Carle Puyol Takes Spain To The Finals

Puyol is known for his intense commitment and ruggedness as a defender. So when it was he who scored the winning header goal for Spain at the 2010 FIFA World Cup semi-final match against Germany, it was quite a surprise. In the final, he played the full 120 minutes, as Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0.

Puyol won his first Spanish cap on 15 November 2000 against the Netherlands, and remained a regular fixture ever since. He played for the nation at the 2000 Olympics, 2002 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2004, 2006 World Cup, Euro 2008 and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. At Euro 2008, Puyol started throughout the vast majority of the competition, as the defensive backline only conceded two goals in five games, with an eventual final win against Germany. He was named in the Team of the Tournament alongside defensive partner Carlos Marchena, of Valencia CF. Puyol started three out of five games at the 2009 Confederations Cup, and captained the team when Iker Casillas was rested for the last group stage match. As Spain finished third, he and three other teammates were named in the Team of the Tournament.

Puyol started all matches and played almost all minutes at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. On July 7th of 2010, he scored the only goal in the semifinal against Germany with a powerfully header from a corner taken by Barcelona teammate Xavi, sending the national team through to their first World Cup Final. This was Puyol's third international goal in 89 matches. After winning the World Cup, at age 32, it was reported that Puyol intended to retire from the Spanish national team, and concentrate on club football.

Andres Iniesta Named Man Of The Match

It was no surprise that Andres Iniesta was named Man of the Match during the final game between Spain and The Netherlands at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It was because of his second goal in the 116th minute of the match that Spain was able to break free from a tie and go on to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Iniesta orginally started as a defensive midfielder but his balance, close control and skill on the ball saw him make progress as an attacking midfielder. From that moment on he worked his way up the club ranks. Louis van Gaal gave him his debut in October of 2002 in a UEFA Champions League Game against Club Brugge. His early appearances were impressive enough for there to be calls from some sections of the Spanish press for Iniesta to replace Juan Roman Riquelme in the Barcelona first team. He appeared 11 times in the league in 2003-2004, mostly as a deputy for Camp Nou favourite Ronaldinho, scoring once as Barca sealed second place behind Valencia. After the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final, Manchester United Striker Wayne Rooney asserted that he believed the midfielder to be the best soccer player in the world.

He was called for the 2010 World Cup, and scored the second goal in a 2-1 win against Chile. For his excellent performances in helping Spain reach the final of the tournament, Iniesta was shortlisted for the Golden Ball award. After scoring the winning goal for Spain in the final match between the Netherlands, Iniesta proceeded in removing his jersey during his celebration to reveal an inscription on his undershirt reading "Dani Jarque: siempre con nosotros", which translates to "Dani Jarque: always with us," in tribute of former Spain youth teammate and RCD Espanyol captain Daniel Jarque, who passed away of a heart attack in August 2009. He won the man of the match award for his performance which sent Spain to their first ever World Cup win.

David Villa Takes Spain To World Cup Glory

When it comes to Soccer player stardom, David Villa is no stranger. Since his international debut in 2000 in Spain's Segunda Division, Villa's professional career as a soccer player took off. Villa, who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona, was the second highest scorer in the 2005-2006 season with 25 goals, and was apart of the Valencia team that won the Copa del Rey for the seventh time in the 2007-2008 season. In 2010, Villa was chosen as a part of Vincent del Bosque's 23 man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

In Spain's first 2010 FIFA World Cup match, Villa was selected as a lone striker, however, this alone could not help Spain when the team was defeated by the Swiss. After this shocking defeat, Villa was able to redeem himself when Spain defeated Honduras 2-0, where Villa scored both goals. Villa was undoubtedly the reason why Spain was able to secure a place in the semi-finals since it was his goals that led the team to victory. Villa assisted Spain in securing a place in the round of 16 after scoring the first goal in a 2-1 win over Chile, with a long-range shot into an empty net after Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo ran out of his area to prevent Torres from scoring. The goal would become his 6th goal in FIFA World Cup matches, becoming Spain's all time top scorer at the World Cup finals, ahead of Emilio Butragueno, Fernando Hierro, Fernando Morientes and Raul Gonzalez, all of whom have five.

Spain became world champions at the 2010 FIFA World Cup as they went on to win the match 1-0 against the Netherlands. Villa was awarded the Silver Shoe, with the Gold Shoe going to Thomas Muller, both players had five goals, however, Muller had more assists. He was subsequently named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team. David Villa has scored more World Cup goals than any other player in Spain's history and currently stands just one goal behind Raul Gonzalez in Spain's all-time top scorers' list.