World Cup Final - Fouls filled Nil all at Half Time

Half time at Jo'burg

Netherlands 0 Spain 0

HALF-TIME A very tetchy opening half, blighted by a flurry of yellow cards and few chances.


The World Cup final has been a feisty affair with five yellow cards given in the first-half. The score remains 0-0 thanks to Dutch 'keeper Maarten Stekelenburg who kept out Sergio Ramos' header.

Spain are the 12th different side to reach a World Cup Final. In case you're interested the list is: Uruguay, Argentina, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, West Germany/Germany, Brazil, Sweden, England, Netherlands, France and Spain.


A fan is reprimanded for trying to put a hat on the World Cup, before being taken away by stewards.

There has never been an own goal in the World Cup Final.

Three of the last five World Cup finals have gone into half-time scoreless.

Former SA President Nelson Mandela and Mrs. Mandela attending the opening ceremony.


The half-time review of those Dutch challenges makes you realise just how fruity they have been. De Jong should have seen red for his tackle on Alonso, and quite apart from Van Bommel's yellow card tackle on Iniesta, he's given away at least three other questionable fouls.

Golden Ball Award in FIFA World Cup 2010

The Golden Ball for the best player, determined by a vote of media members (first awarded in 1982); the Silver Ball and the Bronze Ball are awarded to the players finishing second and third in the voting respectively. (wikipedia)

At the Final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ on 11 July, the coveted FIFA World Cup Trophy will not be the only glittering golden object at Soccer City Stadium. adidas has unveiled the Official Match Ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, the unique gold-coloured adidas JO’BULANI version of the adidas JABULANI, the Official Match Ball of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The name JO’BULANI is a tribute to host city Johannesburg, commonly known both as “City of Gold” and Jo’burg. While the ball still features the iconic South African-inspired design of the JABULANI, the main colour of the JO’BULANI is gold.

The Golden Ball is awarded at the World Cup to the best player of the tournament. The player is chosen by a FIFA technical panel drawing up a shortlist and presenting this to the world’s media at the torunament who then pick the winner of the ultimate acolade in World Football. A silver ball and bronze ball are presented to the players deemed to be the second and third best of the tourney.