SPAIN thread

Boring boring Spain. Dear oh dear, I really do fear for Football with some doughballs around the world (and on here no doubt if I really could be arsed going back and looking who ain't got a clue).


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Oh and well done Spain, absolute phenomenal, these last several years of them are defo the best national team that has ever been.


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That shows a huge amount of respect for the opponents, very classy guy Iker...

One of the most accomplished, modest professionals the sport will ever see. Doubt many players will force their way into one of the top teams in the world at 18, and stay there for > 10 years.
 
One of the most accomplished, modest professionals the sport will ever see. Doubt many players will force their way into one of the top teams in the world at 18, and stay there for > 10 years.

Puyol, Casillas, Xavi, Iniesta, Valdes, Llorente, Navas... and probably people like Busquets, Pedro and others.

This is one of the reasons why Spain has gotten so good at big tournaments, having 18 year old guys take responsabilities at their biggest clubs.

Youth players are the future of football and the key to create great teams. Youth accademies that create professional players specifically trained to play for your club deliver this kind of amazing players.

Spain was great during most of the torunament, and that's mainly because they have people like Xavi and Iniesta that have made a proper revolution in the last decade.

Clubs were all signing big athletic players for the midfield, to run and fight. Then those small players appeared and thanks to Luis Aragonés and Pep Guardiola they were the focus of everything. And guess what? They aren't athletic aand they can't run. But they play football like angels.

Add people like Xabi Alonso and Busquets to move the ball. That's the main reason why this team hardly gets a goal against, just like Barcelona.

Football should be played mainly with a ball and a brain.

PS: Congrats to Italy. They were brave against Spain. Italy has played in the best 3 matches of this tournament in my oppinion. They have a great future. I know Prandelli made some mistakes, but my respect for his work is huge. This kind of coaches are the future for football. Let tem work!
 
The full squad is announced below:

Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Jose Reina (Liverpool), Victor Valdes (Barcelona).

Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Nacho Monreal (Arsenal), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).

Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Benat Etxebarria (Real Betis), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Arsenal), Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona), Javi Garcia (Manchester City), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Javi Martinez (*Bayern Munich*), Juan Mata (Chelsea), Jesus Navas (Sevilla), Pedro (Barcelona), David Silva (Manchester City) Xavi (Barcelona).

Fernando Torres (Chelsea), Roberto Soldado (Valencia), David Villa (Barcelona).


Wow ! No Diego!? I feel for him, he seem to be a chess move that became a pawn? Mou and Casilla and the power of player wins again :LOL: Anyways that Spanish team looks stronger than ever.:))
 
bebo, lopez at his time with villarreal was one hell of a gk as well. it's just that spain's gk spots are locked with that trio for more than four years. I don't think he'd be arsed with the selection as probably he's never done.
 
Spain has 2 weak spots right now: striker and right side back. I miss Llorente and Puyol in that list, and Diego Lopez deserved to be there more than Reina, but Del Bosque wants to have friends in the group that's why Reina is there.

If Spain had a powerful striker (Villa in my oppinion is not half the player he was before the injury), this would be indeed a powerful national team. Right now and considering how the low form in which key players are, I have my doubts if they will be able to repeat the success of the last big tourneys.
 
No way, spain has no weak spots atm. This is the best NT in the world and my favourites to win the WC 2014 (although there is that small spark of hope that our team brings it home :D ).
 
im agree with drekkard , I think spain dosn't look that scary as they used to be few years ago , forward Torres , Villa and Soldado dosn't look scary at all now days , torres has lost his touch and Villa from he' injured seems its never to be as good as D.Villa before injured , also Xavi and Iniesta seems they aren't on same form as they were before...

I dont really see this spain team wining WC 2014 , I think its time for Germany to win it , really fresh and great National team they have!
 
I agree with all what you wrote, but nevertheless I think they're better than the rest of the world. Only the chances to beat Spain are better now than one or two years ago.
 
I agree with all what you wrote, but nevertheless I think they're better than the rest of the world. Only the chances to beat Spain are better now than one or two years ago.
agreed. spain is still the team to beat, no doubt about that. however there are a couple of teams which have been "growing" experience and improving their game over the last years, whereas spanish players will inevitably lose a bit of "hunger", after having dominated the international scene for so many years and having won whatever there was to win.

hunger (drive, motivation, call it whatever u want) plays a huge role in international competitions. theese cups are played in summer, and with the clubs seasonal schedule getting busier and more hectic every year, the players are completely worn out once june comes. hunger, motivation is what allows u to play at your best despite your fatigue... is what allows u to stay focused and never lose the grip on the game, when things aren't going well for u.... is what allows u to overlook small feuds and silly rivalries with your teammates, "because u all have a common goal wich is much more important to u than anything else" (and a good chemistry inside the dressing room is probably the second most important thing in international competitions, right after having a fit and not too tired squad).

it would be absolutely amazing if, after all theese years, spain still had the same drive that led them to conquer the world (and europe). on the other side, motivational-wise, germany are probably the most fired up team on the planet right now.

but then again, u never no how theese competitions will unfold.
as far as we know del bosque might bring inside the squad enough fresh blood to give spain new motivations.....
or maybe germany might meet italy on their way to the final, in wich case it's obviously gonna be game over for them :D
also let's not forget we're gonna be in south america this time, so i would expect some "local" teams to make an extra effort and surprise us all (like uruguay or colombia).
 
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Damn you Spain! You guys already have Villa, Soldado, Torres and Llorente, yet you take Diego Costa from us :P

TBH I'm not sure about him but he could be very useful since our main striker atm is Fred and Jo is the backup :CONFUSE:
 
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imagine if brazil plays against spain in summer and diego costa scores the winner for them in the dying minutes of the game. what's the chance of him leaving the stadium alive? :D

joking aside, really, I don't see any logic in his decision. his opponents would be jo, damiao and fred in brazil and quite possibly he'd be the automatic choice of scolari. but now he'll have to compete with negredo, soldado, llorente, villa, torres and michu. and chances are spain can play without a striker as well. that's amazing for me.
 
so effectively zero change in the squad compared to euro 2012 one. azpilicueta in for injured arbeloa, diego costa in for being the only top striker. just hope on the pitch they surprise me. otherwise I don't want to watch a team that I'm excited about its new look(netherlands) chasing the ball being passed by spaniards a million times all match. I might just as well turn it off. do hope I'll be proven wrong.
 
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I think spain need some changes , they need some fresh guys who are hungry for trophy , drop Casillas for De Gea , Bussquets for Martinez , Xavi for Koke/Cazorla Iniesta for Cazorla/Mata

5 Barlecona players in line up? Barcelona its "TIRED" in last 2 years they aren't as good as they used to be , so having so many players from barcelona in Spain NT isn't good.
 
Diego Costa is such an unlikeable player, brings down Spain for me and I'd rather not see him involved honestly.

Other than that, I think a few changes are necessary, but not that much! De Gea should clearly be number 1 at this point, Spain should play Pedro who provides that pace in behind defenses and dropping Xavi IMO also.
 
not sure about who to drop, but the midfield is definitely lacking some speed and mobility, Xavi and Xabi are brilliant but pretty static due to age. they got overrun by Holland's pressing yesterday.
 
What an upset, really...
It's been five years of unprecedented success, though I saw this coming after the Confed Cup final against Brazil and the draw.
It must be very hard to lose like this after being one of (if not the) main dominant power of football, we Argentineans had it imilar with that 0-5 against Colombia and 1994.
We will miss them.
 
i'm totally dissapointed with spain.

and diego costa is way, way too overrated player.

also don't understand why forcing always same formation and tactics with only one pure striker. it doesn't work anymore.
 
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