Netherlands Crush Spain 5-1 in Historic Comeback

Robin van Persie's flying header to equalize

When Spain took a 1-0 lead in this rematch of the 2010 World Cup final, everything seemed in order. The Spanish toyed with possession, looking cool and composed as they stroked the ball around the quaking Dutch players. Halftime was just minutes away, when Robin van Persie flew through the air and popped a stunning header over Casillas to equalize. It was a fantastic equalizer which would set the gears in motion for one of the most unexpected comebacks imaginable.

It wasn't long into the second half when the Netherlands turned the score around. With a feathery touch Robben controlled a long ball over Spain's defence before dribbling past Pique to slot into the back of the net. Just eleven minutes later Sneijder's free kick found Stefan de Vrij at the back post who bundled it into the back of the net. At 3-1 Spain were unable to regain control of the match as Robin van Persie gave them another scare with a thunderous volley which slammed onto the crossbar.

However, the Dutch captain didn't have to wait long before finding the scoresheet again, as Iker Casillas' poor touch let van Persie slide the ball in to make it 4-1. The Netherlands were running rampant at this point, dancing around the Spanish and creating chances with ease. It was Robben who scored the final goal, his blistering run past the Spanish defence and around Casillas was finished with a blast into the top corner.

While many thought that the Netherlands would be hungry for revenge against the Spanish, no one expected this sort of a scoreline. This 5-1 loss puts a significant damper on Spain's 2014 World Cup campaign, bringing up the question about whether the era of Spanish dominance is coming to an end. This is certainly the country's biggest defeat in a while as the last time Spain conceded this many goals was in 1963 against Scotland when they lost 6-2. A historic scoreline marks a great start for the Netherlands in the 2014 World Cup, and an unexpected set of problems for Spain.

What are your thoughts on this historic victory? Is this the beginning of the end for Spain's dominance? Share your thoughts in the comments below!