‘Special’ Cash For Xavi and Sneijder

Spain versus the Netherlands is no run-of-the-mill group encounter: it is a match with a very special character. It is arguably the most talked-about fixture in the build-up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, and will remain so right up until the action starts for real. The reason? It is a repeat of the 2010 World Cup Final in South Africa, and everyone knows how the dramatic clash in Johannesburg ended.

New-look Dutch versus same Spain
His opposite number Wesley Sneijder voiced near-identical sentiments. "It’s not a normal first match. You usually wouldn’t expect to meet opponents like this until the knockout stages. But even if it goes badly it won’t be the end of the world, because we still have two more matches to come. Spain represent an ideal opening test, because we'll know at once where we stand,“ the man capped 99 times by the Netherlands said in a FIFA interview. "Our first game is against the team we played in the final match at the last tournament. But it's not about taking revenge for our defeat in the 2010 Final, it's a completely new game."

The crowd at Arena di Fonte Nova in Salvador will witness not only a completely different match but also a very different team in orange. Sneijder, Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben, Nigel de Jong and Dirk Kuyt are the only members of the Dutch squad in Brazil who also appeared in the Johannesburg showdown, and coach Louis van Gaal is himself new on the touchlines. "The face of the team has changed considerably in the last four years, as we've added a number of young players. We have a perfect blend of fresh talent and experienced senior players," Sneijder insisted.