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Spain 1 USA 0

June 5th, 2008 | By: Cesar | 13 Comments »

While I deliberated over who to support in yesterday’s game, I watched a gray 1-0 victory for La Furia Roja over Team America.

Spain certainly didn’t look like Euro 2008 contenders yesterday. They might have been lulling everyone to sleep on purpose, playing possum for the eventual onslaught next week. Or maybe they were bored with their opposition. Whatever it was, Spain needs to find a remedy before next Tuesday’s opener against Russia.

I thought some guys put on a good performance.

Xavi was quite good (as MARCA writer Fran Villalobos puts it, Spain needs 11 Xavis to win).
Cesc Fabregas played efficient.
Sergio Ramos was a demon running up the flanks.
Fernando Torres looked a bit lost. Maybe he was missing strike partner David Villa, who picked up an injury in training before the match.
Saint Iker Casillas didn’t have much to do in his half of play and Marcos Senna looked solid when he came in. Luis Aragones looked his usual grumpy, depressing self.

Overall, the team looked a little out of it. Again, it’s just a friendly against an over matched American squad. But it looks like the team is still trying to sort itself out.

‘In the first half we had a few chances and we lacked rhythm. In the second half we were able to use the wings more. Elsewhere, (Santi) Cazorla and Cesc (Fabregas) played better, and also our opponents were more tired and we were able to win,’ said the grumpy Aragones, waving his arms in the air and shrugging continuously.

The triumph over the US extended Spain’s unbeaten run to 16 matches and while it may not have been the most convincing of performances, Aragones insists it was still a useful exercise ahead of Tuesday’s Euro 2008 opener against Russia.

‘In the national teams there are no games in which you play for nothing, but it is clear that it is totally different to a competitive match,’ he said.

‘The game has served to help form the team, so that we know which players are better, physically and tactically. The work always serves some purpose, although if we play like we did in the first half it will be difficult to do anything.’

Very true …

Some tidbits (my way of saying, more stuff for you to look at):

- Fellow Spain writer/fellow American Ryan got some interesting comments on his blog when he said he’d support Spain in yesterday’s game … wow! Some truly biting comments … people need to get a grip!!

- Guardian writer Sid Lowe has his Spain preview online for everyone to read … here’s a small bit for free. Click the link to read the rest …

Here we go again. Every time a major tournament comes round, with a heavy heart and an impending sense of fate-tempting doom Spain allow themselves to believe that this could be their tournament at long, long last. So too do the rest of us. Spanish chances are talked up, their players lauded, their chances rated. Who knows, they say, maybe this time really is Spain’s time at last. Who knows, we say, maybe this time they really can lift that trophy. And then the inevitable happens.

- Spain are now in Innsbruck!! Euros, here we come!

Tags: Euro 2008, USA

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Comments

By skeeter | June 5th, 2008 at 10:52 am

i personally thought they dominated the game and had some chances, albeit they wasted them… what is wrong with torres????

Posted from Canada

By Nishit | June 5th, 2008 at 12:43 pm

A sense of foreboding is the best way to descibe it. Hopefully this is the lull before the storm, because if Spain play like this against Sweden or Russia, life will be very very difficult for them. We all know how England suffered against Sweden last time around, and if indeed they get thru their group, they’ll have really difficult quarters and semis matches (probably both against teams from the Group of Death ) So I’m praying Spain can lift their game a bit, or I’ll have to wait another 2 years, atleast.
Cheers!

http://www.troopersblog.blogspot.com

Posted from India

By john | June 5th, 2008 at 1:30 pm

I think Spain played really well in the second half, once they realized the left wing and spread out the defense (Hats off to Cazorla for that).

Now here’s a subject - I really don’t favor Torres up front. Part of the reason that Torres has been so succesful at Liverpool is their style of play, which is more a “sit back and catch you off your gaurd” tactic than the “I’m throwing everything including my boxers at you” that Spain employs.

Torres is good when he gets the ball running at the center backs, not when he’s bobbing around in a sea of defenders. But inevitably, because Spain’s strength is the midfield and will be playing a majority of the game on their opponent’s side of the pitch, there will be defenders a plenty in the box. Now Guiza and Villa (pray the injury’s not serious) can rock that role, and find the net. If Torres played for Italy he’d be a blessing. For Spain, he’s wasted talent.

Posted from United States

By Nishit | June 5th, 2008 at 2:16 pm

Hmm, I don’t entirely agree with you there. I think Villa and Torres together make a great pair. In fact, put Raul in there (which of course, Aragones didn’t have the balls to do) and take any two of those, and I think it’s a good pairing. Plus with such a good midfield, which can really push forward, I think Torres will not find it tough at all, if he’s got Villa by his side. On his own, it’s a completely different story.

Posted from India

By Timothy Lakefront | June 5th, 2008 at 6:12 pm

I must admit that I cheered for Spain yesterday. To help suppress the feelings of Benedict Arnold, I told myself that Spain has an important tournament to prepare for, while the U.S. has no reason to be in good form. This helped, although people at the bar looked at me after the goal with the sentiment: “that kid doesn’t look Spanish!” Regarding the game, Espana indeed played like ish in the first half last night–the first ten minutes witnessed numerous clumsy passes. It looked like they had barely played together before. The passing was much more seamless in the second half, and Spain dominated possession, but were still lacking that final pass to unlock the goal. I think the lone striker formation may be put to rest–el guaje was sorely needed up front. Damn I hope they smash the Ruskies on Tuesday–plannin on taking a 3 hr liquid lunch.

By ballbeav | June 5th, 2008 at 6:45 pm

needed iniesta.

By Robbie | June 5th, 2008 at 9:41 pm

Question…..would Torres be better off on the “wings” in Spains’ current system….since his true strength is ‘running at and getting behind defenders’????? ….Just wondering what everyone thought!!!

By Nishit | June 6th, 2008 at 12:55 am

Nah, he’s better off up top for me. He can keep defenders occupied, and make room for others (Xavi?) to come through. Torres on the wing is a definite no-no.
Cheers!

http://www.troopersblog.blogspot.com

Posted from India

By ck | June 6th, 2008 at 1:22 am

im a liverpool fan and i do agree with JOHN above….liverpool do play like italy …solid at defense and catching on the counter attack……the thing with spain is that they as barcelona did against man untd (in the cl semis)
overpass the ball in the final third…..i feel rather than doing that they should simply flick it on to torres….or maybe torres should be second striker with another one i.e villa or guiza as a coy first striker…if spain do get the best out of torres they easily win the euros…..aragones is a serious shit……rafa should be spain manager whenever he leaves liverpool

By evaldo | June 6th, 2008 at 9:31 am

euro 2008 fantasy?

http://euro2008fantasy.soccernet.com

Posted from United States

By elisa | June 6th, 2008 at 9:58 pm

I was very disappointed, too much lateral passing, no penetration. But we got the result needed. Phew! We gotta get our head in the right place! I thought Xavi was brill, Navarro played pretty well for his first cap. Cesc was fine. Ramos per norm was massive. But Puyol kept getting beat by Eddie Johnson??? OMFG. We definitely missed Iniesta. I rooted for Spain, nevertheless, per norm and I was on http://www.csrnusa.com’s 2Gs show pimping Spain on Wednesday. Hee.

By Miguelito | June 8th, 2008 at 9:35 am

16 in a row says something people no matter how bad they (Spain)played they won. Every team has had there share of bad games.

Posted from Canada

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