Van der Vaart to face his motherland in World Cup final (Feature)

By Duncan Shaw Jul 8, 2010, 12:08 GMT

Madrid - Sunday will be a very special day for Rafael van der Vaart.

He will be sitting on the Netherlands' substitutes bench during the World Cup final against Spain, waiting for his chance to get onto the Johannesburg pitch and help the Dutch to make it 'third time lucky.'

The Netherlands lost the 1974 and 1978 finals, against hosts West Germany and Argentina, but are hopeful that they can finally pick up the world crown on Sunday, at the third time of asking.

The two sides have never met at a big event but there is even more to it for van der Vaart. He would be playing, for the first as well, against the country of his mother, and the country where he plays his club football.

On Wednesday - the day after the Dutch beat Uruguay 3-2 in the semis and just before Spain took on Germany - he said that 'I hope that we face Spain in the final. Part of my family comes from Spain, and I play for Real Madrid.'

Van de Vaart, 27, was a starter in the Netherlands' three Group E matches in South Africa and he helped to secure three wins with his midfield elegance and vision.

From the round of 16 onwards, however, he has been on the subs' bench, because of the return to fitness of winger Arjen Robben.

'It is not easy being on the bench,' he said after the shock 2-1 quarter-final defeat of Brazil.

'It is a bit frustrating to be sat there whilst the game goes on. I just try to be patient and wait for my change to go onto the field and help the team.'

This is exactly what he will be doing on Sunday against his motherland, who have never before reached the final.

Van der Vaart said earlier this year that 'a part of me is Spanish, and I am very proud of that. But my first country is the Netherlands, and I am always proud to be called up to play for them.'

In the 1950s and 1960s almost one million Spaniards went north in search of work to Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The offspring of these Spanish immigrants have had an important role in French football - the names of Michel Hidalgo, Manuel Amoros and Luis Fernandez spring to mind - and belatedly in Germany, with the emergence of Mario Gomez.

However, not until van der Vaart had there been much of a Spanish impact on Dutch football.

His mother hails from the small town of Chiclana de la Frontera in the southern Spanish province of Cadiz. She left Spain for the Netherlands with her family at an early age, though they frequently returned to Cadiz.

She married a Dutchman but insisted on her son having a Spanish Christian name, Rafael. The youngster grew up speaking both Dutch and Spanish at home.

He learnt his elegant trade at famous Ajax academy and made his debut for the Amsterdam club aged just 17.

Several Spanish clubs were interested in him in 2005 but Ajax preferred to sell him to Bundesliga side SV Hamburg. His dream of playing in Spain finally came true in 2008 when Real Madrid came in for him.

Van der Vaart has spent more time on the Real's sub bench than on the playing field but has nonetheless become a popular figure at the Estadio Bernabeu, with his left-foot elegance and powerful shots.

However, he will lose some of this popularity in Madrid if he helps the Dutch to beat Spain on Sunday.