If you were to ask Carles Puyol which of the seven Barcelona players on the Spanish team who have reached the World Cup final he would expect to score the winning goal, he would place himself seventh and last.
Puyol is Spain’s rock. He is rugged, he stops others from scoring and he puts in his shift in the heart of defence, which he has done so for Spain and for Barcelona for the past decade. But give him a chance in the air, as Germany twice did in Durban on Wednesday night, and he would back himself to at least hit the target once.
His thumping goal, the forehead used like a blacksmith’s hammer in the 73rd minute, was typical of the man. The Germans often deployed 10 men in defence to try to stifle the Spanish rhythm, and it was atypical of them to leave a man so forceful, so athletic and so experienced with a virtual free header from a corner kick.
But by then, Germany had been run ragged. It is the most mentally exhausting thing on a football field to play without the ball. Spain, their passing so swift, their movement so superior, had the ball for almost five minutes more in each half than their opponents. Chasing the ball, being denied it, and not knowing where and how fast the next pass will be sucked the confidence and concentration out of Germany, which had thrashed both England and Argentina with four goals.
Lesson: You cannot win without the ball.
Second lesson: Puyol is not the player to leave unmarked in your penalty area.
If your man Miroslav Klose needs just one goal to equal the all-time World Cup record, do not expect that man Puyol to give him an inch to score it.
Puyol is a rarity. He actually started as a goalie, flinging himself around with blind bravery, no doubt. When he damaged a shoulder, he switched to striker, and as he rose through the ranks of Barcelona youth sides, he was moved around from defence to midfield, back to defence as right back, before finally settling at centre back.
With all that versatility, he could play. And naturally as a true Barça Catalan, he can pass. But mostly his job is to let no one past him. The Barça fans know him as the Wall.
In 580 games in his career, he has scored 15 times. His record for Spain in actually slightly better than for Barcelona because Wednesday was his third goal for Spain in 89 appearances.
Scoring, however, is only half the job where Puyol is concerned. To win the match, he had to ensure that Klose, or anybody else, did not get the chance to equalise. And when that job was also done, not only did Spain create their own history, Klose was denied his.
Somewhere in Brazil, one man will be very grateful. Ronaldo de Lima is the player whose 15 goals in World Cup tournaments stands one ahead of Klose.
(by special arrangement with International Herald Tribune)