What a glorious finale to an incredible month of soccer. Last night, all of Spain collapsed in an ecstatic fit when Andrés Iniesta slammed home his winning goal in extra time. Spain is the best country in the world. I mean that. The best country in the world.

It’s as though the tournament had been scripted! The Spaniards weren’t just the World Cup’s best team, but the classiest. Fair play and a beautiful passing game have come to define La Roja. They’re also the best-looking team in the world. Hands down. And in the Netherlands, they had an almost comically villainous opponent — the dirty-playing, karate-kicking, flopping, petulant Dutch.

They were the good guys. Spain deserved to win. And then, they did! THEY WON! When the tension couldn’t possibly have gotten any more unbearable, Andrés Iniesta freed his country from a legacy of defeat. Spain is the best country in the world.

Check out our awesome video of the celebration at Café Burlón in Valencia, and afterwards at Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

Congratulations Spain! You richly deserve this victory. And, although I’m not a native, I hope you don’t mind me singing along… ¡Yo soy español, español, español!

¡Yo soy español, español, español!

In a day that also so Germany crush England in the World Cup, 4-1, German Sebastian Vettel raced past the competition in the European Grand Prix, including second-place Lewis Hamilton of England.

Photo Credit: Julio G Milat

The first two races at the Valencia Street Circuit were roundly derided as boring by racing fans, but did that change for the better this year? Here’s a quick round-up of reactions from around the web:

The BBC’s Andrew Benson was impressed:

But the Bleacher Report disagrees:

The consensus seems to be however, that this year’s race was a lot better than previous editions. But was Red Bull the winner or the loser?

At least one team wasn’t happy at all… take it away, Ferrari:

Here’s Webber’s crash, if you missed it. Thank God nobody was hurt.

-A visit to Philadelphia

Here are two pictures I took at Café Burlón, before and after Spain’s shock loss to Switzerland.

Suicide notwithstanding, this was a great place to watch the Spain game. Everyone was clad in jerseys, chanting and screaming. Great atmosphere. Here’s the location. Wear red.

[comic image from War of the Supermen #4]

Congratulations to Levante UD, who beat Castellón on Saturday to seal their spot in the top Spanish league next year. Which means soccer fans here will have twice as many chances to watch the sport at its highest level… I hope that Real Madrid and Barcelona enjoy Valencia, cause they’ll each be visiting it twice next season.

Source: AS.com

On a related note… what exactly is up with Valencian soccer “fans”? I have never seen a people so utterly disinterested in the World Cup, and that includes the USA! Yesterday, I was at a bar watching the Netherlands defeat Denmark and, although the place was full, I was literally the only one paying any attention. Even after a goal, no one looked up. Even the guy wearing a Valencia soccer jersey! It’s been that way in every bar I’ve been to … the only people watching the games are foreigners. The Spaniards couldn’t care less. They even seem to be making a little show of how much they don’t care.

What is that?

I know. Usually, we try and provide you with information about the city. But this time, I’m stuck. The World Cup begins tomorrow and I have no idea where to watch it!

When we lived in Berlin, every bar had huge screen televisions set up outside, on street corners or in makeshift gardens. The city had set up gigantic screens in the public gardens. There were hundreds of awesome places to catch a game, in every neighborhood. But here in Valencia? I’m not sure!

I don’t necessarily mind watching the games on a small TV, but preferable would be a BIG screen, with seating outside. Do any of our readers have a suggestion?

Update: Las Provincias reports that you can watch some games in 3D at certain cinemas. Now, I have to figure out where the hell either Yelmo Cines, Cinesa or Kinépolis are!

Play at Titan Bet Online

On June 25-27th, the F1 comes to Valencia for the Gran Prix of Europe, for its third year. Apparently unconcerned about competition from the World Cup, they’ve moved it from the stifling heat of August to the much more pleasant month of June.

One of the best ways to see the race is from from a boat in the harbor. And HolaValencia readers are being offered an exclusive deal to watch the practices on Friday from a yacht called The White Shark. Moored in the harbor near the Vels i Vents building, the luxurious boat is just meters from the race itself. The price of the ticket includes water transfer, drinks throughout the day, catering, views of the giant screen TV, and F1 harbor access.

HolaValencia readers will get a 20% discount on tickets for Friday, from €250 down to €200. The yacht is completely booked out for the race on Sunday, but this is a great, and comparatively inexpensive option to see some action. You can linger on the boat from 10am to around 5pm, which is plenty of time to enjoy the atmosphere and the harbor.

Space is limited, so book soon if you want to take advantage of this. Send an email to sales@simplytheticket.com and make sure to mention you read about this at HolaValencia.net to receive the special price.

Accommodation for the Formula 1 in Valancia: Apartments, B&Bs and Hotels

Hmph, try not to look too happy, bub

Death. Taxes. The departure of David Villa. There are just a few things in life that are unavoidable, and the dreaded day has finally arrived in Valencia. An era is over. But everyone knew it was coming, so it’s better just to remember the good times. The world’s best striker no longer plays for Valencia, but for the world’s best team. There’s something fitting about it. Sigh.

My buddy’s girlfriend just left him for another guy. It’s rough. But the other guy is really cool, successful and good looking. Totally the right move, from her perspective. And as much as I want to comfort my pal, she was too good for him. It was just a matter of time.

So, Mr. Villa, we won’t be angry. At least it’s Barcelona and not Real Madrid! At least you’re staying in Spain, and not being shipped off to the Premier League! Best of luck in the future, hope you’re happy and win all sorts of championships, and blah blah blah.

We just arrived home from a week in Germany, spent visiting friends and family. My head is swimming with all things sauerkraut, sausage and hefeweizen, so I was amused to see that Valencia is hosting an event for DTM, the German touring car championship, this weekend. I thought I had escaped die Deutschen, but no luck — Valencia will be swimming with them this weekend.

Taking place at Cheste’s Ricardo Tormo circuit, the race is a warm-up for next month’s Formula 1 event. Ralf Schumacher (aka, the “other” Schumacher) is among the 18 drivers who’ll be present and zipping the touring cars at speeds of over 300km/h around the track.

Tickets start at just €5, so if you like racing but can’t stomach shelling out hundreds of Euros for the Formula 1, this might be just the thing for you. The event’s ten races take place on the 21st – 23rd of May.

More information at circuitvalencia.com

The Global Champions Tour is currently occupying the Ciudad de Artes y Ciencias. It’s a bizarre and compelling venue for an equestrian competition.

They’ve laid down half a foot of sand in the pool near the Science Museum (specially imported from Lyon, because… you know, that Lyonnaise sand!) and set up courses, stables and a multitude of ritzy shops. Our favorite store? Horse Gym 2000, of course! With a horse treadmill. I will never, ever get tired of the ridiculousness of humanity.

We spent some time walking around yesterday, and had a lot of fun. Tickets start at just €5, which really seems like a bargain. The competition is exciting… we saw a few hurdle springing events, where the riders are judged on both form and speed. If you’re into horses, you really should get down there. And if you’re not? Hell, it’s still a interesting way to spend an afternoon. Today’s the last day, so get going!

- Unlocking your Movistar iPhone (Good Luck)

What an incredible turnaround this season for Valencian Football. After the disastrous 2008-2009 campaign, when the club was mired in debt, with a huge new stadium they couldn’t afford to complete, VCF looked likely to be relegated. At the very least, experts agreed, they’d have to sell off all their stars — top-tier teams across Europe were eager to swoop down on Valencia’s stinking corpse and snatch up their stellar talent for pennies.

Los Che & their fans deserve to celebrate [Alberto Iranzo / David González - as.com]

But Valencia ignored its debt, stubbornly kept all its best players, and this year has played incredible, inspired football, likely saving the club. With last night’s 3-1 victory over Xerez, Valencia has qualified for the Champions League. And the cash which will flow in from that competition (€3 million, just for qualifying) is sorely needed.

The Guardian has a terrific article explaining how Valencia was able to bluff its way back to life.

With Levante UD likely to ascend to the top flight next season, this is turning out to be a banner year for Valencian football.