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Spain Camp Focus - Winning all that matters for Arbeloa
You may have read a thing or two about the excellent football that Spain are capable of playing in the build up to their first match at the 2010 World Cup, not least on these pages. You may have seen the bewildering levels of skill that the Euro 2008 winners can produce, the endless carousel of passing, the deadly finishing, the strong defending, but perhaps what is most remarkable about this current Spanish team is that they know how good they are, and they do not seem to care.
“Hopefully there will be good football during the World Cup and not only ours,” says an understated, dismissive Alvaro Arbeloa. “We will play our game, which fortunately usually produces good football that the fans like. The only responsibility we have is to go for the victory. Spain go for the victory by playing good football.” Simple as that. Spain are good enough to blow everyone away at this World Cup, they know it, and they are not bothered about it. Real Madrid’s Arbeloa, and his 22 compatriots in the Spanish squad will enter this World Cup as heavy favourites when they walk out against Switzerland in Durban on Wednesday afternoon, yet the pressure and the heavy weight of that tag doesn’t seem to be bothering them despite the concerns of Wigan Athletic’s Spanish boss Roberto Martinez, who this week said: “Spain’s big problem will be coping with the mental side of being favourites. They know they are the best team in the world. What they have to do is live with that expectation.”
They are doing, and perhaps Arbeloa’s blasé attitude should nt come as a surprise. When the full-back settles down with the squad at Spain’s training base in Potchefstroom, he will be surrounded by some of the world’s greatest footballers. To his left will be Barcelona’s new £34m striker David Villa, and Villa’s new team-mates Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Pedro, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique, while to his right he will see his old Liverpool colleague Fernando Torres, and current Real Madrid team-mates Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso - enough to make anyone feel confident. Whether that confidence will be well-placed remains to be seen, with Wednesday afternoon offering all the answers to the questions that the world have been asking of this Spanish team, but it might not offer the answers to the questions about the fitness of a couple of their key players.
Torres and Iniesta remain extremely doubtful for the Switzerland game, with the former still struggling with the knee injury that curtailed his Liverpool season in early April, and the latter picking up a thigh strain during the 6-0 friendly victory over Poland last week, although coach Vicente del Bosque has spoken of his belief that the midfielder will be fit enough to play. Both have been training away from the rest of the squad in a bit to make the game in Durban, and many have been urging del Bosque to err on the side of caution and choose to omit both players in order to preserve them for later in the competition, the Switzerland match is - should everything go to del Bosque’s plan - only the first of Spain’s seven matches in the tournament anyway.
As for the game itself, well it might be the understatement of the year to mention that the Spanish will be heavy favourites, but they would be wise not to underestimate the Swiss, who were impressive in qualifying, bouncing back from a shocking early loss at home to Luxembourg to remain unbeaten for the remainder of their campaign and finish top of their group. In Alexander Frei and Blaise N’kufo they have two experienced strikers who could cause the Spanish problems - providing that Frei overcomes his aversion to tournament football, a trait that has seen him sustain serious injuries and earn a ban for spitting at England’s Steven Gerrard during summer showpiece events.
If he keeps his discipline then the Spanish defence could well come under pressure, but there is no doubt that most of the action will be down at the other end, regardless of the availability or otherwise of Torres and Iniesta. The eyes of the world will be on Spain as the favourites get their tournament underway, after all of the other sides fancied to do well will have played. Victory, and a convincing one at that, is widely expected for the Spanish, but they just want to win, regardless of how they do it. Arbeloa’s words should serve as a warning.
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