“Spain it is,” screamed Younis Yahya, a young Saudi who watched the sometimes dull and sometimes extraordinary encounter in Lulu Hypermarket in Alkhobar. His throat had run dry because of the constant screaming and cheering that he and his group of Saudis were indulging in the moment Spaniards were in control of the ball. "Mush maaqool, mush maaqool," they would scream when their favorite players would fail to convert their carefully crafted moves into a goals.

The majority of those present at Lulu Hypermarket, Saudis, Egyptians, Pakistanis and Indians were rooting for Spain. Every move that the Spaniards created sparked cheers. And every Dutch attack was met with eerie silence. "Haraam, haraam" would echo through some tense moments when the Spaniards were handled roughly by the Dutch players.

And when Spain's Andres Iniesta scored in the final moments, the decibel levels in the hypermarket went through the roof. Lulu Regional Manager Abdul Basheer, who was watching the drama from the sidelines along with his fellow managers, was delighted. "We never expected this many people would turn up tonight," he said. "We made these special arrangements for the benefit of our customers. This is a nation that loves football and we noticed that many men would rush home to watch the matches leaving their women behind at the hypermarket. That is when we decided to screen all the matches through a special projector in a large area near our department store on second floor."

Among the Spanish supporters was Indian national Amjad Khan. "It was a close encounter," he said. “The Dutch missed some excellent chances. However, they played a very dirty game. They were getting physical every time they saw the Spaniards latching onto the ball. It wasn't fair. Look, how many red cards and yellow cards their players received."

In Jeddah, Pakistani national Ehsanul Haque was thrilled beyond words. "It was an excellent match. I was on Spain's side and therefore was delighted to see them trounce the Netherlands. Our prayers have been answered."

As the night wore on, Saudis and Arab expatriates were out in the streets in their wonderfully bedecked cars, making merry, exchanging pleasantries and flashing victory signs.