Yesterday we absolutely ran rout over Belgium in A Coruña with David Silva and David Villa stealing the show netting 2 goals a piece. This secures our passage to South Africa next summer in a World Cup which will be one to definitely remember.

Everyone knows David Villa is probably the best striker in the world, if not then for sure the most consistent but this often overshadows the class of his Valencia teammate and fellow David – David Silva. Sure Silva isn’t a household name like the Torres’ and Casillas’ of the world but if anyone ever doubted this kid’s ability, look no further than last night’s match.

Marcos Senna made his return to the national squad but Del Bosque didn’t risk his fitness and as a result started Sergi Busquets in the middle alongside Xabi Alonso. Xavi started on the right and Silva on the left to complete the four man midfield. Sergio Ramos was out of the squad injured and Arbeloa therefore took his spot at right back; Barcelona pair Gerard Piqué and Carles Puyol started as centre backs and Capdevila started at his favoured left back spot. It appears to me that Marchena has officially lost his spot as centre back after Piqué’s obvious dominance over the past year for both club and country. Obviously up front Torres and Villa were paired to round up the starting XI.

Xavi and Xabi provided multiple opportunities for both Torres and Villa but our two frontmen were wasteful, missing easy chances on the Belgian goal. To add to our frustration, Villa was awarded a penalty which he then stepped up, took, and missed having smashed it straight down the middle only for it to be stopped by Gillet’s trailing legs. Villa seemed to brush this off like a true professional though as shortly after he set up his fellow Valencian, Silva who smashed his shot past Gillet to finally put us up 1-0.

We were a bit unlucky to only go into the break up 1-0 but none the less, we were the much more dominant side with the Belgians not really threatening Iker Casillas at all.

We started the second half just as we ended the first and that was on top. Silva this time turned provider for his Valencia teammate Villa when he put in a cross to El Guaje who then cut in from the left and smashed it under the outstretched arm of Gillet to put us up 2-0.

Belgium was highly demoralized and it showed right after our goal when they gave us possession and Piqué ran threw the Belgians to play a little give and go with Villa and finally finish it off to see the score line at 3-0. Sure, the flick on by Villa to set up Piqué for the goal was great and the vision was impressive but the goal was created all by Gerard’s pure determination and resilience, running all the way up from defense and carrying on to finally score.

At about the 75th minute we struck again when stand-in right back Arbeloa put in a perfect ball for Silva who smashed it into the bottom left corner to basically seal the match as Belgium didn’t really look like they had a chance to come back.

Cesc Fàbregas then was subbed in for Xavi and almost scored right away but once again Gillet made an impressive save. Shortly after, Xabi Alonso also tested Gillet with a long and hard strike but the Belgian goalkeeper came out on top.

The match was all but over as with five minutes left Xabi Alonso sent in Fàbregas with a perfect pass to beat the offside trap and the Arsenal midfielder then touched it to Villa who finished what was a gift of a goal.

So with our thumping of Belgium, we have continued our flawless qualifying record and with a win against Estonia midweek, we would officially qualify for South Africa 2010.

I think some special shout outs are in order to really emphasize our emphatic victory yesterday and obviously the first one goes to little David Silva who was definitely my vote for man of the match. He scored two and just was a nuisance for the Belgians all day who failed to contain him. Second was obviously David Villa who scored two and set up another two and probably had the most complete performance out of any of our players. The only thing he did wrong was miss a penalty which is uncharacteristic of him but all credit due to him as he bounced back and lead the team to a convincing victory. Last but not least Xabi Alonso who anchored the midfield in Senna’s absence and also played the role of supplier as he was constantly linking up with Villa and Torres up top.

One player I’m on the fence about was Arbeloa as he did a pretty decent job but he lacks the attacking instinct of Ramos but having said that, he’s a much more disciplined player and when you have a midfield like we do, we don’t necessarily need those overlapping runs. So all in all, a good performance by Álvaro.

Our flop of the match was obviously Torres who in my opinion is terrible overrated. Sure he shines at Liverpool but I dare anyone to name a great achievement that he’s reached with us. He smashed the woodwork twice and missed a few sitters throughout the night that in any other match, could have been crucial. Not his best performance by his and our high standards.

We now focus on taking on Estonia on Wednesday in Mérida so we can finally book our flights to South Africa next summer.

Remember to
Follow me on Twitter;
Facebook me;
Subscribe to my YouTube Videos;
And check out my other love at:
The Sevilla Offside

A few days ago Vicente del Bosque named the players which would be included in the squad for the next two qualifiers against Belgium in A Coruña and Estonia in Merida.

We’re currently ranked second in the world behind heavyweights Brasil due to their success in this past year’s Confederations Cup and our crash out of the same tournament. The ranking system doesn’t really make sense to me (as well as probably most of the other people who pay attention to it) as to how a team who won over 30 matches in a row and had a choke hold over world football could possibly not be ranked 1st in the world after one mere defeat. Regardless of what I think, that’s what it is and only a win in the World Cup next year would get us back where we belong so it all starts Sepember 5th when we take on Belgium.

Some good news for us as our holding midfielder and Villarreal superstar Marcos Senna is returning to the squad after missing our Confederations Cup campaign. He was a massive reason for our lack of stability in the centre of midfield in South Africa this past summer and to have him back is a massive boost for us. We all saw at the European Championships last year how much of a match changer he really is and I have no doubts that nothing has changed from then until now.

A surprising addition to the squad was Cesc Fàbregas who is usually included in the squad but last weekend picked up a knock against Portsmouth and was apparently ruled out a minimum of 3 weeks. I guess Del Bosque has deemed him fit enough to play but its surprising that Arsenal let him go considering his circumstances. I’m sure Del Bosque won’t risk him if Xavi and Marcos Senna are doing a sufficient job in the middle as they usually do.

There are only two usuals who are excluded from the squad this time around which are Sergio Ramos and Andrés Iniesta who are both still recovering from their injuries with the latter being a long-term one.

Ramos is replaced by Nacho Monreal who is an up and coming left footed defender and plays his club football with Osasuna. Iniesta is replaces by (and when I say replaced, I don’t really mean it because no one can ever replace little Iniesta) Juan Mata of Valencia once again who scored a goal on the weekend in Los Che’s 2-0 victory over La Liga rivals Sevilla.

The full squad called up looks like this:
Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas, Pepe Reina, Diego López

Defenders: Álvaro Arbeloa, Carles Puyol, Gerard Piqué, Carlos Marchena, Raúl Albiol, Nacho Monréal, Joan Capdevila

Midfielders: Cesc Fàbregas, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Marcos Senna, Albert Riera, Juan Mata, David Silva

Forwards: David Villa, Fernando Torres, Dani Güiza

Remember to
Follow me on Twitter;
Facebook me;
Subscribe to my YouTube Videos;
And check out my other love at:
The Sevilla Offside

Despite not being able to write anything about the match, I definitely did watch it and although it was only the consolation match and not the final, I’m happy we pulled off the victory – albeit in interesting fashion.

Just a personal observation but I think that the World Cup next year is going to fail miserably. The stadium for our matchup was barely filled and I just think that if South Africans won’t even go see their own team playing, who will they pay to see? I know it was only for third place but regardless, you would think a nation would get out and support their team. But who am I to talk? We’ll have to see.

Anyway back to the important stuff which is the match.

A Katlego Mphela goal put the hosts ahead in the 73rd minute and at this point I was seriously scared. Not only had we not advanced to the dream final to play Brazil but we also were looking as if we were going to lost the consolation match! Not to worry though as my man Dani Güiza who has previously come on as a substitute scored in the 88th minute to level us up. Two minutes later with a bit of luck, Dani added another and being the 90th minute I said to myself “okay, definitely time to relax now”. But there we went again with our complacency and Mr. Mphela grabbed another in the third minute of stoppage time to crash our party and send the home fans (or lack of) crazy.

Credit to South Africa as they came out strong in extra time and controlled possession although they didn’t have many dangerous chances. We however, created the more dangerous opportunities through the likes of Riera, Capdevila, Llorente and even David Silva when his shot was blocked by the South African defender’s clear handball but the referee seemed to be uninterested and kept on playing. Finally though we got what we deserved in the 107th minute when Xabi Alonso hit a perfect freekick past the South African keeper and put us ahead which was eventually for good.

With the exciting 3-2 victory, we clinched third place in the FIFA Confederations Cup and while that is a feasible achievement for any other nation, for us it is a great disappointment. We went into the tournament as favourites and failed to live up to all the hype losing out (possibly choking) against the U.S. in the semifinals.

Now sure, it isn’t the World Cup and had little significance but when you have every continental champion as well as the world champions and the next host nation, it is definitely a chance to prove your worth. Unfortunately we didn’t and as a result we have slipped to second place in the FIFA World Rankings. We’ve occupied the number one spot for the past year and to lose it is someone uncomforting.

All we can do from here is focus on our World Cup qualifying campaign in which we have a flawless record. We may not have a 35 match undefeated streak or a 15 game win streak but I still think we’re a solid powerhouse in world football. All excuses aside, no Iniesta, Senna and Silva (for most of the tournament) certainly does limit your options. We still have a class lineup but it was evident that we weren’t playing with the same confidence that we had during the Euro’s.

See you in South Africa.

Follow me on Twitter;
Facebook me;
Subscribe to my YouTube Videos;
And check out my other love at:
The Sevilla Offside

The comments over the past day and half have been more than entertaining with all the haters posting to no end. I shouldn’t be surprised really as I probably brought it upon myself being one of the cockiest bloggers ever to write for the World Cup Blog but hey, thats what this game is all about. You enjoy your victories more but take your defeats harder, its a risk worth taking in my eyes.

I mean really, the records speak for themselves, 35 matches unbeaten and a 15 match win streak is more than impressive and makes us the most successful team in terms of those kind of statistics throughout history which is respectable to say the least.

Now sure, we did lose and all credit to the U.S. who played a tough match, got the vital goal and sat on their lead but understandably so. Everyone knows we probably (alongside possibly the Dutch) have the best attacking lineup in international football and defending properly was key to the United States pulling off the upset that they did. But lets be realistic here – we completely dominated the match and the statistics showed that. From start to finish we were the stronger of the two sides with much better chances created and definitely could have won but watching the game again both Villa and Torres amongst others will definitely rue their missed chances. Having said that though, its a shame games aren’t judged based on statistics and at the end of the day a win is a win no matter how you get it and the U.S. did just that.

I think though at the same time everyone has to also realize that by no means does this indicate the downfall of the Spanish or does it make us “a weak side”. I loved the people claiming they “couldn’t wait” to see what myself amongst other Spanish fans were going to come up with as excuses to defend my beloved sides “choke” exit to the hands of the Yanks. Quite frankly I don’t have any excuses, we played a solid match and like I said, we missed a few sitters which at the end of the day ultimately would have got us the win and saw us play Brazil in the finals of the Confederations Cup.

No excuses here, but explanations to as why maybe we didn’t look as convincing in this tournament are in order. Of course these are all personal observations but I’m sure anyone who is either a Spanish fan or knows anything about the still-strongest side in the world would have seen the same.

Without Iniesta on the right and David Silva on the left our wing play was very limited. The absences of Iniesta and Silva, who are probably the best players in the world in their positions on their day is a huge blow considering we relied so heavily upon them in Austria and Switzerland where we convincingly triumphed. You can’t expect Fàbregas or Xavi to have the same impact on the right wing when they are both naturally central midfielders and considering they played there throughout the tournament, we didn’t do half-bad. Everyone knows Iniesta is one of a kind and his absence was probably single handedly our greatest blow this whole tournament. His link-up play with Xavi is mouth watering and not having it obviously took a lot out of our game.

Marcos Senna may be getting on in years but his presence in the centre of the park is vital to both our attacking and defensive play. He’s a rock and was arguable one of our keys to success in winning the European Championships and once again, another key figure out of the lineup is a huge blow. Xabi Alonso is a solid replacement and I love his play but the type of player he is doesn’t allow Xavi that luxury to roam the way he did when Senna was behind him, not to mention it doesn’t help when he’s playing out on the right flank…

Now like I said, no excuses but when you have three of your most influential players missing of course your approach will have to change and because of it we weren’t as effective, its that simple.

Another huge factor was our grouping. It was easier than easy and while the score lines might not suggest that, it was. As the matches went on we became more content and just because we only defeated Iraq 1-0, it sure as hell doesn’t mean we are only that much better than them. Complacency ultimately screwed us over and because we had such a easy group along with the fact that the U.S. arguably fluked their way into the semi-finals caused us to automatically already look ahead to the final against Brazil (who we assumed would smash South Africa but arguably came out with a lucky win themselves). Not justifying our probable stupidity, just merely explaining it.

I think as long as you keep that in mind you will still understand that by no means are we all of a sudden any weaker or less of a threat but the U.S. match was merely a small detour in our road to success.

It now means that Vicente del Bosque has suffered his first loss since taking charge but at the same time it could be a blessing in disguise seeing as he can now play around with the lineup to find the perfect combination before the World Cup next year. Just as all great leaders have suffered loses, del Bosque has suffered one too but unlike Hitler, Mussolini or even Jesus Christ, it is not the end of his world and the situation can be easily rectified.

I thought I’d add a bit of my two cents in just for the record as well (as if I hadn’t enough already eh?). This has been a fun couple weeks of blogging and regardless of what happened in this dreadful semifinal, I will never give up my confidence in my beloved team. Don’t think of it as cockiness just think of it as reality or truth. Everyone is ecstatic when their team is on top and I sure as hell am no different, we’re still on top of the world and maybe its a blessing that this happened in the Confederations Cup instead of next year in the World Cup. So in response to all the Yanks and whoever else was critiquing my beloved country; we had a bad game, I think everyone is entitled to one and we’ll just have to wait until the World Cup next year in South Africa to see who the strongest nation is, hopefully it’ll be us but as we saw – no guarantees.

Vicente del Bosque employed a slightly different lineup as he chose to rest some key players considering we had already mathematically qualified for the semifinals. Surprisingly though, Villa and Torres did start up front with neither of them really performing like they need to if we want to win this tournament. Xavi, Fàbregas, Albert Riera and Sergi Busquets compiled the midfield as Raúl Albiol, Álvaro Arbeloa, Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué made up our back four. Casillas was given a day’s rest as Pepe Reina got a rare start between the sticks.

A minute after David Villa missed he took Sergi Busquet’s cross on his chest with perfect control and turned to hit his shot past South African keeper Itumeleng Khune to net his 31st goal in 47 matches for us which puts him only 13 goals back of Raúl for the Spanish record.

Although we slowed down, South Africa never really had any significant opportunities and on the 72nd minute off a free kick near the corner, Xavi whipped in a cross which Fàbregas scuffed only for substitute Fernando Llorente to tap in and put us up 2-0.

The World Cup 2010 hosts really had no response to our quick play and even on a less than convincing day, we easily came out on top.

In Group B there was some strange events today which saw Iraq and Italy both lose which now means the USA have finished in second place and will play the mighty La Furia Roja in the semifinals. Our American friends brushed aside Egypt 3-0 which personally I found more than unexpected. Overall I’m extremely happy with the result as I neither consider America a threat whatsoever and it also means Italy was knocked out. No personally vendetta against the Azzurri but I’m just going to have way too much fun with my Italian friends over the next couple days.

Follow me on Twitter;
Facebook me;
Subscribe to my YouTube Videos;
And check out my other love at:
The Sevilla Offside

South Africa sit in second place with 4 points and absolutely need a win to guarantee their progression. With a win against New Zealand, Iraq would end up in second and therefore qualifying to play Brazil in the semi’s.

I am somewhat scared because the South Africans have so much to play for but I know from watching their match against New Zealand that they are extremely wasteful in regards to their opportunities on goal. This could be used to our advantage as Vicente del Bosque is certainly most likely to start somewhat of a second string lineup tomorrow.

Usually “resting some players” would mean a weaker lineup but we’re so stacked with talent that it barely even matters. Now of course Fernando Torres or David Villa may be better than Dani Güiza but having the former pichichi as a substitute isn’t too bad of a secret weapon at all. Our attack could also feature Fernando Llorente who is one of the most young promising talents on both the domestic and international level.

Overall, it will be good for some of the guys who do not play on a regular basis to prove their worth to Del Bosque and give us more options for the future.

Some good news for us is that it appears Fàbregas will be fit for today’s match and will most likely start in the midfield. We also have no suspensions so Vicente del Bosque will have a full squad to choose from although he will most likely choose the guys who haven’t got a run out thus far.

A win against South Africa would hold the record of the most consecutive wins at 15 and also hold the record for the longest unbeaten run which is 35 matches. Although we don’t have much to play for in terms of success in the tournament, we certainly have something to play for in terms of furthering our domination on world football.

I’m scared to make any sort of prediction considering I have no idea what the lineup is going to look like but I know we’ll come out on top. I could easily see it being another 1-0 as we would be content enough with that small margin of victory. A win is a win and we should be able to grab one against the home nation who haven’t been the most convincing so far.

Follow me on Twitter;
Facebook me;
Subscribe to my YouTube Videos;
And check out my other love at:
The Sevilla Offside

The win meant we have now equalled France and Italy’s record win streaks of 14 consecutive matches. Our unbeaten run has also stretched to an impressive 34 matches but most importantly the win has guaranteed us a place in the semifinals.

A few changes to the lineup as Marchena slid in at centre-back for Raúl Albiol, Piqué replaced Puyol, Cazorla for Fàbregas and Mata for Riera.

Iraq played boring and defensively the whole match but even the best defenses can’t stop La Furia Roja. Overall we did actually play a bit slower too, not sure what it was because we made 4 changes to the starting XI so fatigue shouldn’t have been too much of an issue.

David Villa was clearly the man of the match as he was set up several times by Mata, then Cazorla but just couldn’t execute that final touch.

We headed into the brake unable to break down the Iraqi’s and deadlocked at 0-0. It didn’t take long after the re-start though for El Guaje to finally capitalize on his chances. Joan Capdevila put in another pin-point cross like he did for Torres in the first game except this time it was Villa who got his head on the end of it and put it in the Iraqi goal to put us up deservedly, 1-0.

Before the final whistle we had a few more chances through the likes of Torres, Dani Güiza, Juan Mata and Xabi Alonso but it was nothing doing as the game ended 1-0 in our favour.

Villa’s goal means he is now the second highest goal scorer in Spanish history only behind Real Madrid captain Raúl.

We now focus on our last group match against host nation South Africa where I personally think Vicente del Bosque will rest some of our key players to make sure we’re prepared for the tougher competition from group B.

Speaking of group B, second spot is really up from grabs in regards to who we’re going to play. Egypt’s 1-0 win over Italy today adds some excitement to the tougher of the two groups and maybe we’ll be playing the African Champions next week in the semi-finals. I watched the game and personally thought Egypt looked really solid, especially their goalkeeper. Overall they’re a very determined side who probably did deserve to win against the Azzurri and it may be crucial as Brazil look spoil Italy’s dreams in the final group match.

Regardless of who we play, if we stick to our approach I don’t see a team in this tournament who can match up to us. We’re on top of the world for a reason and I don’t expect to be moved anytime soon.

Follow me on Twitter;
Facebook me;
Subscribe to my YouTube Videos;
And check out my other love at:
The Sevilla Offside

Fernando Torres was the man of the match against the Kiwi’s and had a treble of goals to prove it. One goal a piece from Cesc Fàbregas and David Villa added the icing on the cake as we strolled to a 5-0 victory. We completely dominated the match from beginning to end both in possession and goals. You could argue that New Zealand is probably the weakest side in the tournament so it doesn’t mean much but 5-0 is an impressive score line regardless of who it is against.

A win against Iraq would mean we automatically qualify for the next round but it will definitely be a tougher match than our first. Having said that though, if we control possession and play like we did against New Zealand, I have no doubt that we will walk out of Bloemfontein with all three points.

Iraq overall is better defensively than New Zealand so logically the score line is expected to be a bit more respectable than the one on Sunday. Being strong defensively is one thing and defending against the best attacking team in the world is another so we will have to see how the Asian Champions fare against La Furia Roja this afternoon.

Vicente del Bosque will most likely start the same XI he did last match with the exception of Fàbregas who picked up an injury in training after being tackled by Xabi Alonso; Sergi Busquets may start in place of the Arsenal midfielder.

If Fernando Torres and David Villa can maintain the form they have been in during recent international duty I have no doubt that we’ll easily get past Iraq and extend our incredible unbeaten run to 34 matches. It would also see us set a record as we would extend our winning streak to 14 matches.

Overall I don’t see the result being too different. Maybe a bit more modest but the same concept, we’re just too far superior.

Follow me on Twitter;
Facebook me;
Subscribe to my YouTube Videos;
And check out my other love at:
The Sevilla Offside

The match was over after 17 minutes as El Niño scored a treble which put us in cruise control for the rest of the match. Although Torres may have been the obvious star of the show, fútbol is a team sport and as a collective, we were simply too good.

New Zealand played a strange, narrow formation which allowed us to dominate possession on the flanks and since we have the best central midfielders in all of Europe, we also passed around with the greatest of ease like it was a training drill.

We absolutely controlled the match right from the get-go and on the 6th minute we were rewarded when Fàbregas passed off to Fernando Torres standing outside the 18 yard box who eventually turned around and curled a perfect shot into the top left corner – a perfect way to start the massacre.

It only took 7 minutes for El Niño to double his tally when Riera crossed in for David Villa who then passed off to Torres and it was all easy from there. Perfect finish in the bottom right corner out of reach of the Kiwi’s keeper. On the 17th minute the treble was complete when Joan Capdevila put in a pin-point cross which Torres executed like a true striker. He smashed his header in the top left corner leaving the keeper motionless.

Riera and Capdevila continued to dominate the left flank as they this time worked their magic and eventually got it in the centre to Fàbregas who tapped it in to further emphasize our superiority.

Casillas didn’t only stand around the whole match (although it probably seemed that way for him) as just before half time New Zealand has a free kick which resulted in Casillas being forced to make a somewhat tricky save.

Right after half time, things stayed much the same as we continued to exploit New Zealand’s defensive weaknesses. Torres this time worked hard to progress up the left flank but ended up putting in a pitiful cross which Kiwi’s defender Andrew Boyens totally miscued and luckily for us and unluckily for them, El Guaje, David Villa was there to slot in one of the easiest chances he’ll ever have.

From there it was all downhill as we easily closed up shop. We didn’t add any more to our already emphatic tally but we didn’t really need to as we continued to keep possession and have fun. Torres was replaced by David Silva as were Xavi and Sergio Ramos by Santi Cazorla and Álvaro Arbeloa respectively. Del Bosque was clearly looking to rest some of our key players as they weren’t really needed against a very flat and dull New Zealand side.

The game ended 5-0 and although it could have easily been way more, I’m sure all Spanish fans are extremely happy with our convincing display. I was a bit worried going in about our complacency and our fear of maintaining that amazing unbeaten streak but we’ve now stretched it to a massive 33 matches.

Top and Flop of the Night

Before the match here in Canada they were doing a little pre-game interview and documentary on Fernando Torres and how impressive he has been throughout the past year and I thought to myself, “Damn, are these Canadians really that stupid? Torres is pretty useless for the national team more times than not. Do one about Xavi or Villa instead”. It’s funny how he hands down gets my vote along with probably many others as the man of the match. His absolutely complete performance from goal one to goal three and everything in between was the Fernando Torres I know and love, but haven’t see much of. He was an all around class act and single handedly destroyed New Zealand. If he can keep it up we’ll easily have our hands on the Confederations Cup! Also a big shout-out to El Niño for getting the fastest ever hat-trick in Confederations Cup history, well done Fernando.

Xavi on the other hand was pretty invisible throughout the match. I’m not sure whether it was the fact that he was employed on the right wing which is obviously not his position or if it was that New Zealand was so bad that he didn’t need to be his normal, amazing-self to have an impact on the match. I’m not concerned too much as I know he can definitely turn the heat on when necessary but it was a bit un-characteristic of him to have that little impact on a match.

We now focus on Asian champions Iraq as we play them Wednesday in a match which if we win, we automatically are secured a spot in the semi-finals. Iraq are certainly no pushovers but at the same time they’re certainly no threat to La Furia Roja either.

Group B News

Today Brazil just about squeaked past Egypt as Kaká scored a penalty in the last minute. Brazil’s obvious defensive weaknesses were exploited as the African champions gave the Five-time world champions a run for their money. Not to mention the Egyptians were playing a man down when the penalty was given leading me to further wonder just how weak Brazil is. Obviously you can never write off Brazil under any circumstances, that’s pure insanity, but they’re definitely not convincing.

In the other match today, Italy easily brushed aside the USA (as if there was ever any doubt), in a match which was way easier than the scoreline suggested. The massive gulf in class between UEFA and CONCACAF was clearly evident as the defending World Cup Champions went for a stroll and easily came out on top. Rossi seemed to be the name of the day as both “Rossi’s” scored all three goals for the Azzurri.

Overall, neither Italy nor Brazil looked strong enough to match our grasp on world football at the moment. No doubt they’re both solid sides but neither had that “convincing” factor when they played. We absolutely dominate from start to finish and I can’t name another side in the world at the moment who can say the same.

This thrashing of New Zealand is just the beginning to our domination of world football.

¡Qué Viva España!

Follow me on Twitter;
Facebook me;
Subscribe to my YouTube Videos;
And check out my other love at:
The Sevilla Offside

Having said all that, New Zealand won’t be any pushovers. Last week they pushed Italy to their limit when they took the lead in their friendly but ended up losing 4-3 by a late goal. We will definitely keep in mind that winning this match will stretch our unbeaten run to 33 games, having last lost a friendly to Romania way back in November of 2006. We will also have in the back of our head that we are only three undefeated games away from Brazil’s all time record of 35 matches and going undefeated in the qualifying round will see us equal that impressive tally.

We have actually never appeared in the Confederations Cup but at the same time we are also the only team ever to be at the top of the FIFA World Rankings without ever winning the World Cup, emphasizing our superiority on the footballing world over the past year.

Unlike us, this is New Zealand’s third appearance in the tournament having previously lost all their 6 matches. To be honest, I see that streak continuing today.

In our friendly against Azerbaijan last week, Vicente del Bosque started a considerably weaker lineup but knowing that a win versus the All Blacks is crucial to start off our campaign, Señor del Bosque will most likely start a full strength squad with the exceptions of Marcos Senna and Andrés Iniesta who are obviously out due to injury.

Cazorla is the favourite to start in place for Iniesta on the right flank while Xabi Alonso is set to take Marcos Senna’s place in the centre of the park. Gerard Piqué is nursing a slight injury and will probably start today’s match on the bench with Raúl Albiol starting in his place.

The lineup is set to look something like this:
Iker Casillas
Sergio Ramos, Raúl Albiol, Carles Puyol, Joan Capdevila
Santi Cazorla, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, David Silva
Fernando Torres, David Villa

We’re ranked first in the world while New Zealand sits at 82nd, is there really any hope for them? I would say this is going to be a cake walk for us but this is fútbol and stranger things have happened. Having said that though, Xavi alone is enough to dismantle a team. If our little playmaker can control the game like he does so often I don’t see any chance in hell of us even conceding a goal but rather winning by a really emphatic margin.

They might have gave Italy a run for their money but we’re on a whole other level. Bring it on.

Follow me on Twitter;
Facebook me;
Subscribe to my YouTube Videos;
And check out my other love at:
The Sevilla Offside