Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Thursday, 17 January 2013
The Editor’s Blog: Worshipping a False Idol?
The eagle-eyed amongst you will have read TRF’s review of the men’s Olympic football tournament and noticed not one word is given over to the dismal performance of Spain’s youngsters. This was not an oversight on my part – it was such a disappointment that I deemed it worthy of especial attention.
La Roja went into the London Games as favourites for gold and instead they exited at the group stage with a whimper, having failed to even score a goal. If that didn’t bring Spanish football down to earth with a bump after the senior side’s unprecedented success in winning Euro 2012 then nothing will.
Football at the Olympics has its critics, including some of my friends and colleagues. The ‘it’s not the pinnacle of their career’ argument is a very persuasive one, but consider this: Luis Milla’s Spanish selection contained a crop of players that displayed their talents in and en route to the Europa League final last season.
Added to the Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao contingent were the likes of Jordi Alba and Juan Manuel Mata – goalscorers in La Roja’s record win for a European Championship final over Italy on July 1. If there was one other team that on paper looked to be taking the London Games as seriously as Brazil, then it was the Iberians.
Yet, as they sought to emulate their full national team’s dominance, Spain flattered to deceive. The probing we see from Xavi et al was replicated well enough, but not the penetration. It remains mystifying even now how a side with the pace of Iker Muniain and Adrian Lopez in wide areas could produce so little attacking threat.
Vicente Del Bosque certainly seems to have taken notice of the failure. No player that went to the London Games was selected in his latest senior La Roja squad for the friendly with Puerto Rico. Granted, this isn’t a competitive fixture and is against weak opposition, but such matches are usually seized upon by coaches to blood youngsters.
Being ‘rested’ – Euro winners Alba, Mata and Javi Martinez included – is for me very much a back-handed compliment here. The national boss had identified their struggles and only will time will tell if they and the next generation are in the picture for the World Cup qualifiers.
Their Olympic nightmare is by no means terminal for this crop of players that one day will have to take up the mantle from Andres Iniesta, Fernando Torres and company, thanks to the ravages of time if nothing else. What Spain’s inability to follow the senior blueprint in London illustrates is that possession stats do not win football matches alone.
End product and results are all, so the finger can be pointed squarely at the forwards. This Olympic team was not one that had goals coming from midfield; the club form of Isco, Koke and Martinez alone last term was evidence of that. The burden thus fell on the wingers and whoever played in the nominal centre forward role.
Unlike Brazil with Leandro Damiao, there was no goalscorer in La Roja’s team to fire them to a medal. Nor did the frontline’s defensive colleagues let them down. One clean sheet and two narrow 1-0 defeats, one of which the Iberians had to play the second half with ten men, was the best defensive record of any side competing.
Spain’s youngsters have unwittingly taken a backwards step after earning rave reviews for their clubs in Europe over the last year. In spite of this, we will see Alba, Adrian, Mata, Martinez and Muniain, as well as those from the rear-guard’s ranks, in national colours again because they are going to push the golden generation hard over the next few years.
What La Roja may have learned after four years of dominating football at the highest level is some humility, and that might not be such a bad thing. Del Bosque just has to hope this Olympic experience has not scarred the next generation, but rather made the players redouble their efforts to maintain and continue the legacy laid down by their elders.
First published August 13 2012, http://www.thefootballreporter.com/V2/Article/5661/Europa-League-Fernando-Torres-Javi-Martinez-Euro-2012-Andres-Iniesta.aspx
La Roja went into the London Games as favourites for gold and instead they exited at the group stage with a whimper, having failed to even score a goal. If that didn’t bring Spanish football down to earth with a bump after the senior side’s unprecedented success in winning Euro 2012 then nothing will.
Football at the Olympics has its critics, including some of my friends and colleagues. The ‘it’s not the pinnacle of their career’ argument is a very persuasive one, but consider this: Luis Milla’s Spanish selection contained a crop of players that displayed their talents in and en route to the Europa League final last season.
Added to the Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao contingent were the likes of Jordi Alba and Juan Manuel Mata – goalscorers in La Roja’s record win for a European Championship final over Italy on July 1. If there was one other team that on paper looked to be taking the London Games as seriously as Brazil, then it was the Iberians.
Yet, as they sought to emulate their full national team’s dominance, Spain flattered to deceive. The probing we see from Xavi et al was replicated well enough, but not the penetration. It remains mystifying even now how a side with the pace of Iker Muniain and Adrian Lopez in wide areas could produce so little attacking threat.
Vicente Del Bosque certainly seems to have taken notice of the failure. No player that went to the London Games was selected in his latest senior La Roja squad for the friendly with Puerto Rico. Granted, this isn’t a competitive fixture and is against weak opposition, but such matches are usually seized upon by coaches to blood youngsters.
Being ‘rested’ – Euro winners Alba, Mata and Javi Martinez included – is for me very much a back-handed compliment here. The national boss had identified their struggles and only will time will tell if they and the next generation are in the picture for the World Cup qualifiers.
Their Olympic nightmare is by no means terminal for this crop of players that one day will have to take up the mantle from Andres Iniesta, Fernando Torres and company, thanks to the ravages of time if nothing else. What Spain’s inability to follow the senior blueprint in London illustrates is that possession stats do not win football matches alone.
End product and results are all, so the finger can be pointed squarely at the forwards. This Olympic team was not one that had goals coming from midfield; the club form of Isco, Koke and Martinez alone last term was evidence of that. The burden thus fell on the wingers and whoever played in the nominal centre forward role.
Unlike Brazil with Leandro Damiao, there was no goalscorer in La Roja’s team to fire them to a medal. Nor did the frontline’s defensive colleagues let them down. One clean sheet and two narrow 1-0 defeats, one of which the Iberians had to play the second half with ten men, was the best defensive record of any side competing.
Spain’s youngsters have unwittingly taken a backwards step after earning rave reviews for their clubs in Europe over the last year. In spite of this, we will see Alba, Adrian, Mata, Martinez and Muniain, as well as those from the rear-guard’s ranks, in national colours again because they are going to push the golden generation hard over the next few years.
What La Roja may have learned after four years of dominating football at the highest level is some humility, and that might not be such a bad thing. Del Bosque just has to hope this Olympic experience has not scarred the next generation, but rather made the players redouble their efforts to maintain and continue the legacy laid down by their elders.
First published August 13 2012, http://www.thefootballreporter.com/V2/Article/5661/Europa-League-Fernando-Torres-Javi-Martinez-Euro-2012-Andres-Iniesta.aspx
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