THE WORLD CUP (2)

It's good to know that my sporting predictions sometimes hold. In my earlier piece on the World Cup (11/6/10), I tipped Holland and Spain, with the latter to win. Not a bad punt all round.

Even though Spain won a number of their games by only 1-0, including both the semi-final and final, they were technically the best side in the tournament, and dominated their matches against both Germany and Holland. Any team that can afford to keep Torres, Fabregas and David Silva on the bench must be pretty good; and they duly delivered. After being the perennial international football underachievers, Spain are now both World and European champions.

We watched both the semi-final and final in a small bar in the village down from the house we were staying at in Spain. On a warm evening, fortified by cold Estrellas beer and the local red plonk, it was easy to get caught up in it. Not surprisingly, the locals went nuts at the end.

So, that's it for four more years, until Rio in 2014. Yet again, pressure will build for Ingerland to do well; yet again, I doubt that they will. After all, Torres & Co will still be around.

Walter Blotscher