Spain - the best team in the world?

[cwy21]

If they go to South America and win the World Cup then that will be an epic statement.

 

[SugarRay]

They won't win in 2014. Will be a great statement if they do though as you say.

The winner of 2014 will come from one of three teams. Argies, Brazil or Uruguay.

 

[haxman]

They won't win in 2014. Will be a great statement if they do though as you say.

The winner of 2014 will come from one of three teams. Argies, Brazil or Uruguay.

Why not? Argentina or Brazil haven't set the world on fire of late and Spain are a better side than either. Argentina always find a way to choke and Brazil aren't anywhere near the team they used to be. Uruguay had a good last world cup, can they repeat it? Not so sure.

 

[SugarRay]

Still two years away. Argentina have all the ingredients and all it takes is for Messi to click. Brazil are a work in progress, have some decent players and home advantage is huge.

Anything that takes place in South America seemingly means Uruguay have a shot! Check out their Copa America record. Have some good players there too.

Chances are Xavi could be on his way out by then too, and he is the heartbeat of the side.

Maybe I should have said I don't think they will win it in 2014.

 

[Blake Griffin]

This isn't sarcasm or a trick question, but what would you like them to do to be less boring ?

play with more intent like last night, rather than passing the opposition and the viewing public into a coma.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

play with more intent like last night, rather than passing the opposition and the viewing public into a coma.

But usually this is because the opposition sit back and force them to be less direct. You think they have a pre match discussion where they decide some nights to just bore the fuck our of the audience ?

Italy attacked them last night and had nearly as much ball as Spain. It made for a better game, especially when Italy had to try and attack with 10 men. But many teams will do what teams try to do (like Chelsea) to Barca and concentrate 99.9% of their efforts into defending and limiting Spain to playing where they think they can do less damage. Sitting very deep and not allowing balls in behind.
It's not like Spain/Barca have a pre match meeting and decide to bore the fuck our of everyone, just to vary it.

 

[Blake Griffin]

no matter the opposition i find the style of play boring. it's great football, excellent in fact, but for me it's not exciting. i can't get excited by a move that takes 50 passes and 5 minutes before they attempt a meaningful ball, yesterday was better but it's not going to have me on the edge of my seat any time soon. spurs(when in full flow) and madrid do it for me, spain don't.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

So it's not the amount of goals a team scores or chances they create, you just prefer a team to have less of the ball during the 90 minutes ?

 

[Bus-Conductor]

So it's not the amount of goals a team scores or chances they create, you just prefer a team to have less of the ball during the 90 minutes ?

 

[Blake Griffin]

not for me no. amount of goals aren't all that important, obviously some goals would be nice but a team that scores 100 goals isn't automatically more exciting to watch than one that scores 50, possession doesn't come into it either. why do i get the feeling that you think i'm saying it's better football? better and exciting aren't the same ... my ideal game to watch as a viewer would be an end-to-end game between two sides attacking at pace with players that are willing to actually run at and attack their opponents. passing and probing and waiting for an opening is all well and good, i respect it, a team that dominates the ball will win a lot of the time but i don't find it a riveting watch, you seem to be unwilling to accept that for some reason.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

But Madrid aren't set up to allow end to end football ?

 

[Blake Griffin]

have you watched their games? all but the games against barca are incredibly open. they allow other teams to come onto them so they can tear them apart on the break, but even if the other team is sitting back i like that they move the ball quickly, move it wide and have players that will run at, attack and attempt to beat their opponents, this kind of player is being phased out of the game in favour of pass and movers, i know you don't like lennon and you criticise bale a lot but they are two of a dying breed in football at the moment. their style may well not lead to results as compared to the spanish and other players of their style, but i find them a hell of a lot more exciting to watch.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

have you watched their games? all but the games against barca are incredibly open. they allow other teams to come onto them so they can tear them apart on the break, but even if the other team is sitting back i like that they move the ball quickly, move it wide and have players that will run at, attack and attempt to beat their opponents, this kind of player is being phased out of the game in favour of pass and movers, i know you don't like lennon and you criticise bale a lot but they are two of a dying breed in football at the moment. their style may well not lead to results as compared to the spanish and other players of their style, but i find them a hell of a lot more exciting to watch.

Messi doesn't run at opponents ? Danny Alves ? (re Barca not Spain obviously). Navas for Spain ? I've watched plenty of Madrid and they often dominate possession - I would guess after Barca they probably have more possession than any other team in Spain. (I've actually just checked this and is a fact). They do score more break goals without a doubt (edit checked: 15 to Barca's 6), and I'm sure Mourinho has this drilled but I'm also sure that part of this is just a simple by-product of not having as much possession as Barca (which prevents break away goals by it's nature).

I understand you preferring to watch Madrid or Germany etc. Depending on the opposition (of Barca or Spain) I sometimes do too, just because watching a more even, if a little less technically perfect, game is sometimes more entertaining than the supremely well oiled Spaniards/Barca going through their slick motions against an obdurate opponent. But I am one of those warped fuckers that can also get off on tight, technical tussles with virtually no goal mouth action.

Spurs though ? The breaks too often flowed the wrong way IMO.

 

[Ndombers]

Alright heres the plan lads, were going to bore the fucking wits out of our opponents.

If every team played like Spain Id start watcing cricket

 

[mil1lion]

I thought Spain were excellent last night. They played at a higher tempo with a lot more urgency. Thats what I love to see out of Spain. I particularly like when they have extra pace in the final 3rd with the likes of Pedro and Navas.

Spain approached the tournament very well. They understand that they can't play at the high tempo they played last night from day one. They're very clever with their play, keeping the ball and doing just enough to win games. They up the tempo when they need to but they play within themselves as much as they can get away with it. Then when the final comes they go all out.

Sometimes people don't appreciate just how difficult it is to compete in a 3 week tournament. Especially when you consider how many games the Madrid and Barca players have played all season. They also had their best striker out injured along with one of their most accomplished leaders at centre back.

I think at full flow Spain are the best nation in the world, but I think Barca are the best team period because of Messi. They both play with such intelligence, interchange positions and work so hard to retrieve the ball. Often times the opposition are to blame for it not being a more even contest though because they don't get in their faces enough.

 

[Kingstheman]

Alright heres the plan lads, were going to bore the fucking wits out of our opponents.

If every team played like Spain Id start watcing cricket

I think I know where people are coming from.

A team winning every game following a dogmatic approach - albeit a purist's dogma.

 

[chinaman]

They waltz around with the ball and suddenly make a burst; that's the most lethal weapon. In England, everyone is huffing and puffing all the time and they can't find that extra burst of speed when needed.

 

[tototoner]

I cannot believe some people are saying the Brazil 1970 team could give them a game, aren't they all over 70 now

 

[SlickMongoose]

They waltz around with the ball and suddenly make a burst; that's the most lethal weapon. In England, everyone is huffing and puffing all the time and they can't find that extra burst of speed when needed.

It was noticable how Pirlo tended to get tired in his games, except against England. The commentators kept going on about how Pirlo was going to get knackered any...minute...now.... - but England were doing all the running around and getting tired. The Italians could have gone on all day.

 

[SlickMongoose]

Tom Carroll said it best:

Spain are unbelievableeee! but there boring right?? anyone who's said that slap themselves now...