Vintage Spain finally enters the fray
Source: Agencies |
June 16, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SPAIN will enter the World Cup fray with a swagger despite question marks over the fitness of Fernando Torres and Andres Iniesta when it faces Switzerland in its opening Group H match today.
Its squad is so stuffed full of talent that anything but a comfortable win for the European champion will be considered something of a shock when the last two teams in the tournament finally get their campaigns underway. Having broken its major tournament hoodoo at Euro 2008, Spain's consistent defence, startlingly talented midfield and corps of lethal strikers have made it the favorite of many to carry off football's biggest prize in South Africa.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque will probably not risk Torres, who is recovering from knee surgery, and play David Villa as a lone striker in front of a five-man midfield.
Andres Iniesta looks likely to win his race to recover from a thigh strain and take his place in that midfield but with quality like Cesc Fabregas or Villa's Valencia teammate Juan Mata on standby, Del Bosque may not be unduly worried.
In its opening match, it will meet a workmanlike Swiss team which has had a poor run-up to the tournament and will be without its leading goalscorer and captain Alex Frei.
The Swiss will also be missing midfielder Valon Behrami because of a thigh injury while Frei's ankle injury means Eren Derdiyok will partner Blaise Nkufo up front if coach Ottmar Hitzfeld sticks with his favoured 4-4-2 formation.
"They are a very compact team. At the last World Cup they went home without a win but they had a very good qualifying campaign this time," Del Bosque said. "They have been playing together for many years and in my opinion have many qualities."
Switzerland did indeed recover from an early loss to Luxembourg in its qualifying campaign but it suffered three successive defeats in friendlies ahead of the World Cup and has never beaten the Spanish.
Spain had a 100 percent record in qualifying as it continued a run of form that has seen it lose just once in the last three years - to the United States at the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa.
Talented Spain squads have flattered to deceive at previous World Cups but the 2010 vintage looks like having more than enough zip to get past the Swiss and ultimately out of a group that also features Chile and Honduras.
Its squad is so stuffed full of talent that anything but a comfortable win for the European champion will be considered something of a shock when the last two teams in the tournament finally get their campaigns underway. Having broken its major tournament hoodoo at Euro 2008, Spain's consistent defence, startlingly talented midfield and corps of lethal strikers have made it the favorite of many to carry off football's biggest prize in South Africa.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque will probably not risk Torres, who is recovering from knee surgery, and play David Villa as a lone striker in front of a five-man midfield.
Andres Iniesta looks likely to win his race to recover from a thigh strain and take his place in that midfield but with quality like Cesc Fabregas or Villa's Valencia teammate Juan Mata on standby, Del Bosque may not be unduly worried.
In its opening match, it will meet a workmanlike Swiss team which has had a poor run-up to the tournament and will be without its leading goalscorer and captain Alex Frei.
The Swiss will also be missing midfielder Valon Behrami because of a thigh injury while Frei's ankle injury means Eren Derdiyok will partner Blaise Nkufo up front if coach Ottmar Hitzfeld sticks with his favoured 4-4-2 formation.
"They are a very compact team. At the last World Cup they went home without a win but they had a very good qualifying campaign this time," Del Bosque said. "They have been playing together for many years and in my opinion have many qualities."
Switzerland did indeed recover from an early loss to Luxembourg in its qualifying campaign but it suffered three successive defeats in friendlies ahead of the World Cup and has never beaten the Spanish.
Spain had a 100 percent record in qualifying as it continued a run of form that has seen it lose just once in the last three years - to the United States at the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa.
Talented Spain squads have flattered to deceive at previous World Cups but the 2010 vintage looks like having more than enough zip to get past the Swiss and ultimately out of a group that also features Chile and Honduras.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
