East Rutherford: Spain went all the way round the footballing wheel on Sunday, from silk to sludge, from purity to persistence, and still ended up exactly where they wanted to be -- World Cup champions, with the ball at their feet and belief in their bones.
Their 1-0 victory over Argentina was not a wild departure from their identity but a muddy reaffirmation of it. Spain passed, probed, protected and pampered the ball as if it were national treasure, refusing to panic as Argentina dug in and the clock ticked towards the end of extra time.
