Howard Webb set a new World Cup final record after handing out 14 yellow cards and one red to Spain and Holland in a tempestuous climax to this tournament.

WHILE the whole of the football world, and especially those parts of it coloured either orange or red, works itself into a fit of feverish anticipation ahead of tomorrow’s World Cup final, your correspondent finds himself in the unusually luxurious position of feeling eminently chilled about the outcome.

NIGEL DE JONG sweated his way through the hardest game of his career on Tuesday night – and he was not even playing.

Holland captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst has admitted he could hardly have dreamed that his last competitive match would be the World Cup final.

Dirk Kuyt is confident Holland are finally about to reach the end of their long journey to World Cup glory.

IT WASN’T quite Total Football but 32 years after losing to Argentina in Buenos Aires and 36 after losing to West Germany in Munich, the Dutch are back in the World Cup final and ready to shake off the shadows of Krol, Cruyff and Neeskens.

Uruguay 2 Holland 3

GIOVANNI van Bronckhorst has warned Brazil that the Netherlands are ready to break their World Cup stranglehold over them.

Cameroon 1 Holland 2

Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk accepts his squad “do not have to be friends” but insists they must respect each other.

Holland 1 Japan 0

Orlando Engelaar was one of four players to miss out as Holland boss Bert van Marwijk made the final cut to his 23-man World Cup squad today.

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s international career appears to be over after the veteran striker missed out on Bert van Marwijk’s 30-man preliminary World Cup squad today.

Holland 2 Norway 0

Liverpool duo Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel have been called up the Holland’s squad ahead of the resumption of their World Cup qualification campaign later this month.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst believes Scotland are capable of causing an upset in next month’s World Cup qualifier against Holland.

Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has made a surprise return to the Holland squad.

TWO GOALS from Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso ensured European champions Spain completed preparations for their World Cup qualification campaign on a high.

GUUS HIDDINK had already forged a reputation as a coach of the highest class but his exploits in his two years with Russia have seen his stock rise even higher.

Holland 3 Italy 0

Ajax’s first defeat of the season, a 3-1 home reverse today at the hands of NAC Breda, meant they were unable to overtake champions PSV Eindhoven at the top of the Dutch Eredivisie.

Bolton’s Idal Tal got the ball rolling, netting in the 19th minute, with star striker Roberto Colautti heading in number two before half-time.

Holland coach Marco van Basten has named Wilfred Bouma and Evander Sno among several Premiership players in a provisional 27-man squad for two upcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers.

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard has recalled playmaker Deco and defender Lilian Thuram for tomorrow's Champions League last-16 second leg with Liverpool at Anfield.

GIOVANNI van Bronckhorst has warned his Barcelona team-mates that Champions League final opponents Arsenal are far from a one-man side.

Barcelona 1 Valencia 1

COACH Marco van Basten claimed his decision to omit Ruud van Nistelrooy and Mark van Bommel from the Holland squad to face the Republic of Ireland in a friendly next Wednesday in Dublin was because he had more trust in other players.

BRAZIL coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has condemned the violence that broke out during Portugal’s 1-0 victory against Holland.

Cristiano Ronaldo believes Holland defender Khalid Boulahrouz deliberately injured him during Portugal’s ill-tempered second round victory in Nuremberg.

Portugal 1 Holland 0

Holland 2 Ivory Coast 1

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s 27th international goal was not enough to see Holland to victory in a bad-tempered clash with 10-man Australia.

Ronaldinho claims brain-power was the key to Barcelona’s victory over Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho wants Benfica to win the Champions League after watching his Chelsea team slide out of the competition.

Brcelona 1 Chelsea 1 (Agg 3-2)

Barcelona 1 Chelsea 1 (agg: 3-2)

LIONEL MESSI has accused full-back Asier del Horno of trying to hurt him after the Chelsea defender was sent off for his reckless lunge at the Barcelona forward.

Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho was without versatile French defender William Gallas for the last-16 first-leg tie against Barcelona in the Champions League.

Real Madrid 4 Barcelona 2

Real Madrid 4 Barcelona 2

SOME good news for Chelsea. Bayern Munich’s two top strikers, Claudio Pizarro and Roy Makaay, were injured in their 3-0 victory over VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday.

Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard began another psychological battle with Jose Mourinho by hinting Arjen Robben would play for Chelsea in tomorrow’s Champions League clash.

England 0 Holland 0

Barcelona striker Henrik Larsson will undergo surgery on his injured left knee at Richard Steadman's famous Colorado clinic on Friday.