adminGiovanni Trapattoni’s men 2-0 in their last game before the Confederations Cup soccer campaign gets under way in Brazil this weekend.
Tomorrow, the world and European champions play their first group game against Uruguay, as La Roja begin their bid to bring yet another international trophy back to Madrid.
It is difficult to pick holes in Spain’s system. There is a sense, perhaps, that their stars might be out on their feet, epitomised in the manner in which Barcelona, in particular, were overrun, 7-0 on aggregate, by Bayern Munich in the recent semi-finals of the Champions League. Barca’s Xavi and Andres Iniesta looked like tired men.
Real Madrid’s playmaker Xabi Alonso, who is injured at present, was eclipsed in midfield as his side lost on aggregate to Borussia Dortmund in the other semi-final.
If Spain’s midfield axis is suffering from fatigue, their obligations with the national team haven’t helped. Since winning the World Cup in 2010, the Spanish Football Federation has undertaken a schedule of exhausting, money-spinning friendlies.
In the last year alone, while many of their counterparts have stayed on the European continent to play matches, Spain’s squad have been long-hauling it to the likes of Qatar, Puerto Rico and Panama.
They got 3million euros for their tie against Panama last November, a game that involved a six-hour time difference, heat and humidity, and which, in the words of Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas, “served no purpose”.
Spain manager Vicente del Bosque concedes that his players endure long, intense seasons with their clubs, but winning, of course, and competition for place provides a useful tonic for alleviating weary limbs and minds.
As a measure of the country’s riches, Spain’s bench for last year’s 4-0 win against Italy in the European Championship final (their second Euro title in a row) included Chelsea’s Juan Mata, Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla and Javi Martinez — who was arguably Bayern Munich’s most influential player in the closing stages of its successful Champions League campaign this season – as midfield options.
Spain’s game is modelled on the Barca notion that football is a game of midfielders, a strategy taken to extremes against Italy in that final, as Del Bosque started the game with six midfielders and no strikers.
Against Ireland on Tuesday night, Del Bosque played with a recognised striker, recalling David Villa, Spain’s all-time top scorer, to fill the No. 9 role. Villa was withdrawn in the second half for Valencia’s Roberto Soldado, who struck an opportunist half volley to open the scoring.
Neither of the pair, or Fernando Torres who has lost his mojo since joining Chelsea, fully convinces Del Bosque, however. He favours a false No. 9, such as Manchester City’s sorcerer-in-chief David Silva or Fabregas, admitting the country doesn’t have “a decent No. 9” at present.
“As a rule, every team should play with a No. 9 but we haven’t found one we all like — maybe that’s our fault,” Del Bosque said in a media conference last week. “A few have been given run-outs — (Sevilla’s Alvaro) Negredo, Torres, Soldad . . . Villa hasn’t really bowled us over either.
“A striker can spend practically the whole game without having to touch the ball, then score a goal and everyone says, ‘well, anyone could have scored that’. “But he has spent the whole match without a sniff of the ball. We need players up front who participate —ones who are visible and actively taking part during the game.”
The striking thing about Spain’s “active” players, the team’s wonderful playmakers — Xavi, Iniesta, Silva, Cazorla, Mata, who scored the late, second goal against Ireland — is their small stature — they average 5ft 7in in height. Size doesn’t matter in Spain’s football academies; the ability to hog the ball is prized above all. — BBC Sport.
Online Reporter