Confederations Cup Profiles: Spain

Simply the best.

It's been 32 games and nearly that many months since the Spaniards lost a football match. In that time, they've won their first international tournament since the 1964 European Cup (which they hosted) and established "La Roja" as a model of attacking, attractive footy. So it's little wonder they enter this spring's Confederations Cup as favorites, and not just speculative or fashion favorites like in the past. Spain in 2009 are the book's pick, the conventional wisdom, currently listed at 6/4 to win a trophy in South Africa.

Fernando Torres, David Villa, Xavi, Sergio Ramos, David Silva, Iker Casillas... what could possibly go wrong??


The Spanish team at Euro 2008 earned its Champagne reputation. They were fun to watch, even as they scratched their way past the killjoy Hun in a tight final. Ask ten fans which player they remember most fondly from that team and five will say Villa (all those early goals), two will pick Xavi (voted best, the maestro), two will say Torres (the cup final winner as a lone striker)... But just one (me!) will say Marcos Senna.


I'm not there.

Yes, Marcos Senna. With a suspect center backs behind him, attack-minded full backs shooting up his flanks, and quick and brilliant but small attacking midfielders playing in his path, Senna was the rock, the guy who let Xavi and Iniesta conjure up their tricks.

How good was he? I mean, Luis Aragones loved him.

But Marcos Senna will not be in South Africa. He's injured, and for that matter, so is Iniesta. Spain have enough playmakers to push on through the Barca man's injury, but one has to wonder if they have the metal to replace Senna. Neither Busquets-- a good ball-winner, but young-- or Xabi Alonso can play "the Senna role."

That said, they don't need to be as good, or play the exact same game to repeat last summer's result. They have some options now. The first possibility is that someone steps up Senna's absence. Not an impossibility, but again, who? Convince me. Another is that they score more goals... kick it around like Barca... the Cruyff Defense. This squad is built to score and with the confidence they're likely to build against the Group A minnows, it could be enough to carry them on their way.

And speaking of.. That draw is of a particular advantage to the Spaniards. Their group includes Iraq, New Zealand, and hosts South Africa, who'll likely be eliminated from a semi-final place by the time the teams meet on June 20, in the final group match.

Managing it all is Vicente del Bosque, a quiet fella who knows how to handle supreme talent, as evidenced by his supreme results with Real Madrid galacticos teams from 1999-2003. Del Bosque has brought his "A" team to Africa, and given Spain's recent run of international success-- the Euros, then Barca-- you have to think they are serious about keeping the streak alive.

Prediction: An easy first round draw sees Spain matched up with the second seed in Group B, which I think will be a surprise Egypt or USMNT. No matter, it will be on to the final and a matchup with... Italia! And like in Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadion a year ago, the Spaniards will prevail.

More predictions from the UF squad later in the day.

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UF Quick Throw: Lest You Think Real Are Done

There is this fresh from the Guardian. The money quote:

"The answer [from Valencia] was 'no' because negotiations with Real Madrid are very advanced," [Chelsea scout Juan Cruz] Sol said. "So there's no possibility Villa will go to Chelsea because he wants to go to Real Madrid."

It's been a crazy day. We're currently trying to figure out who's out at Madrid and what the starting line-up looks like next season. It's like playing fantasy futbol and it's only crazier if they land David Villa. Our collective thinking in a post tomorrow.

At least it hasn't been a bore waiting for the Confederations Cup to start.

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Hey Look, Financial Difficulties

While Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester Citeh appear to be unaffected by the economic crisis and are connected to just about everybody under the sun as possible transfers, other clubs have not been so lucky. Valencia and Liverpool, two clubs who are no stranger to financial controversy lately suffered another round of finanical embarrassments.

Valencia's well-documented financial struggles have claimed its president, Vicente Soriano. The President had been attempting to sell the land under the Mestalla Stadium to help finance the club's move to a new stadium. This will do nothing but stoke the transfer rumors regarding David Villa, David Silva, and Raul Albiol. Villa has been linked to Real, Chelsea, Citeh, Barcelona and comically, Liverpool. Silva and Albiol have been linked to more clubs because their transfer costs will be significantly less than Villa.

I say comically in regards to Liverpool, because it turns out the holding company of LFC has posted losses of £42m . Predictably, the British rags are claiming imminent financial doom for the Kop and the club sources are playing it cool. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Hicks and Gillett have been attempting to refinance the £350m debt they hoisted on the club in its acquistion for some time having received a six-month extension earlier this year that expires in July.

Hicks has been attempting to sell some of his other sports interests and even defaulted on a loan payment for those interests in what is claimed to be a strategic decision. Indian and Middle Eastern interests have been linked to purchasing either the entire club or a portion thereof. Who knows if it will happen, but Reds fans would welcome either so long as it stabilizes the situation.

All of this turmoil certainly will not help Rafa Benitez's transfer policies. Rafa probably doesn't have much kitty at this point to acquire his targets and will need to sell assets to get what he wants. The same situation as last summer which caused the transfer sagas to draw out for the entire summer. Not a situation any party wants to recreate as it adds to stress and hampers the negotiation power of the club.

So, all in all, it is more of the same. Expect rumors of Valencia player transfers to fly all summer as the club tries to wring every last dollar out of them and Liverpool to struggle to complete transfers. Also, expect lots of clubs to be linked to acquiring Liverpool players because of the financial issues.

Fun times.

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Quick Throw: David Villa to Chelsea, or not?

Anatomy of a Transfer Rumor: because a lot can happen in 3 hours.

Friday morning, EARLY: Chelsea prep a 45 million pound bid for David Villa. [Guardian Sport]

Friday, 5.37am: No, sorry... Chelsea prepare 40 million pound bid for David Villa. [Daily Mail]

Friday, 6.42am: David Villa is adamant that he doesn't want to leave Valencia for Chelsea, but he'll be ready to discuss his future should a suitable bid come in for his services. [Guardian Sport]

Friday, 8.10am: David Villa says he wants to see out his crazy contract at Valencia. [Daily Mail]


In less than 150 minutes (or roughly the time it takes for Alex Ferguson to complete a regeneration in his wicked biochamber that's fueled by the souls of children), you damn journos have messed with the hearts of middle-class Chelsea fans everywhere.

For shame, Daily Mail and Guardian. Foooooorrrr shaaaaame.

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Euro Trash Day 4: "In Villa we trust"

What an afternoon.

Having managed to finagle enough time at lunch to watch The Torres n' Villa Show, I've discovered that I have a rather unhappy knack of leaving the TV area some 20 seconds before or after a goal. Rushing round the office floor, I'd get into Hirshey's office just in time to see the goal celebrations and slow-mo replay, or I'd leave to go back to work right before a moment of brilliance.

This was confirmed during the late game, as I missed Ibrahimovic's wonder strike and Hansson's bundle of joy by a matter of moments.

Still, we were treated to 100 minutes of quality football (there were about 8 minutes of compelling football in the Greece/Sweden match) and we've barely gotten into the tournament schedule.

ESPN must be thanking its lucky stars.

Also thankful: Valencia, who must have watched in glee as Villa's sublime hat-trick added about 6-8 million pounds to his eventual transfer fee.

Without further ado:

Spain 4 (Villa 20", 45", 75", Fabregas 90")
Russia 1 (Pavlyuchenko 86")

Champagne football in places from the Spaniards, although enough questions were asked of their defense to keep the other contenders sleeping easy this evening.

The Russians, led by the grim efficiency of Guus Hiddink, were up for the challenge, but Spain were simply brilliant on the counter, and made the most of their chances.

I particularly loved Torres' unselfishness to slide a certain goal-bound shot to his teammate Villa for the first goal, outhustling Denis Kolodin and squaring the ball for a routine tap-in.

It was a total team performance by Spain, although the Russians were unlucky to walk away with such a dismal scoreline. They played open, positive football and created several chances with their pace and tireless workrate. Pavlyushenko was a menace up front despite being tactically isolated by Guus in that f*cking 4-5-1 formation, and he deserved his goal. Zyryanov was unlucky not to equalize at 1-1 as his sharp shot rattled back off Casillas' post, and Bilyaletdinov had his moments.

However, Spain deserved their honors, but given the general style of play in the late match, Hiddink will not be concerned about having to play catch-up with his focused Russian squad.

Greece 0
Sweden 2 (Ibrahimovic 67", Hansson 73")

What an awful fucking match. I'd have rather watched Derby County v. Sunderland instead of this mess. Greece sauntered into the tournament with the same deadlock, unimaginative tactics that snoozed them to victory in 2004, and this time, thank the heavens above, it was punished by a plucky, persistent Swedish squad that's equally awful to watch.

Aside from Ibrahimovic, a man not known for his pedigree in the biggest occasions, there aren't many household names amid the lineup. Instead, just a few bearded blue-eyed, blond-haired workhorses who simply wouldn't quit.

Considering the tone of the first half, it became abundantly clear that it would require a flash of brilliance to shake the game to life, and Zlatan undoubtedly provided that with his snapshot from Larsson's return pass. The second goal was embarrassing as a goalline scramble left Hansson to chest the ball across the line.

Greece were shit, and deserved to lose. I am so thankful that their lack of creativity was finally exposed, although if Zlatan had caught that ball a fraction of a second later, we could have been staring down the barrel of our second 0-0 bore draw.

Unfortunately, in every tournament, you have teams just there to make up the numbers. Normally, my England side fulfills that role nicely, but in this group, Greece and Sweden are serious pretenders. I'd throw Austria in the mix, but at least they're expending the energy of co-hosting this fucking thing. What did Greece bring with them? Five o'clock shadows and cases of ouzo?

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Euro Trash roundup:

First Austrian to score in Euro '08 gets a lifetime's supply of beer [Soccernet]
Modric to miss the next match with a hurt achilles? [TSN]
Emre out for Turkey in crucial match against Switzerland [Soccernet]
England is playing a role in Euro '08, although God, I wish they weren't [AdFreak]
The Euro '08 All-WAG XI.... simply brilliant [The Spoiler]

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