:huh:
I never said it was a bet.
I never said you said it was.
Decent article by Miguel Delaney in yesteday Trib
Spanish Highs
By adding a World Cup to their CV, are Spain now the greatest of all time? Miguel Delaney looks at the evidence
Pass master: Andres Iniesta scored the goal that effectively confirmed Spain as the pre-eminent side of our times
The Spanish team celebrate their win
12If their word is anything to go by, expect to see Spain’s squad do a few things more extraordinary than even Andres Iniesta’s ability allows over the next few weeks. Like Xabi Alonso circumnavigating the world he is now champion of in a hot-air balloon. Or Fernando Torres, Carlos Marchena and Iniesta himself trading the trappings of multi-millionaire players for those of Christian pilgrims by completing the country’s famous Camino de Santiago on foot. Those were among the promises the players made before the World Cup should they win it. But, although their clubs’ insurers may yet have a say in those cases, this squad cannot be accused of failing to fulfil their promise. Because, other than four ultimately-inconsequential games out of 55, they have literally won it all. And possibly a place among the greatest teams of all.
There has been one quite convincing caveat to that claim. Eight goals in seven games and four consecutive 1-0 wins are hardly the numbers you expect from a group of players that have provided much more spectacular ones: all the scoring records, for example, the members of the Barcelona and Real Madrid squads have broken over the past two seasons; Torres’s strike-rate at Liverpool; Cesc Fabregas’s at Arsenal. That array of attacking talent promised to explode. It didn’t. At least not in this World Cup.
But that is only looking at one side of the argument and one side of the numbers. Indeed, by overcoming all other sides, Spain’s feat is arguably even more impressive.
Somewhere between a qualification campaign in which Spain scored three goals a game and a World Cup in which they barely managed one, most international coaches realised the only way to stand any chance of success against them was to, effectively, create a last stand. Banks of 10 were set up to block up as much space near goal as possible and the hope was to catch an open defence on the counter. It was an approach that paid off for Switzerland once. And almost did for both Portugal and Paraguay. They had been ultra-disciplined teams with defensive records among the best in international football. Had been. Because Spain, not yet near top form – in fact way, way below it against Paraguay – found a way.
Last Sunday so, the Netherlands tried a new trick. When Dirk Kuyt spoke of how they were going to “attack” Spain and Mark van Bommel said that they were going to “break their midfield”, many joked but no-one genuinely believed they meant it so literally. After 10 minutes in which the Dutch initially stepped off and Spain threatened to tear them apart though, van Bommel set the tone with a tackle that stretched the very word. Nigel De Jong’s subsequent crane kick may have become the enduring image of the Netherlands approach but there were many other unseen off-the-ball examples. And, for anyone that doubts how deliberate they were, De Jong himself later admitted that “going in hard” on Spain had been highlighted as the best way to beat them.
It almost worked too. With so many offences going unpunished, Spain were clearly knocked off their stride. The Dutch had balanced out the gap in ability by making the first-half a battle. And their much simpler mix of defensive force and Arjen Robben’s dynamic pace – which Carles Puyol really struggled with – almost tipped it. On average, there were an equal number of clear-cut chances each. David Villa’s unlikely error, Sergio Ramos’s free header and Joan Capdevila’s snatch from three yards were cancelled out by Robben’s two one-on-ones and Joris Mathijssen’s miss.
Although not half as culpable, Spain did eventually contribute to some of the more distasteful scenes themselves. Robust challenges met with similar reactions while a tendency to topple over at the merest touch and then wave imaginary cards – for a long time the most unappealing aspect of this side – became much more frequent. It could be argued, however, that such was the level the Netherlands took their roughhousing to this was a natural response. Despite the beaming smile on his face, Iniesta made a point of showing the multitude of cuts and bruises around his knees after the final. When that level of physical abuse goes unpunished, surely it’s only natural the likes of Xavi implore the referee to take action. Crime and punishment. Many commentators argued at half-time that the Netherlands should have been down to nine. What’s the difference between that and demanding justice on the pitch?
It was with that kind of inconsistency that Howard Webb let himself down most. Yes, it was a difficult game to referee. But he made it more so. Soft incidents were punished harshly, hard tackles softly. Others missed altogether. So many misjudgements meant that, despite undoubtedly setting the tone, the Dutch actually felt aggrieved.
Ultimately, however, all those wrongs appeared to make a right. Class overcame crass. For that, Spain must thank their most influential players for finally displaying their class. Iker Casillas, Xavi and Iniesta started this tournament well below the standards they had set because of varying reasons such as – respectively – form, formation and fitness. But the second half of the Paraguay game transformed them. Saving Oscar Cardozo’s penalty restored the confidence that saw Casillas produce the most important save of his career against Robben. The introduction of Pedro then restored balance to the midfield and, for Xavi, the platform from which he dictates so many games. That piercing run which ultimately produced David Villa’s winner, meanwhile, re-energised Iniesta. To the point he defined the final long before the winning goal. Not only did he often provide the touch or pass that created that important, extra bit of space for Spain, he was working back and pilfering a lot of ball. Rightly named man of the match despite the facile manner in which Fifa often reward the goalscorer, he was the best of a terrific trio on the night. Talk about players rising to the occasion.
Talk too about rising above all challenges. Because, having eventually undone the teams that tried to contain them, Spain did the same to one who tried to kick them and, in the process, dismantled all old dictums about 'not liking it up ‘em’. After winning their first tournament with an element of fantasy, they won their second with an element of fight.
And that’s the other admirable aspect to this side’s long run of success. The many dimensions to it. Looked at long-term, they’re even more impressive.
Two weeks before the World Cup began, this paper ran a piece attempting to proclaim the greatest international team of all time by taking into account, not aesthetic impressions or opinions from memory, but results over their entire era and impact in tournaments. Not unpredictably, Brazil 1969-73 finished top because of a four-year unbeaten run and the stats behind their stunning World Cup victory in Mexico 70. This Spanish side finished eighth. With the caveat, however, that a successful World Cup campaign could well see them top any future list. After a convincing but not exactly emphatic victory, is it over the top to acclaim them as the greatest ever?
Well, at least consider the following. By winning 51 games out of 55, going on a longer unbeaten run, setting a new style of play and crowning all that with an actual trophy, Spain have surpassed Hungary of the 1950s. By capturing Euro 2008 in such euphoric fashion in a much less open era, they have at least emulated Brazil 1970. By then immediately adding this World Cup to that they have equalled the feats of West Germany 1972-74 and France 1998-2000. Finally, by winning it in such a minimalist manner after the gluttony of Euro 2008, they have equalled so many Italian sides as well as Brazil 1994 for efficiency. Albeit in an altogether different fashion: keeping control of the ball ahead of their defensive line.
All of those elements combined bring a very convincing argument. Euro 2012 would bring an undisputable one. And the fact Xavi, just gone 30, and Carles Puyol – at 32 – are the only Spanish players to have taken the Soccer City pitch last Sunday out of their twenties must make them favourites for that too.
On the very subject of youth, of course, the two years between Euro 2008 and this World Cup have brought many tributes to the manner in which Spain completely restructured their sporting infrastructure around the 1992 Olympics, how they have one Uefa qualified coach for every eight youth players, how a winning habit has been bred among their underage teams. All essential. But all obvious by now. One of the most important, and arguably overlooked, elements however has been how they have effectively institutionalised street football.
Among many old pros, the most common criticism of the modern era is how higher standards of living have brought lower levels of football ability. That young lads are distracted from drilling a ball against a wall for hours on end because of ‘game boys’. It’s the old theory that poverty – or at least pockets of poverty in even prosperous countries – produces great footballers. Yet, like the Germans, a majority of the Spanish players are from fairly average backgrounds. Not too many are able to speak of great wealth or want. What they did have plenty of though was state-built five-a-side pitches. There, they taught themselves the basics of ball control, touch and passing in confined space. Once old enough then, all those Uefa coaches introduced a more nuanced understanding of the game. It’s for that reason this generation is already being followed by the likes of Sergio Canales and Barca’s next revelation, Gerard.
Of course, given the famed Clairefontaine academy, many expected France to go on and dominate football after doing the same double. As a warning against Spanish complacency however, they fractured internally. The Spanish may yet have a similar problem, but on a much, much broader level. That was most obvious when, despite his own dual Spanish-Catalan parentage, Xavi held aloft the Catalonian flag with Carles Puyol. The banner of a province that wants independence and its own national team, their gesture followed a mass demonstration in Barcelona last weekend.
So far there are no signs of anything beyond autonomy. But that it would take politics, rather than anything on a pitch, to stop this Spanish team further fulfilling their promise is a sign of their greatness. As the Dutch will testify, every other approach has been attempted.
Comparing winning Euro 2008 to Brazil winning the World Cup in 1970 is a bit of a stretch.
Comparing sides from different era’s is always a stretch, regardless of what methods you use.