Spain Goes for First World Cup on Sunday

Spain beat Germany on Wednesday 1-0 to go on to the World Cup Final this Sunday against the Netherlands. For Americans, its hard for us to truly know what this is like for most of these countries. We have NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB. We get so connected to our regional teams in those leagues that sometimes when we have a USA team competing we still don't have that National pride that other countries have. When we watch Team USA basketball, I think we expect to win, and if we don't it doesn't bother us like our team losing the NBA Finals does. If my Cubs are having a bad season AKA like right now, then I can focus on Football coming up and it starts before baseball even ends. Soccer in Spain is a way of life, its pride, and they believe they are the best in the world, and they won't hear it otherwise. I spent 2 weeks in Spain in May. I attended a Soccer promotion they had going on at a park, and people in Sevilla were excited then for the World Cup. While I was in Spain, Athletico Madrid won a Europa League Cup, Barcelona FC won the Spanish League title, and Sevilla FC won the Copa Del Rey Cup. I didn't need ESPN Sportscenter to inform me, because their was people celebrating in the streets. Their was fireworks, car horns, and screaming in the streets. Chipiona, Spain is 697 miles from Barcelona, 12 hour drive. Yet their was a car parade of fans hanging out their windows screaming of joy and honking their horns as they drive down every street to let everyone know that Barcelona FC had won the title over Real Madrid. They don't have other sports to get into, this is it. Spain is good in Basketball, but it has nothing on Soccer. They live and breath soccer. Its their national past time, and they have a very rich tradition in Soccer, just have never been able to put it all together to get into the World Cup Final, let alone win it. But on Sunday, a Nation that is very proud, will try to prove to the world they are the best Nation in the game of Soccer. They will be patient, and will control the ball to wear down their opponent, and strike when the opportunity is there. You will not find a better passing team than the Spaniards. They make the game look easy, and have a great skill of dribbling the ball. Spain will feature their scoring machine David Villa who has had a wonderful World Cup. Xavi Hernandez is known as the World's best mid-fielder and he shows why every time he touches it down by the goal in traffic. If Spain can get their other superstar Fernando Torres who has been struggling to score, if they can get him going, its going to be all red and yellow in the streets of Spain all night Sunday into Monday.

Spain's national team (Bottem L-R) Santiago Cazorla, Xavier Hernandez, David Villa, Marcos Senna, Raul Albiol, and (Top L-R) Iker Casillas, Joan Capdevila, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Xabier Alonso and Fernando Torres pose for a team picture during the FIFA2010 World Cup Qualifier match between Spain and Turkey at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 28, 2009 in Madrid, Spain. Spain won the match 1-0.

(March 28, 2009 - Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images Europe)