Cesc Fabregas 55), Villa.

LAST 16

Spain 1 (Villa 63) Portugal 0.

At Green Point Stadium, Cape Town. Attendance: 62,955

TEAM:Casillas; Ramos, Pique, Puyol, Capdevila; Alonso (Marchena 90+3), Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets; Torres (Llorente 58), Villa (Pedro 88).

QUARTER-FINAL

Spain 1 (Villa 83) Paraguay 0

At Ellis Park, Johannesburg. Attendance: 55,359

TEAM:Casillas; Ramos, Pique, Puyol (Marchena 84), Capdevila; Alonso (Pedro 75), Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets; Torres (Fabregas 56), Villa.

SEMI-FINAL

Spain 1 (Puyol 73) Germany 0

At Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban. Attendance: 60,960

TEAM:Casillas; Ramos, Pique, Puyol, Capdevila; Alonso (Marchena 90+3), Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets; Pedro (Silva 86), Villa (Torres 81).