The greatest show on Earth came to a dramatic close with an outstanding goal from Spanish midfielder Iniesta that eluded the hands of the Netherlands goal keeper. The game was not one for the purist as the Dutch decided to take a physical approach to the game with the hope of stifling the movement of Spain's key playmaker, Xavi. I supported the Netherlands and experienced emotions after the loss. However Spain winning the World Cup for the first time was an outstanding achievement. The fact that they won playing the beautiful way throughout the tournament gives young superstars in the making across the globe an opportunity to witness how football should really be played and emulated. The Spanish team had an array of talent to choose from. There were no weaknesses across their line up.
An attacking force that consisted of lethal striker David Villa, Fernando Torres, Llorente and Pedro provided arsenal upfront. This line up boasts some of the most dangerous attackers in the game. David Villa was in deadly form and scored 5 goals in the tournament. Torres had just returned from an injury and was not in his best form. His presence on the pitch made defenders wary and opened up space for Villa to score. Pedro did not appear in the tournament until the last two matches but his contribution in the victory against Paraguay convinced Del Bosque to start him against the Netherlands where he gave defenders trouble with his swift runs.
If that was not enough, the Spanish midfield consisted of probably the world's greatest possessors and passers of the ball, Barcalona's midfield duo Xavi and Iniesta. This partnership controls midfield with such prowess that another great playmaker, Cesc Fabregas finds himself on the bench despite his great talent. Sevilla's winger Jesus Navas was also impressive when he was called upon. The little winger causes havoc to defenders with his darting runs and swift crosses.
Their defensive structure in midfield and at the back is also impressive. Real Madrid holding midfielder Xabi Alonso not only stops attacks but also passes the ball with quality and contributes to offense with long ranged shots and spot kicks. Spain also rely on Barcalona's young starlet Sergio Buesquets that has been so impressive that he has denied Spanish stalwart Senna from making a trip to the South Africa. He was a key figure in midfield shielding the back line and providing Xavi with space to execute passes.
In Central defense Spain's manager once again relies on a Barcalona partnership of veteran Carlos Puyol and young star Pique. The two have created a formidable partnership that has conceded few goals for both club and country. In right back position the attacked minded flamboyant wing back Sergio Ramos is given the freedom to push forward down the flank. Villareal Capdevila ensured that the left flank was secure from incoming attacks. Finally in goal, Real Madrid's legendary goal keeper Iker Casillas was placed in charge between the posts. If he was not available Spain could rely on talents of not one but two top ten keepers in the world, Barca's Victor Valdes and Liverpools Pepe Riena. The players mentioned above were those that recieved playing time during the campaign. However the Spanish reserves are filled with talent across the pitch. Players like David Silva, Marchena, Arbeola, and Javier Martinez all quality in their own light had only cameos or bench time during the tournament due to the quality of the starting line up.
The Spanish, were almost always full of talent and technique but seemed to always fail on the big stage. The change of tides occurred 2 years when they won the Euro Championship. After their win the pundits predicted that they would go on to dominate international football. A luke warm performance in the Confederations Cup led to the return of doubts and pundits began to right them off early in the World Cup after their opening defeat to Switzerland. Their manager Del Bosque did not falter or change tactics. The team went into their next match against Honduras with the intent to right their wrongs and came out victorious in a 2-0 result. They then went on to win against Chile, Portugal, Germany and Paraguay on their way to a final victory against The Netherlands.
Spain throughout the tournament stuck to one plan. This was to possess the ball and score. They started on a disappointing note with a shock loss to Switzerland, but quickly made up for their error thanks to the brilliance of Xavi controlling the midfield and the emerging form of David Villa. Villa had an outstanding tournament scoring 5 important goals that took Spain into the finals.The Spanish team were well balanced. Del Bosque choose a mixture of youth and experience that proved successful throughout the tournamen. Seasoned players like Puyol, Capdevila and Xavi were complimented with the emerging talent of Pedro, Busquets and Torres. The veterans were able to rise to the occasion when called upon such as the stunning headed goal from Puyol when Spain looked for an opening against Germany or Casillas impressive saves (Casillas may be young but he is a veteran for both club and country, since he started his career at a young age). The exuberance of youth was evident by the swift, relentless movements of Pedro and the willingness of Gerard Pique to sacrifice his body to ensure that his team would not concede.
Apart from choosing players based on their experience and talent Del Bosque also relied on the familiarity of his key players in the midfield and defense. The majority of players in the Spanish line up are from the winning Spanish club Barcalona. Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Pique and Puyol (David Villa was recently signed) all play for Barcalona. Del Bosque utilized the same 4-3-3 tactic used in Barcalona with a one striker in central position flanked by two forwards on either side. In midfield the supporting central player is flanked by two holding midfielders. The back four consisted of two Center backs and adventurous full backs flanking them. Del Bosque should be applauded for emulating this tactic because it allows the core players of the team to flawlessly move from club to country without much hassle. The fact that they are familiar with the playing styles and each other gives Spain an advantage over all other clubs in the World Cup. This reason alone could ensure that Spain dominates international football. Congratulations to Spain on their impressive World Cup display.
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