JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — An evening that began with fireworks ended in tears of joy for Spain, which erased decades of frustration Sunday by finally hoisting the World Cup.

Andres Iniesta's goal 28 minutes into extra time, mixed with a spectacular game from keeper Iker Casillas, gave La Furia Roja an ugly but hard-fought 1-0 win over a shorthanded Netherlands squad before a raucous, vuvuzela-tooting crowd of 84,490 at Soccer City Stadium.

It was the third time in the last five World Cups that the final went into extra time. The earlier two were decided by penalty kicks.

Iniesta's goal — which came when he batted a loose ball out of the air in the penalty area — made that unnecessary. And by claiming the most cherished prize in sports two years after winning the European championship, Spain may have finally quieted critics who have long said it can't win the big one.

"We have all done an incredible job," Iniesta said. "I don't think we even realize what we have done."

While it must have been pleasing for Spain to win, it wasn't pleasing to watch them do it with referee Howard Webb being forced to issue 14 yellow cards and one red card, with Dutch defender John Heitinga getting sent off early in the second 15-minute extra period.

It wasn't supposed to be that way. A day earlier Spanish coach Vicente Del Bosque predicted the game would be an advertisement for artful soccer. Instead it gave soccer — artful and otherwise — a black eye.

This match was more like an ad for professional wrestling.

"(The Netherlands) made it very difficult for us to play comfortably," Del Bosque said. "It was a very intense match."

Spain came into the final with an impressive resume, having won 30 of 32 games under Del Bosque, who took over the team after Spain's victory in the 2008 European championships.

But the Netherlands had done even better, winning its first six World Cup matches to run their unbeaten streak to 25 games.

Recent skeins of success weren't the only thing the two sides had in common. Both normally practice an identical ball-control style that relies heavily on the skills of their midfielders. And it was in the midfield that much of Sunday's final was contested.

In the eighth all-European final — but the first such final outside of Europe — both teams were aggressive from the start. Maybe too aggressive, with Webb, struggling to get control of the match, handing out five yellow cards in the opening 28 minutes.

The teams didn't combine for that many shots on goal in the first half. And Webb never did get control of the game as both teams continued to embarrass international soccer's top official with their play.

Spain, which had a wide advantage in ball possession in the opening half, also had the first good scoring opportunity when a Sergio Ramos header off a free kick appeared headed for the corner of the goal in the fifth minute. But Stekelenburg, diving to his right, managed to get a hand on it.

Two minutes later it was Holland's turn, with Dirk Kuyt taking advantage of some rare poor passing on Spain's part to get off a 25-yard shot that proved an easy save for Casillas.

"This really is quite a cup," Casillas said. "The European championship was the most important moment of our lives, but today is much bigger than anything else."

kbaxter@tribune.com