La Roja

Luis wrote:Those midfielders   

Sickening... a rest of the world combined wouldnt produce that quality.

Fey wrote:

Luis wrote:Those midfielders   

Sickening... a rest of the world combined wouldnt produce that quality.

Indeed.

It's hard to look past Spain but depends on how free scoring they can be. Possession is fine if you score the goals to go with it. Bayern failed to do this in Europe this season for example.

Luis wrote:

Fey wrote:

Luis wrote:Those midfielders   

Sickening... a rest of the world combined wouldnt produce that quality.

Indeed.

It's hard to look past Spain but depends on how free scoring they can be. Possession is fine if you score the goals to go with it. Bayern failed to do this in Europe this season for example.

Having extreme depth in Midfield doesn't necessarily make them favorites... I still think this is Brasil's world cup to lose.

Spain won't win, this tiki-taka nonsense is dying on it's arse.

bluenine wrote:

Luis wrote:

Fey wrote:

Luis wrote:Those midfielders   

Sickening... a rest of the world combined wouldnt produce that quality.

Indeed.

It's hard to look past Spain but depends on how free scoring they can be. Possession is fine if you score the goals to go with it. Bayern failed to do this in Europe this season for example.

Having extreme depth in Midfield doesn't necessarily make them favorites... I still think this is Brasil's world cup to lose.

And now Xavi clearly past his prime. They have a lot of depth for sure, but it will be really hard to replace him.

How are Spain going to line up?

------------Casillas------------

---Azpi-----Ramos-----Pique------Alba

------------Busquets-----Alonso--------

------Silva----------Xavi---------Iniesta------

-------------------Costa------------------

  

yep thats it.

maybe pedro starts for silva given his for with the national team but i doubt it

I'm curious to see the treatment D Costa will receive in his ex-country.

messiah wrote:yep thats it.

maybe pedro starts for silva given his for with the national team but i doubt it

I think Del Bosque likes to use Pedro to change the pace in the second half. Sometimes he starts but I think for the most part it will be Silva starting.

Right back will be interesting. I don't think Azpilicueta is a given. Dani Carvajal is in exceptional form right now and he and Jordi Alba in the team will really help give Spain some pace and width in attack that will help make up for the fact that the rest of the midfield is going to play very narrow.

Deulofeu called up for the friendly against Bolivia. Looks like Del Bosque is gonna leave it until the very last minute to name his 23. A shame because it just goes to show you that Jese really did have a chance if it weren't for the injury.

Navas, Busquets, and Alba are all in danger of missing the WC as well. Good grief, Del Bosque could really have a headache before 2 June.

You can cope without Navas and Busquets you would think. Alba would be a slight blow.

Is Costa going to make it?

Luis wrote:You can cope without Navas and Busquets you would think. Alba would be a slight blow.

Is Costa going to make it?

Busquets is pretty important so either Javi Martinez and Iturraspe would really have to step it up. Alba hasn't been in great form this year so I think Spain could live with Moreno even though he's very inexperienced at the international level. I'm not a fan of Navas personally so if he doesn't make it, it's not a big deal.

Del Bosque is going to wait for Costa until the very last minute. I think it's too big a risk personally. He has to be off for a full 15 days and Spain's first match is in 16. So he will not have trained and obviously be lacking some fitness. And every time he comes back he reinjures the muscle. I would go for Llorente personally.

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas, Pepe Reina, David de Gea

Defenders: Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Raoul Albiol, Javi Martinez, Jordi Alba, Cesar Azpilicueta, Juanfran Torres

Midfielders: Koke, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Cesc Fabregas, Santi Cazorla, Pedro Rodriguez, Juan Mata, David Silva

Strikers: Fernando Torres, David Villa, Diego Costa

best squad my arse, i think germany is up with them, especially in midfield we are the only nation who can competete,

Highly unlikely. Maybe one of the native Spaniards can say better, but I imagine they will start with a team that looks something like this:

Casillas
Azpilicueta-Ramos-Pique-Alba
Alonso-Busquets
Xavi-Iniesta-Silva
Costa

Leaving a substitutes XI of:

Reina/De Gea
Juanfran-Martinez-Albiol
Cazorla-Koke
Pedro-Cesc-Mata
Torres-Villa

Of course that B team would never be picked to play like that, but you really think Germany could field 2 teams as strong as that?

Although if I were Del Bosque, I would play Juanfran over Azpilicueta since Azpilicueta is pretty average going forward, rarely supplying width in attack and with a very narrow midfield, a double pivot and a team who dominate possession, having Juanfran and Alba supply width will make it much more difficult to defend against them (at least both are an improvement on Arbeloa)

S4P wrote:Highly unlikely. Maybe one of the native Spaniards can say better, but I imagine they will start with a team that looks something like this:

Casillas
Azpilicueta-Ramos-Pique-Alba
Alonso-Busquets
Xavi-Iniesta-Silva
Costa

Leaving a substitutes XI of:

Reina/De Gea
Juanfran-Martinez-Albiol
Cazorla-Koke
Pedro-Cesc-Mata
Torres-Villa

Of course that B team would never be picked to play like that, but you really think Germany could field 2 teams as strong as that?

I think that's just about it. My guess is that Juanfran will probably start over Azpilicueta. Azpilicueta is the new Arbeloa - solid defensively, can play on either side as fullback. But for now, I think Del Bosque will stick with Juanfran.

And who really knows about up front. I would not be surprised if Cesc starts as false 9 ahead of any of the forwards, even if Diego Costa is fit.

He might change Silva from time to time and go with Pedro from the start or Koke too. But pretty much what you posted is what you should see.

S4P wrote:Highly unlikely. Maybe one of the native Spaniards can say better, but I imagine they will start with a team that looks something like this:

Casillas
Azpilicueta-Ramos-Pique-Alba
Alonso-Busquets
Xavi-Iniesta-Silva
Costa

Leaving a substitutes XI of:

Reina/De Gea
Juanfran-Martinez-Albiol
Cazorla-Koke
Pedro-Cesc-Mata
Torres-Villa

Of course that B team would never be picked to play like that, but you really think Germany could field 2 teams as strong as that?

of course we could

--------------neuer
lahm-merte-hummels-schmelzer
----schweinsteiger--bender/khedira
müller-------götze-------reus
--------gomez

-----------weidenfeller

großkreutz-boateng-höwedes(ginter)-durm
-----kroos------gündogan
volland/draxler---özil-------schürrle/poldi
------lasogga/klose

ok there are also injured players included (gomez, gündogan), but my point is still valid

Villa & Torres in the Spain squad, does Del Bosque think it's still 2008?

And an unfit Diego Costa, it looks like Spain will be playing with no strikers.

can't believe Torres made the cut, the guy hasn't had any form for 4 years! I mean, jesus...



personally would've found space for Navas 'cause he's a bit of a different kind of plan B threat. or surely Negredo & Llorente much better striking options.

Big.Game.Player

kroos and is dream that germany's midfielders are as good as spains lol

I would have gone with navas for mata/carzola he gives them real with when they need it, later in games and has been effective off the bench.

debaser wrote:can't believe Torres made the cut, the guy hasn't had any form for 4 years! I mean, jesus...



personally would've found space for Navas 'cause he's a bit of a different kind of plan B threat. or surely Negredo & Llorente much better striking options.

Navas is injured, that's why he didn't make it.

Those strikers really let the team down. A past it Villa, an injured Brazillian and Fernando fucking Torres.

Luis wrote:Those strikers really let the team down. A past it Villa, an injured Brazillian and Fernando fucking Torres.

With Torres, at least, he has been the same for years and he has still done ok with the national team. Villa, I don't really see that he has much to offer and I'm 90% sure that Costa will be injured within the first 20 minutes he is on the pitch in Brasil. Personally I would have taken Llorente. It's a shame Negredo fell off the map for City and Jese got injured because otherwise I think both would have been considered. Even a guy like Muniain, at this point, has more to offer than Villa. But Del Bosque is loyal, for better or for worse. Like I said before, I think Cesc will end up being the primary "forward" anyway.

Jaime wrote:

Luis wrote:Those strikers really let the team down. A past it Villa, an injured Brazillian and Fernando fucking Torres.

With Torres, at least, he has been the same for years and he has still done ok with the national team. Villa, I don't really see that he has much to offer and I'm 90% sure that Costa will be injured within the first 20 minutes he is on the pitch in Brasil. Personally I would have taken Llorente. It's a shame Negredo fell off the map for City and Jese got injured because otherwise I think both would have been considered. Even a guy like Muniain, at this point, has more to offer than Villa. But Del Bosque is loyal, for better or for worse. Like I said before, I think Cesc will end up being the primary "forward" anyway.

I am a bit surprised to see Villa over Negredo, tbh. Negredo may have been pushed to the City bench lately due to Dzeko's form, but he is a beast of a striker in his prime. Spain could have done with the option of some muscle upfront. Villa is past it, adds nothing to the squad.

i think del bosque's thinking in not taking llorente/negredo is that, a fit costa pretty much offers the samething they do, a typical 9, but has more up side to his game.

but without navas i think the squad had a lot less variety, i also would have liked to see a player from Bilboa in the squad, just because i think they have been excellent this season.

Really disappointed about Llorente - not only he is a quality player and did well his job when called for NT, but also adjusted well to Serie A, which historically isn't easy place for Spaniards to perform well.

Negredo after his should injury (January?) didn't find back his form, so I am not surprised he was left aside.

Pity about Navas injury, as he - or player in his mould - should be taken in place of Cazorla or Mata.

I've never been a huge Navas fan but he did bring a certain verticality and pace to the side that really does not exist outside of Pedrito. I actually thought that's why Del Bosque called Deulofeu at the last minute as a plan B for Navas but he didn't take him either. But someone like Muniain could have provided that pace and directness in place of Cazorla or Mata (who are basically the same player).

The problem I see with Costa is that he is still very out of place in the Spain team because it plays so very differently to Atletico. Costa is a bully, he doesn't have Llorentes technique and cleverness (if that is a word). And I'm still not convinced he will be fully fit for the WC.

I guess we'll know in a week or so.

I Have a feeling that this world cup, will be the one that iniesta cements his place in the minds of all as a legendary player, because as with the two previous tournaments spain ain't going to win without his genius at key moments in the tournament.

Beyond that the key for DB will be managing xavi or xavi managing himself, has we all now del bosque isn't going to change his team and xavi no longer has the game to play the full 90 minutes in 7 games and his best, like at the previous euros where he was just cruising through doing his job, but little more, until he fucked up the final, like the xavi of old.

if he someone manages to keep xavi fit and fresh for the quarterfinals on wards, teams will have a very difficult time spotting spain.

these two as always with be keep for spain, and one key ramos goal from a header in a big moment.