As an adopted Spaniard (in that I had Spain in the office sweepstake), I was devastated by Spain’s unlucky defeat in last nights second round clash [link], at the hands of the dastardly French.
The Spanish just ran out of ideas, and the French, with their unenlightened yet technical football, were always going to remain a threat in the late stages.
Maybe this World Cup has come too early for Torres, Villa, and FÃ bregas et al?
Sphere: Related Content
I once spoke of this coach’s stubbornnes. This match with France was the climax of that stubbornness. He knew Spain had an experienced team to oppose, but nevertheless he just put the most experienced players - and not all- in the first half of the match. The novices playing the second half were easy prey of the French savoir-faire.
France was better and won.
Starting with Raul was a mistake.
He slows down the game, and with Spain’s youthful midfield, they prefer a quick tempo.