Spain

[StarLord]

To add to that, Xavi wasn't nearly as crucial as he was in tiki-taka system and Aragones constantly subbed him off for Cazorla/Cesc around the 60th minute in almost every match. Iniesta not only played in different position, he wasn't even regular starter. They did both shine in the final stages of the tournament and that was, what i think, the start of their legend.

Xavi was already an automatic starter for years. It was Iniesta that was being subbed off around the 65th minute by Cesc or Cazorla. Iniesta's style of play involves much more running than other midfielders.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Nope. I rewatched all 2008 Spain's games just couple of months ago. Xavi gets subbed off early in the second half in almost every match. I think he only played the semis with Russia til the end or at least till 80th minute or so. Iniesta had even less playtime. If anyone, Senna was the most important midfielder in that team. Not to demean Xaviesta by no means, but their influence in 2010-12 team is incomparable to the former.

 

[Morten]

Nope. I rewatched all 2008 Spain's games just couple of months ago. Xavi gets subbed off early in the second half in almost every match. I think he only played the semis with Russia til the end or at least till 80th minute or so. Iniesta had even less playtime. If anyone, Senna was the most important midfielder in that team. Not to demean Xaviesta by no means, but their influence in 2010-12 team is incomparable to the former.

Xaviesta was clearly very important in 2008, cant believe some would think otherwise.

 

[Gnidrologist]

I said they were, but not to the extent that it was in 2010. Can you guys see anything, but black and white?
Would Xavi be constantly swapped off in the early second half if, he was just as important then? Wouldn't Iniesta be constant starter and played all 90mins if he was just as important as 2010?

 

[Morten]

I said they were, but not to the extent that it was in 2010. Can you guys see anything, but black and white?
Would Xavi be constantly swapped off in the early second half if, he was just as important then? Wouldn't Iniesta be constant starter and played all 90mins if he was just as important as 2010?

What i was saying was that the spain nt started their dominance in 2008, and a fair few Barca-players were quite involved in that. Xaviesta had proven themselves at the highest level before Guardiola.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Didn't disagree with that.

 

[Leo_Messi]

Spain and Barcelona went into beast-mode because they had the players to do so. Managers are secondary at best.



That Korea QF in 2002 was daylight robbery! The Spanish team of that year could definitely have won the WC. Such a shame.

It's obviously a combination. Talented players alone won't do it.

Indeed. It was a very good team. Casillas, Raúl, Puyol, Helguera, Hierro, Baraja, Morientes, Tristán, Albelda, Mendieta, Valerón, Xavi, Nadal, Lucho, Joaquín etc. A great blend of experience and talent. I feel that we would have had a real chance of defeating Germany in the semifinal and reaching the final had it not been for the daylight robbery against South Korea. Italy had suffered the same faith in the round of 16. That World Cup was a joke when it came to referring.

Xavi and Don Andrés were obviously very important in 2008 but the main midfield architect was Senna. He is largely forgotten because he was not part of the 2010 and 2012 teams and basically faded away.

 

[Morten]

It's obviously a combination. Talented players alone won't do it.

Indeed. It was a very good team. Casillas, Raúl, Puyol, Helguera, Hierro, Baraja, Morientes, Tristán, Albelda, Mendieta, Valerón, Xavi, Nadal, Lucho, Joaquín etc. A great blend of experience and talent. I feel that we would have had a real chance of defeating Germany in the semifinal and reaching the final had it not been for the daylight robbery against South Korea. Italy had suffered the same faith in the round of 16. That World Cup was a joke when it came to referring.

Xavi and Don Andrés were obviously very important in 2008 but the main midfield architect was Senna. He is largely forgotten because he was not part of the 2010 and 2012 teams and basically faded away.

That was before i really got into football seriously. I have seen the compilation of that match on youtube, wth happened there? Or rather, what happened after the match? Surely there had to be match fixing involved?

 

[Leo_Messi]

That was before i really got into football seriously. I have seen the compilation of that match on youtube, wth happened there? Or rather, what happened after the match? Surely there had to be match fixing involved?

What happened? The moronic Egyptian referee and his Ugandan and Trinidadian linesmen (!) disallowed two of our completely legal goals and judged countless of attacks to be offside when they were not.

Definetely matchfixing. Simiar story when South Korea played against Italy in the round of 16. Not much to do though.

 

[KingMessi]

Wasn't it found that the refs had been paid off?

 

[Leo_Messi]

Wasn't it found that the refs had been paid off?

Not from what I know about. At least not officially but we all know that match fixing was involved. No need to have it proved in a court as it was blatant for everyone. That Egyptian clown of a referee and his clown assistants were not seen ever again on the highest level if at all.

The referee in the similarly outrageous Italy-South Korea game (round of 16) retired 1 year after the World Cup after more outrageous decisions back in Ecuador and suspensions due to absurd refereeing.

He topped all of this by spending 26 months in an American prison convicted of drug smuggling after his retirement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Moreno

Anyway it's FIFA that we are talking about. At least I don't remember a similarly outrageous World Cup refereeing wise since 2002.

 

[Vlom]

Not from what I know about. At least not officially but we all know that match fixing was involved. No need to have it proved in a court as it was blatant for everyone. That Egyptian clown of a referee and his clown assistants were not seen ever again on the highest level if at all.

The referee in the similarly outrageous Italy-South Korea game (round of 16) retired 1 year after the World Cup after more outrageous decisions back in Ecuador and suspensions due to absurd refereeing.

He topped all of this by spending 26 months in an American prison convicted of drug smuggling after his retirement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Moreno

Anyway it's FIFA that we are talking about. At least I don't remember a similarly outrageous World Cup refereeing wise since 2002.

OMG...

 

[Flavia]

[tw]603139607652397056[/tw]

 

[hardyboy]

Thiago???

 

[Semi-Neutral]

Sergio Rico?