Andres Iniesta was the conductor in Spain's midfield on Saturday. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) He stands only five feet seven inches tall on the street, but Andres Iniesta is a giant among men on a soccer field.
The stylish but humble Spaniard may just be the best midfielder in the game today, with sublime passes, exquisite playmaking ability and an overall versatility that make him an indispensable player for his country.
All of that was in full evidence Saturday night at Ellis Park Stadium, as Iniesta played a starring role in Spain's 1-0 win over Paraguay to send La Roja through to the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history.
One can only imagine that David Villa will dominate the headlines in Sunday morning editions of top Spanish sports dailies Marca and AS, and that's perfectly understandable.
It was Villa, after all, who scored with seven minutes left in regulation time, bagging his tournament-leading fifth goal and his 43rd in 63 international appearances. Villa is now one strike away from tying Raul as Spain's all-time leading scorer, and he's easily been Spain's best player during this South African sojourn.
But don't let Villa's goal against Paraguay overshadow the man-of-the-match performance put forth by Iniesta.
Villa and striker partner Fernando Torres were anonymous for most of the game, comfortably contained by Paraguay's resolute defence. Both squandered scoring chances provided by Iniesta and Xavi, leading to Torres's substitution in the 56th minute after yet another lacklustre showing in this competition.
Iniesta steps up
With extra time looming and Spain looking as though it might fail to jump over the quarter-final hurdle for the umpteenth time, the occasion called for someone to step forward to try to settle the matter and provide a bit of inspiration. And that person wasn't Villa. It was Iniesta.
The mercurial Barcelona star made a brilliant, lung-busting run from deep in midfield, dribbling past two Paraguayan defenders before laying off a perfect pass with the outside of his foot for Pedro.
Pedro cracked a shot off the far-post, which led to a rebound that fell kindly to the feet of Villa, who nestled his shot into the back of the net after it took a deflection off both posts.
Villa was the hero but he never would have had the opportunity if not for the hard work of his quiet and unassuming teammate.
And lest you think this was Iniesta's lone contribution, think again.
He was one of the few bright spots for a dire-looking Spain in the opening 45 minutes, scampering down the right flank where he effortlessly pirouetted by Paraguayan defenders before breaking into the box or providing a defence-splitting pass for the likes of Villa.
Iniesta and Xavi were at it again for most of the second half, effectively linking up and orchestrating the Spanish attack as the game hit a fevered pitch.
Still, Spain couldn't find a way through Paraguay's back line, and Xabi Alonso's penalty attempt was saved by goalkeeper Justo Villar after he was forced to retake it.
Often accused of being too cute for their own good, the Spaniards looked a psychologically beaten side, their swarming possession game and pretty passing sequences proving fruitless.
Route one
Cue Iniesta, who cut a path through the heart of the Paraguayan defence and delivered Spain's goal on a platter.
Not that you would get him to admit he did anything extraordinary.
"It's nice that I've been voted man-of-the-match but without my teammates I wouldn't be able to do anything," Iniesta told reporters after the game.
"The strength of this team is that we fight for each other and that's what's helped us gain this win."
To expand on the teamwork theme espoused by Iniesta, you need an architect to build a house. You also need a bricklayer to carry out the design.
Villa is an architect. Iniesta is a bricklayer. Both are important jobs, but without the skilled-labour men doing the grunt work, the house's foundation will be faulty.
Put another way: Villa makes the frosting, but Iniesta bakes the cake.