Spain and the Netherlands duked it out on the field last night for 2 hours before Spain became the final victor in a 1-0 first time World Cup win. The Netherlands also had a chance to take home their first World Cup today, but they fell victim to the swift kick of Andres Iniesta, who scored the game winner in extra time. Iniesta broke free from the penalty area, receiving a pass from Cesc Febregras, and gave an 8 yard kick past goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. Now while this may have been an exciting victory for Spain, the Dutch probably felt even more defeated, since the stands were primarily filled with Dutch fans, wearing Orange in support of their team. The Dutch was considered the Home Team of the game, and utter defeat was what they felt when that kick came out of nowhere!! That’s okay, they can go to Amsterdam and smoke the pain away.
One of the other highlights of the game was the opening speech by Nelson Mandela, who will see his 92nd Birthday this coming Sunday. The crowd of 85,000 gave a standing ovation for his entrance and remained standing for his entire speech, spanning three minutes and focusing on how pleased he is for South Africa to host the World Cup. This speech within itself is a message of overcoming, as Mandela had to cancel his speech for the opening ceremony due to the untimely passing of his 13 year-old great granddaughter, Zenani Zanethemba Nomasonto Mandela. Nelson Mandela had shared with the world one of his final cherished memories of her was when she was kissed three times by Cristiano Ronaldo. Zenani sadly passed in a traffic accident after heading home from one of the World Cup’s opening concerts.
South Africa is proud to have been a part of these World Cup events, knowing that it not only brought more awareness and focus to the continent, but for also being a centerpiece of bringing the world together.
