Spain

[TitoTata]

So many bad performances !

Ramos was useless , as was Pique plus Costa ..

Only Isco played really well .

Pity the Iran guy missed that sitter at the end - Portugal may have been sent home ... ( I think)

 

[impeh]

Won the group in the end, but doesnt look nearly as solid as i expected them to be.

yeh, remind me of us a little bit lots of talent but dont control the game like they used too. Lots of individual errors as well

 

[Barcilliant]

Iran and Morocco gave Spain and Portugal a hard time.

I was surprised at the difference in physical strength. The Europeans looked weak.

 

[Cruijffista]

Iniesta and Isco play beautiful football together.

 

[barcanuck]

They have to go back and see what worked for them in 2010 and that was playing 2 strikers. They always had Villa and Torres on, now they do the 1 striker thing and surround him with same kind of mids and wingers. Problem is Aspas and Rodrigo aren't good fits for Costa. No real solution but the Spaniards over packed the mid to control the game and couldn't generate clear chances in the end as teams forced them wide to cross in the box.

 

[JamDav1982]

They have to go back and see what worked for them in 2010 and that was playing 2 strikers. They always had Villa and Torres on, now they do the 1 striker thing and surround him with same kind of mids and wingers. Problem is Aspas and Rodrigo aren't good fits for Costa. No real solution but the Spaniards over packed the mid to control the game and couldn't generate clear chances in the end as teams forced them wide to cross in the box.

Torres was not much a factor in that 2010 team. He was terrible.

Biggest difference to back then was other end of the pitch and their ability to keep clean sheets.

 

[barcanuck]

Torres was not much a factor in that 2010 team. He was terrible.

Biggest difference to back then was other end of the pitch and their ability to keep clean sheets.

Still started a handful of games with Villa during that WC. I recall him being a sub for WC final.

 

[JamDav1982]

Still started a handful of games with Villa during that WC. I recall him being a sub for WC final.

They scored more goals this time round.

Biggest difference is terrible defence and midfield not in control as much.

 

[barcanuck]

Yeah I think there was redundancies with Silva, Koke, Iniesta all very similar. Needed to be more direct or dropping Silva into midfield like Pep played him all year might of worked. Iniesta - Busi - Silva then up front Isco - Costa - Morata and just bull rag it with 2 big CFs like Suarez and Cavani.

 

[jamrock]

They need that 1 player that brings verticality to the game which was what the coach was searching for in the final games before the WC, he even gave delou a chance because tiki taka is good but at times you need a player that will break the lines with his directness.

 

[Donatello]

Lopetegui leaving unexpectedly cost them badly.

 

[Barcaman]

Madrid and Perez to thank. Lopetegui and Hierro are "heroes" too

 

[khaled_a_d]

So Iniesta retired from NT, Pique said before this is his last tournament with Spain IIRC
Who else is there from 2010 team? Ramos,Busquets and Silva. I think Silva should retire too from NT tbh. Spanish player for whatever reason hold too much to the NT ( I think Iniesta and Xavi should have retired from them 2 years earlier than they did)
Feels like a true end of an era tbh

 

[Morten]

So Iniesta retired from NT, Pique said before this is his last tournament with Spain IIRC
Who else is there from 2010 team? Ramos,Busquets and Silva. I think Silva should retire too from NT tbh. Spanish player for whatever reason hold too much to the NT ( I think Iniesta and Xavi should have retired from them 2 years earlier than they did)
Feels like a true end of an era tbh

Tbh, it already felt like the end of an era when Holland ran all over them last world cup.

 

[RMU ReBorn]

Torres was not much a factor in that 2010 team. He was terrible.

Biggest difference to back then was other end of the pitch and their ability to keep clean sheets.

Xavi had somewhat 90%+ passing accuracy in that world cup . He didn't gave the ball away and kept on passing it with precision . Not even Germany managed to withstand the passing web created by Xavi . was one of the reason why they kept cleen sheets . Ramos as Rb had his best days for Spain .