Re: Spain NT discussion

by El Gunner Tue May 13, 2014 4:09 pm

@hala
Most probably we'll see that midfield against The Netherlands and maybe Chile if it works against the Dutch. Though I expect Xabi to give way, so that Iniesta drops back and Pedro comes in for when we need to chase a game or break the deadlock in the final stages of the game.

by halamadrid2 Tue May 13, 2014 6:22 pm

Spain struggle without Xabi, he makes that team balanced

I think Xavi might give way for Thiago though. Depends how it goes. I expect this to be the last international tournament for the old guards. Might as well give it their all one last time

by Ganso Tue May 13, 2014 6:25 pm

Xavi and Costa are guaranteed starters.Xavi said he would have retired at Euro 2012 but VDB begged him to play in the WC and Costa is going to be their starting CF for obvious reasons.

I can see Spain playing with

-------defense-------
-Xavi-Busquets-Xabi-
-Pedro--Costa-Iniesta

by futbol Tue May 13, 2014 6:31 pm

It will most certainly be:

Casillas
Azpi Pique Ramos Alba
Busquets Alonso
Silva/Pedro Xavi Iniesta
Costa/Fabregas

Depending on opponents and circumstances. Navas will get his usual 70 minute sub. Thiago might come in around that time as well for either Xavi or Alonso.

Thiago for Alonso would actually be great. Thiago offers great defensive hustle and energy and more mobility than Alonso. It wouldn't be worse defensively I reckon unless he tries to showboat and dribble all the time.

by Onyx Tue May 13, 2014 6:35 pm

If Spain flop this year, I can see them changing to something like:

--------Busquets---Thiago
---Pedro-------Silva-------Iniesta
---------------Costa

by Ganso Tue May 13, 2014 6:39 pm

Yohan Modric wrote:If Spain flop this year, I can see them changing to something like:

--------Busquets---Thiago
---Pedro-------Silva-------Iniesta
---------------Costa

Cesc is VDB's boy, he will probably start after Xavi retires

by halamadrid2 Tue May 13, 2014 6:52 pm

Fußball wrote:Thiago for Alonso would actually be great. Thiago offers great defensive hustle and energy and more mobility than Alonso. It wouldn't be worse defensively I reckon unless he tries to showboat and dribble all the time.

Come again Suspect

More mobility does not make you a superior defender. Thiago isn't even a better defender than Xavi forget an actual CDM Laughing

for this team to be successful in the long run, Martinez should take Alonsos place, Koke/Thiago should take Xavis and Isco Cesc' but this won't happen until EC at the very earliest am afraid

by futbol Tue May 13, 2014 7:02 pm

Martinez will never play midfield in this system. When will you lads realize this? He doesn't have the ballplaying skills. Pep prefers Lahm as his defensive pivot and VdB doesn't even list Martinez as a midfielder but as a defender. Further discussions not needed.

Thiago is a great defender. He's averaging almost the same number of interceptions and tackles as Alonso despite playing in a team that keeps the ball a lot more (thus less tackling and intercepting necessary by nature). His off the ball defensive shift isn't the worry. It his ambitious passes and dribbles that could be a problem as he's a douche personality and wants to get in the limelight with something spectacular.

by Onyx Tue May 13, 2014 7:20 pm

Alonso isn't all that good defensively anyway. Always gets bypassed when we're defending counter-attacks. He's a better deep playmaker than Busquets/Thiago however.

by Valkyrja Tue May 13, 2014 8:34 pm

Alonso is the only player on that team who passes the ball forward guys

by harhar11 Tue May 13, 2014 10:27 pm

Valkyrja wrote:Alonso is the only player on that team who passes the ball forward guys

What?

Iniesta, Silva or Fabregas are most likely all going to start, and you say that they don't pass the ball forward?

And also, I have lost count the amount of times that Spain has lost the ball because Alonso tried a long ball to one of Spanish midgets forwards, who is being guarded by a tall defender.

I have never liked Alonso for Spain. 1. because he Del Bosque moved Xavi from his natural position just so that Alonso could play, and 2. because Spains look far to predictable playing with both Alonso and Busquets on the pitch. One of them has to go, and seeing as Alonso can't play as the sole DM.

by futbol Tue May 13, 2014 10:37 pm

He has a point tbh. When you have the mobility of a turtle and thus make yourself comfortable between the 2 centerbacks, you have unlimited options to pass forward because of the 70 yards of space and 7 players infront of you.

by harhar11 Tue May 13, 2014 10:42 pm

Fußball wrote:He has a point tbh. When you have the mobility of a turtle and thus make yourself comfortable between the 2 centerbacks, you have unlimited options to pass forward because of the 70 yards of space and 7 players infront of you.

That's true, but him trying so many long ball's to one of the midgets that is being guarded by a defender(most time a tall defender), often results in Spain losing the ball..

by halamadrid2 Wed May 14, 2014 5:00 am

well thank god he will have a target in Costa then Laughing

by Valkyrja Wed May 14, 2014 5:49 am

harhar11 wrote:
Valkyrja wrote:Alonso is the only player on that team who passes the ball forward guys

What?

Iniesta, Silva or Fabregas are most likely all going to start, and you say that they don't pass the ball forward?

And also, I have lost count the amount of times that Spain has lost the ball because Alonso tried a long ball to one of Spanish midgets forwards, who is being guarded by a tall defender.

I have never liked Alonso for Spain. 1. because he Del Bosque moved Xavi from his natural position just so that Alonso could play, and 2. because Spains look far to predictable playing with both Alonso and Busquets on the pitch. One of them has to go, and seeing as Alonso can't play as the sole DM.

Spain looked unpredictably bad without Xabi in CC2013

by The Franchise Wed May 14, 2014 9:27 am

They do need Alonso, because they play without any speed and/or runners (minus Pedro) in the final third, so the play gets bogged down into a 40-50m space around the halfway line. Then when they get pressed they have no way to release, eventually turning the ball over.

A typical Alonso hoof up field in the general direction of nobody at least means they dont turn it over in the midfield.

by harhar11 Wed May 14, 2014 12:50 pm

Valkyrja wrote:
harhar11 wrote:
Valkyrja wrote:Alonso is the only player on that team who passes the ball forward guys

What?

Iniesta, Silva or Fabregas are most likely all going to start, and you say that they don't pass the ball forward?

And also, I have lost count the amount of times that Spain has lost the ball because Alonso tried a long ball to one of Spanish midgets forwards, who is being guarded by a tall defender.

I have never liked Alonso for Spain. 1. because he Del Bosque moved Xavi from his natural position just so that Alonso could play, and 2. because Spains look far to predictable playing with both Alonso and Busquets on the pitch. One of them has to go, and seeing as Alonso can't play as the sole DM.

Spain looked unpredictably bad without Xabi in CC2013

Eh, Spain were brilliant until the final. In the first game against Uruguay, they could have scored a couple of more goals, if it wasn't for bad finishing..

by M99 Wed May 14, 2014 12:55 pm

harhar11 wrote:
Valkyrja wrote:
harhar11 wrote:

What?

Iniesta, Silva or Fabregas are most likely all going to start, and you say that they don't pass the ball forward?

And also, I have lost count the amount of times that Spain has lost the ball because Alonso tried a long ball to one of Spanish midgets forwards, who is being guarded by a tall defender.

I have never liked Alonso for Spain. 1. because he Del Bosque moved Xavi from his natural position just so that Alonso could play, and 2. because Spains look far to predictable playing with both Alonso and Busquets on the pitch. One of them has to go, and seeing as Alonso can't play as the sole DM.

Spain looked unpredictably bad without Xabi in CC2013

Eh, Spain were brilliant until the final. In the first game against Uruguay, they could have scored a couple of more goals, if it wasn't for bad finishing..

They were far from brilliant vs Italy. Also Nigeria though the scoreline suggests otherwise. And please don't bring up the Tahiti game as an example.

by harhar11 Wed May 14, 2014 1:27 pm

M99 wrote:
harhar11 wrote:
Valkyrja wrote:

Spain looked unpredictably bad without Xabi in CC2013

Eh, Spain were brilliant until the final. In the first game against Uruguay, they could have scored a couple of more goals, if it wasn't for bad finishing..

They were far from brilliant vs Italy. Also Nigeria though the scoreline suggests otherwise. And please don't bring up the Tahiti game as an example.

Against Italy, I agree. I was actually thinking of that game as one of the games that they played bad. But even then, I think that it was their defence that was bad rather than them being predictable, because I do recall them creating quite a few chances for themselves.

I am sorry, but I don't think that you were predictable in a game where you scored 3 goals..

by Onyx Wed May 14, 2014 6:39 pm

Bayern Munich midfielder, Thiago Alcantara was named to Spain’s 30-man provisional World Cup roster this past Tuesday, but a recent setback in his recovery from a knee injury could put his dreams of making the trip to Brazil, in jeopardy.

According to Spanish radio station, Cadena COPE, Thiago, who suffered a partially torn right knee ligament in March 29th’s Bundesliga match against Hoffenheim and while his inicial recovery time was estimated to be four weeks, a recent setback could cause him to out on the World Cup, which is just 29 days away.

Thiago looked to be a shoo in to make it to Brazil after missing out on the Euro 2012 tournament and the subsequent Olympics in London due to injury, but could be cut from the roster should the injury not be fully healed in the next month.

Vicente Del Bosque named four currently injured players to the squad, Jesus Navas, Thiago, Pique and Jordi Alba, but the three other players look to be fit by the 30th June, when the Spanish boss will make his final cuts.

Thiago was named the Player of the Tournament after Spain won the U-21 Euro’s last summer in Israel.

http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/108180/thiagos-world-cup-dreams-in-doubt-after-recent-injury-setback/

by Onyx Tue May 20, 2014 6:32 pm

Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa announced that he has decided to retire from international football, stating that his time with the Spanish National Team has finally come to an end.

Alvaro Arbeloa began his international career back in March of 2008 when he debuted with La Roja in a match against Italy, only a few months before Spain would go on to be crowned the champions of EURO 2008.

Arbeloa’s success with the National Team would continue as he helped Spain win the 2010 World Cup two years later, followed by a second consecutive EURO 2012 to complete a a sweep of three consecutive international tournaments.

Now, the torch has been passed on to younger right-backs as the Real Madrid man has officially announced that he is retiring from international football after being left out of the World Cup roster.

“My time with the Spanish National Team has passed and it is now over. I talked to Vicente Del Bosque when I got injured because he called me. It doesn’t have a lot to do with being left out of the squad, that was his decision. I wish them well. My future? Next season I will still be playing for Real Madrid.”

With that Arbeloa has announced his retirement from international football, but he will always be remembered as a part of the Spain squad that won three major trophies, and the first La Furia Roja side to ever lift the World Cup trophy.

http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/108926/alvaro-arbeloa-announces-retirement-from-international-football/

by futbol Tue May 20, 2014 6:37 pm

An era is coming to an end. Arbeloa. Sad

by Arquitecto Tue May 20, 2014 6:44 pm

Thank you Álvaro for all the heart palpitations, potential strokes and cortisol you caused for us while plying on the right-flank. It is so unfortunate you are retiring as we so dearly needed you for Euro 2016 and the World Cup 2018 and your snake Comunidad politics of the highest order.
We will miss you.

We truly will:

.

by halamadrid2 Tue May 20, 2014 6:49 pm

I think many of the older players are going to retire after the WC like Iker, Xabi and Xavi for example. Hope they end their NT career on a high

by Arquitecto Tue May 20, 2014 7:00 pm

Iker and Xabi will likely make one final stretch till Euro 2016 as hinted by their recent words in Egunkaria.

Yet Xavi has long since planned retirement after Brazil.

by Onyx Tue May 20, 2014 7:04 pm

Casillas is still only 33. So unless he starts declining or another Spanish GK suddenly becomes elite, he can carry on until 2018 imo.

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