Probably only those who are interested in both 2010 FIFA World Cup and history of Taiwan would be able to "connect the dots" between these two seemly unrelated topics.

Both Spain and Netherlands had their chances to win for their respective country the first ever world cup championship title. It was Spaniard Andrés Iniesta's goal in the extra time at the 116th minute that turned the chance into a certainty.

In 1624, however, it was the Dutch East India Company who first established a colony in southern Formosa (aka Taiwan). Between 1626 and 1642, a Spanish colony was established in northern Formosa, thus making this beautiful island a field of competition between these two colonial powers.