World Cup Debate: The Strength Of The Spanish Armada

Photo Gallery

Zoom

Torres, Cesc, Silva, Villa, Spain, Estonia (MARCA)

Related Links

Teams

• Spain

Players

• Iniesta
• David Villa
• Cesc Fàbregas
• Granero
• Negredo

With their passage to South Africa 2010 secured, having emerged as leaders in their World Cup Qualifying group, it seems that the good times for Euro 2008 Champions Spain just keep rolling.

What was once a team with an unfailing reputation for falling short of the high expectations garnered by Spain’s club teams, La Furia Roja were anything but furious in more than half a century of underachievement.

For a country so passionate about their football, the best finish the Spanish national side could muster in World Cup competition was in 1950 when they took fourth place... a finish that to this day remains an aberration as, since, Spain have never progressed farther than the quarter-finals.

Sixty years later, Spain boast a squad that constitutes more than just one legendary player - an Emilio Butragueno, a Fernando Hierro, or a Raul - but instead have groomed a well rounded and balanced squad of exceptionally talented (and perhaps even more importantly, young) stars that could not only make history by lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy in South Africa next summer, but could pave the way for continued success in the 2014 edition in Brazil (and beyond) as well.

In a typical Vicente Del Bosque line-up - assuming an Iker Casillas (28), Sergio Ramos (23), Carles Puyol (31), Gerard Pique (22), Joan Capdevilla (31), Xavi Hernandez (28), Cesc Fabregas (22), Andres Iniesta (25), David Silva (23), David Villa (27), and Fernando Torres (25) starting XI - the mean age of the team is just 26 years.

When one considers a number of La Roja’s up and coming players, Raul Albiol (24), Nacho Monreal (23), Sergi Busquets (21), Santi Cazorla (24), and Alvaro Negredo (24), many of whom have already gained significant playing time at the national level, the future of the Spanish national side becomes even brighter.

In fact, when one accounts for age, Spain have one of the most talented pools from which to choose from in the world with players like Sevilla’s Jesus Navas and Diego Capel, Barcelona’s Pedro Rodriguez, Valencia’s Pablo Hernandez, and Real Madrid’s Esteban Granero, having, at a very young age, already made their mark on their club sides and now wait to do likewise in the national team. Few countries are so lavishly endowed with such technically gifted talent, patiently waiting on the shelf to be cycled into the squad as the veterans begin to fade into the twilight of their careers.

Spain get the monkey off their backs by bringing home the Eurocopa

Great teams are great not just in the players they field on the pitch, but in the stock of players they have ready to spring into action on the bench. With some of the most skilled players in the world at a variety of positions, Spain have the squad depth to contend with some of the best in the world.

In Saturday’s match against Armenia, a side consisting of only a handful of regulars dominated the Eastern Europeans (despite the close encounter indicated by a 2-1 scoreline).

In this Wednesday’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Spain will be without Puyol and Marchena in defence, Xavi and Fabregas in the midfield, and Guiza and Villa up front. For other national squads (even the elite), losing the most dominant defender, the two star midfielders, and the leading goalscorer would spell certain doom.

Yet, given the quality of players available to Vicente del Bosque, one can only speculate that La Roja will not lose a step as players like Albiol, Pique, Xabi Alonso, Marcos Senna, Negredo and the like prepare to take to the pitch and, despite the fact that Bosnia are second in Spain’s qualifying group, it is possible that the Iberians will take full points away from the match and retain their 100 per cent record.

Negredo has plenty to offer, as do the entire Spanish squad

With qualification already in the bag, Spain now have the task of fine-tuning their squad to a final 23 and maintaining their form over the next eight months so as to hit their peak by next summer. Over that period, La Seleccion are scheduled to face stiff competition in Argentina on November 14th in the Vicente Calderon, Austria on November 18th in Vienna, and France in Paris on March 3rd of next year. At the moment, Les Bleus and Los Albicelestes remain in contention to qualify for South Africa 2010 and it is increasingly likely that they will secure a berth. After all, a World Cup without the two of them is virtually unfathomable.

For Spain, these upcoming fixtures along with extraordinary squad depth and the experience of having finished tops in their qualifying group, reached the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup, and won the Euro 2008 trophy, put La Roja on par with Brazil as favourites to take home the trophy next summer.

For the better part of history, Spain earned the reputation of being the team that fails to win when the stakes are high. Now, however, the tide seems to have shifted and in light of La Roja’s successes over the past two years, being crowned champions in South Africa has become more of a highly anticipated expectation rather than a hope.

Whether this Spanish national side proves to be the greatest disappointment of all or the beginning of a dynasty remains to be seen. In the meantime, count the string of consecutive passes and chant ‘¡Ole!’.

Cyrus C. Malek, Goal.com