Spaniards Abroad: David Villa.

Spaniards Abroad: David Villa. The Night David Villa came to Saint Petersburg, Florida.

David Villa is a Spanish football legend. His accomplishments for club and country are exceptional. A winner with four different clubs along with a European and World Cup medal with Spain, David Villa has had a marvelous career. He is now in the twilight of his legendary playing career here in the United States with New York MLS side, NYCFC.

When I learned that David Villa would be playing with his club at a friendly in my hometown in Florida, I did not have to think twice about going. On February 17, 2016, NYCFC faced Montreal Impact in Saint Petersburg, Florida. The venue was Al Lang stadium, home of the NASL side, Tampa Bay Rowdies.

The grounds of Al Lang stadium used to host baseball games since 1923 and underwent many renovations and changes throughout the years. However, it became the home of the Tampa Bay Rowdies a few years ago and underwent a major facelift in late 2014 to become a soccer only stadium. It is a quaint stadium that seats over 7,000 fans and on this night, would be hosting David Villa.

It was a pleasant evening with a nice cool breeze blowing from the marina located next to the stadium. The fans were diverse in their allegiance with some there to see David Villa, some to see Andrea Pirlo while others were there for Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba. For this Cule, David Villa was the main attraction.

David Villa hails from the Asturias region located at the northern tip of Spain. He joins the small list of players from that region who would go on to play for Barça; Quini and Luis Enrique. Just like those two Barça legends, David would feature for Sporting Gijon. He made his debut in 2001, when Sporting were in the second division, and after two impressive seasons, he was sold for €2.7m to Real Zaragoza. His debut with Zaragoza was around the same time FC Barcelona had just elected Joan Laporta as club president and helped usher in the new era for the Blaugrana. That same season, David Villa won his first major club trophy when Zaragoza defeated Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey Final. He had scored from the spot to give his side the lead before halftime. The Final was held in Barcelona, at Espanyol’s old stadium, the Montjuïc so Cules took notice of this young scorer. He later earned his first cap for Spain in 2005 under Luis Aragones.

After two seasons with Zaragoza, he was sold to Valencia for €12 m. He managed to score 28 goals in all competitions, 25 of them coming in the league, in his debut season. That strong performance earned him a spot in Spain’s 2006 World Cup roster where he would go on to score three goals. He won his second Copa del Rey trophy in 2008 when Valencia defeated Getafe in the Final, while scoring against FC Barcelona in the Semi-Finals at the Camp Nou.

That summer of 2008 would be special as Luis Aragones did not include Raul in his Euro 2008 roster, thus allowing David Villa to become the new Spanish number 7. It was a controversial decision that was soon forgotten when Spain finally ended their long wait of winning a major international trophy by defeating Germany in Euro 2008 Final. He scored four memorable goals in the tournament but missed the Final after suffering an injury in the Semi-Finals against Russia. Two years later, he would help steer Spain to World Cup glory over Holland in World Cup 2010 by scoring five of Spain’s eight goals in the tournament.

Barça had attempted to pry him away from Valencia in 2009 with Real Madrid hot on his heels. Ultimately, the transfer never went through but Barça managed to sign him a year later, just before president Laporta’s tenure concluded. David, Messi and Pedro formed the “MVP” trident scored 98 goals, with David scoring 23 goals in all competitions, including a memorable brace in the 5-0 win over Real Madrid, which helped the club win the league title and their fourth Champions League title with David scoring a spectacular goal in the final against Manchester United at Wembley. It was during his first season with Barça that Villa also surpassed Raul to become Spain’s all-time goal scoring leader.

His second season with the club saw him suffer a broken tibia during the FIFA Club World Cup and cause him to miss the second half of the 2011-2012 season and Euro 2012 with Spain. His third and final season at the club would see him score 16 goals in all competitions as he had to fight Alexis, Tello and Pedro for minutes. He would then be sold to Atlético Madrid for €5.1 m where he would go on to score 15 goals in all competitions and help Atlético win the league title, at the Camp Nou against Barça, and play in the Champions League Final where his side fell to their derby rivals Real Madrid.

He would represent Spain one final time during in their dreadful 2014 World Cup campaign. David indicated that this was going to be his final appearance for La Roja. He would score his 59th and final goal for Spain in their final group match against Australia. It was not the fitting end that many had wished for one of the greatest Spanish players ever.

Many, including myself were surprised to see Villa leave La Liga for the MLS after his lone season with Atlético. He was going to cross the Atlantic and play for the new MLS club in New York, NYCFC. Prior to joining his new club, he had to travel all the way to Australia for a short loan spell with Melbourne City and then headed back to New York. His was the club’s first ever captain during NYCFC’s inaugural season in MLS that saw him score 18 goals. Although that was an impressive tally, his club though failed to qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs.

So here he was, David Villa, in my hometown in Florida. NYCFC were part of the teams taking part in the Rowdies’s Suncoast Invitational along other MLS teams as they prepare for their upcoming season. While I watched him warm up with Pirlo and the rest of the team, I managed to chat with an older gentleman from the Asturias region who happened to live in the area. Just like me, he came to see Villa. Villa hasn’t changed much in appearance from when he signed with Barça. He rocks has the same haircut and soul patch that we have accustomed to seeing over the years. What was I noticed was different was that, for once, Villa looked fit during warm-ups and did not resemble the player we had seen these past few seasons in Spain who appeared in pain and sluggish while recovering from injuries.

I took my seat near the field without knowing what to expect from David Villa. Was I going to see a David Villa treating this friendly without interest as he nears retirement? Any doubts towards his professionalism were quickly put to rest when, early into the match, he showed that he still had his powerful shot after he tested the Montreal keeper from distance. In the 20th minute, Villa showed that he still had his pace when he managed to chest the ball down before bursting towards the goal with the ball at his feet. His attempt was wide, but flashbacks came flowing back to his Valencia and Blaugrana playing days. Nevertheless, he showed scent for the goal like a shark that smelt blood. He came close to scoring in the 31st minute when Pirlo delivered a free kick from just outside the box to him but Villa’s effort struck the crossbar.

Villa would start the second half and in the 54th minute, Pirlo whipped a pass into the box, and Villda headed the ball to down to his teammate Diskerud, but his effort was stopped by the Montreal keeper. A few minutes later, Villa had a chance to score from close range but mishit the ball and the keeper had an easy save to make. In the 63rd minute, after a short corner kick, Villa had another attempt from outside the box but was off target.

David Villa’s night came to an end in the 68th minute. He gave Pirlo the captain’s armband and headed for the bench while receiving a warm embrace from his manager, Patrick Vieira and a nice round of applause from the fans in attendance. I was in a state of disbelief that David Villa actually played in my hometown and he did not disappoint.

I have to admit that I was impressed by both, David and Pirlo’s attitude on the pitch. Many might assume that these world class players came to the U.S. to cash it in and take it easy. You cannot make that assumption about these two. Both were leading the charge and demanding the ball from their teammates and urging them on. Their competitive fire still burns and they expect the same from their teammates.

After the game ended, the fans started to leave the small but lovely stadium of the Tampa Bay Rowdies. He made his way to some fans and signed some autographs before heading off to the locker room. I waited outside the stadium to get one final glimpse of David Villa as he was the first player to board the team bus. The legendary Spanish player was leaving my hometown and he still looked like he still had something to offer to the football world. The fans in New York are sure lucky to have him.

Vicente del Bosque’s Possible Successors.

With Vicente del Bosque set to step down from the Spanish national team after Euro 2016, the choice of his successor is still up in the air.

Today, Spain and Holland renewed acquaintances for the first time since the 5-1 drubbing the Oranje gave La Roja in Brazil during their opening World Cup match. Many thought that Vicente del Bosque would step down after that disappointing World Cup where the defending champions exited without qualifying from the group stage. However, the man with the recognizable moustache was still the man in charge of qualifying Spain for the upcoming Euro 2016 and was in the dugout for Spain’s friendly against Holland.

So who are the candidates to become Vicente del Bosque’s Possible Successor?

Michel

The former Madrid player comes from the same pedigree as del Bosque. He came through the ranks at Real Madrid academy and represented club and country. Just like del Bosque, he also managed Madrid at the youth level before making the leap to manage Getafe and Sevilla and Olympiakos in Greece. He found some success with the Greek side by winning back to back league titles and getting them to advance to the knockout stage in last season’s Champions League where they won the first leg against Manchester United at home before being crashing out following a loss in the second leg at Old Trafford. Michel is currently unemployed after his contract was terminated in January.

Pros: He is available and fits the profile with his background as a player for Madrid and his coaching stints.

Cons: Just not good enough to be in charge of the Spanish team.

Julen Lopetegui

Julen is one of the few players to have played for both Barça and Madrid, as a backup goalkeeper. He also came through the ranks at Real Madrid’s academy. His coaching experience consists of a brief tenure with Rayo Vallecano followed by coaching at the youth level with Real Madrid. However, he had great success managing the Spanish national youth teams. He coached Spain to the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2012 and followed it up with a UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2013. He became Porto’s manager this season and succeeded in guiding the Portuguese club to the Champions League Quarter-Finals where his side will face Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich.

Pros: His experience and success with Spain’s youth national teams makes him ideal to take over from Del Bosque. Some of those players he managed such as Alcácer, Jesé, Deulofeu, Bernat, de Gea, Bartra, Iñigo Martínez, Koke, Thiago, and Isco are just to name a few. Most of those players are or should be featuring for the national team now so why not have him coach them again.

Cons: Is he ready for this level? At this moment, he is only concerned with managing Porto and is doing well with Porto who are three points behind Benfica in second place in the Portuguese Primeira Liga and has his side in the Champions League Quarter-Finals. However, will there be hesitation by the Spanish Football Federation to go down that road and appoint him after what happened with Iñaki Sáez? Sáez did well with the youth level but was a disaster with the senior team during Euro 2004.

Guardiola

The man does need an introduction. He has found success with Barça B, FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich. His teams are known for playing a great style of football and a few of his players, young and old, are still part of the national team set up,. His contract with Bayern Munich also concludes in 2016 so he would be available for the job when del Bosque steps down.

Pros: He is considered one of the greatest managers of the century and it would be absurd not to consider him for the job. The style of football would not be a complete transformation of what he likes his teams to play. He is also not hesitant to play some of the younger players that del Bosque seems to neglect and will tinker with the tactics to suit the team’s needs.

Cons: Does he want the job? He seems interested in managing in the Premier League and perhaps both Manchester United and City will be available for him. Additionally, since he won when Xavi and Iniesta were at the peak of their careers, some wonder if can he adjust to other midfielders. Finally, there is the political aspect of his hiring. Is Spain ready for a Catalan Spanish national team manager who has voiced his support for Catalan independence?

Paco Jémez

Paco Jémez is one of the gutsiest and impressive managers coaching in Spain right now. The Rayo Vallecano manager is known for his attacking style philosophy where he does not accept playing for a draw. He saw some success as a player with both Deportivo de La Coruña and Real Zaragoza and represented Spain during Euro 2000. Most of his managerial experience has been in the lower divisions. However, one cannot deny the work he has done at the top level with Rayo Vallecano thus far. In his first season at the top flight, his side finished in 8th place, and ahead of Sevilla and Athletic Club, which is remarkable considering the club’s limited budget. Last season, they finished 12th and they are currently 11th in a league that has Barça, Real Madrid, Atlético, Valencia, Sevilla, Athletic, Villarreal, and Real Sociedad battling each other. They might not be contending for any titles but a small club like Rayo Vallecano will also not be fighting a relegation battle anytime soon. One only has to wonder what Jémez would be capable of at a bigger club.

Pros: With some claiming Spain’s playing style is boring, Paco’s gusty swashbuckling style of football would be a pleasure to watch with all the talent that La Roja has. He gets the best out of the talent that he has with Rayo Vallecano so imagine what he could do with Spain. He would be the right type of manager to motivate the Spanish players and its fans.

Cons: His hiring is one for the romantics. It is doubtful that the Spanish Football Federation would appoint someone like Paco Jémez. Additionally, unlike the other candidates, he has not won titles as a player or a manager so would the players listen to him? It is one thing to manage a small club and have players listen to you and another thing to walk into a big club or a national team where the players have won a lot, and more than the manager, and expect to take you seriously.

Rafa Benítez

Rafa Benítez may not have been a great footballer but his managerial career has been impressive for the most part. For most of this young century, Rafa Benítez was considered one of the greatest current managers in the game. He managed to win two league titles with Valencia and a UEFA Cup. He then took Liverpool to two Champions League Finals, winning one of them and won an FA Cup along with the UEFA Super Cup and the Community Shield. However, his career has been in a decline since 2009 where he was let go by Liverpool after finishing 7th in the Premier League. He had a short stint with Inter and won a few cups there and then won the Europa League with Chelsea. He is currently managing Napoli where he has already won the Italian Cup and Super Cup. He started out as a player with the Madrid youth teams and after he retired as a player, he coached Real Madrid Castilla in the mid 90’s and even temporarily served as Vicente del Bosque’s assistant when the latter was appointed as an interim manager following the sacking of Benito Floro during the 1993-1994 season. He found it hard to get going as a manager following coaching stints with Valladolid, Osasuna before finding some success in guiding Extremadura to promotion to La Liga before they were relegated after one season. He then helped guide Tenerife gain promotion which is when Valencia nabbed him to be their new manager and the rest is history.

Pros: His resume speaks for itself. Benítez’s profile matches the same sort of profile of del Bosque regarding his background with Real Madrid, league titles in Spain, a Champions League title and other titles in his career. His deal with Napoli expires after this season and there is talk he might extend his stay at Napoli. He could extend his stay for another season which would coincide with the Spain position being available.

Cons: Realistically, he’s Rafa Benítez. His style of play is considered too defensive and too dull, with former Real Madrid legend Valdano calling it, in a censored way, “poop on a stick.” Furthermore, his magic seems to have run out after that Champions League Final loss to Milan. The fact that Napoli are not fighting for the Italian league title is disappointing seeing as the quality of the rivals in Serie A have dipped and he has failed to take advantage of that.

My final prediction? I have a feeling that when Vicente del Bosque steps down, Spain’s next manager will be… Rafa Benítez. I can’t see the Spanish Football Federation going for the other candidates unless Benítez declines the position. However, I can’t see Benítez declining this position. By this time next year, we will know more on who will be the successor. Spain better choose wisely or risk more disappointments and regression after all that they have accomplished. By the way, Spain lost to Holland 2-0, which is not a good result for del Bosque. The fact that it was a friendly should not change the fact that the results have been disappointing since the summer of 2014 and his successor will have to figure out how to lead this team back to glory. The Spanish Football Federation better choose wisely.

Is it time to end the Diego Costa Experiment?

With only a handful of matches with the Spanish national team, is it time for Vicente Del Bosque to end the Diego Costa experiment? There clearly is a clash of styles and one has to wonder if Costa’ presence is a hindrance on the team as they plan on getting over their recent World Cup fiasco.

Diego Costa is a dangerous forward that many teams would be lucky to have. He commands the attention of opposing team defenders and is the type of player you would rather have on your team than face. In other words, you’d hate him if he was on any other team except your own. Nevertheless, it seems that Spain and Diego Costa are not hitting on all cylinders which is perhaps a sign that this experiment was not meant to be.

Diego Costa’s inclusion to the Spanish national team prior to the 2014 World Cup seemed like a masterstroke by Del Bosque. He managed to obtain the services of one of the most dangerous forwards in the game and at the time same, deprive a contender of his services. One has to wonder what might have happened if that was Diego Costa out there, and not Fred, playing for Brazil this past summer. However, one team’s loss was not another team’s gain.

Diego Costa, along with many other players representing Spain, suffered a grueling a domestic campaign that saw Atlético Madrid capture the league title and make it to the Champions League final. However, Diego Costa was forced to leave the pitch in two pivotal matches at the end of the season, very early into the game, because of injuries. It was no surprise that he was a non-factor for Spain at the World Cup afterwards. Yet, watching Costa play for Spain is like putting a square peg in a round hole.

As I indicated before, he has played a handful of matches for Spain. However, in the five matches he has played he has failed to score and quite frankly offer anything. To be fair, Diego Costa did indicate that he needs to adapt to the team’s style.  Del Bosque also indicated that the team must connect with him.  However, that train of thought is hurting Spain’s progress from their recent World Cup fiasco.

Diego Costa is a dangerous forward as evidenced by his four goals already with Chelsea in just three matches. He has shined under Diego Simeone and is likely to do well for Chelsea under Jose Mourinho. However, those two managers are known for relying on a style of football that is quite the contrast that Spain has relied on over the years. The two styles cannot mesh together and deliver a beautiful product.

Thus, it’s time for Del Bosque to admit defeat and pull the plug on this experiment.  He does not have to drop Costa off the team but perhaps he can bring him on as a plan B substitute much like he used Llorente against Portugal in World Cup 2010. Speaking of Llorente, what happened to him and why does Del Bosque not even call him anymore is another mystery in itself.  One mystery at a time, but the solution to what’s ailing Spain was shown in their victory over Macedonia.

Spain just needs to go back to basics and rely on players who can move around the pitch in a way that gets teams dizzy. False number nine or not, their style is only suited for those who can adapt to it. Diego Costa’s style is more suitable for the direct approach which clashes with this style and hence it cannot work. Even though Metallica managed to make heavy metal and symphony orchestra work, you cannot expect it to work all the time. That is why Del Bosque needs to do away with the Diego Costa experiment and stick with what made this team successful in the first without experimenting.

Spain have been Defeated but not Beaten.

World Cup 2014 was a train wreck for La Roja. The defending champions were embarrassed by Holland in the opening match and never recovered from that sucker punch that knocked the wind out of their sails and saw them exit the World Cup after just 3 matches. Many were ready to announce La Roja’s era was over however those talks are premature. Spain has been defeated but not beaten and the talented youth players for Spain ensure a bright future for La Roja.

 All good things must come to an end and Spain’s run came to a grinding halt in Brazil. Losses to Holland and Chile brought down the curtains on any chance of Spain repeating as World Cup champion.  I had previously written that history was not on Spain’s side and sure enough, Spain became the third consecutive European World Cup champion to crash out of the World Cup during the group stages while they attempted to defend their crown.

France won the World Cup in 1998 and crashed out in 2002 World Cup group stages while Italy won the World Cup in 2006 and crashed out in 2010 in similar fashion. Italy would pull off an encore performance in this recent World Cup, while France would get back in the World Cup Final in 2006. World Cup 2018 will be Spain’s opportunity to rebound with a strong showing like France did in 2006 or fall flat on their face and revert back to their disappointing selves we had seen prior to 2008.

Since Del Bosque will remain in charge for Euro 2016, it’s time for him to start the new project with the talented youth he has available. The days of Xavi, Torres, Villa and others is over and it’s time to focus on the likes of Thiago, Jesé, Isco, Deulofeu, Koke , De Gea, Bartra and others to supplement the veterans still representing Spain. The talent is there and Del Bosque didn’t suddenly forget how to manage a team, just made some glaring mistakes in terms who he called up and who he started. I still can’t understand him omitting Fernando Llorente.

His faith in the veterans backfired after an entertaining but grueling Spanish league season that left many players hurt or exhausted for the World Cup. Now, he will have the chance to make amends for that mistake if he does not squander the talented players available present. Not many managers get a to stick around after an embarrassing exit which is why Del Bosque better make the most out of the talent he has available. The talent is still absurd and he has the right ingredients for another competitive team; just as long as he chooses wisely his ingredients.

Copa del Rey needs a makeover.

Yet another Copa del Rey final will be upon us that will feature El Clásico rivals, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. However, this will not be about these teams going at it again. Unless you have been living under a rock for the past 25 years, everyone knows more than enough about this rivalry. Yet, it seems that the RFEF still manages the Copa del Rey without caring for its domestic and international audience. It is such a shame that a historic competition is still run in such an incompetent manner.

Some of the biggest problems plaguing this competition are on display in the stands where attendance keeps dwindling. The interest in this competition seems to be decreasing because of the late kick offs and the minute chance that a small club will win this competition, let alone reach the final. Furthermore, the Copa needs to solve the issue of organizing the final with a venue and date already set in place.

The lack of fans in the stands this year was very discouraging. Copa del Rey is a historic cup for Barça, who are the all-time winning side of this competition, yet, the Camp Nou was hardly packed. It sure didn’t help that kick off was on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings at 10 PM. Other teams had late night kick offs too which is never a great idea for a midweek game. It’s pretty obvious what will happen when fans have the option of watching the game from the comfort of their home, or from the comfort of their bed with some of these late kick offs, or going to the game. They are most likely going to stay home and watch the game. Hence, RFEF needs to ensure the games kick off at a reasonable time of day since they will not pre-empt weekends for it or change to the format to a single leg competition like the FA Cup.

Speaking of the FA Cup, perhaps RFEF should look at the FA Cup’s blueprint and change the rules regarding the pairings for each round. Currently, Copa del Rey has starts off with random draws for each round until the competition goes down to 32 teams. The draw then allows us to know which teams will face each other all the way to the final. That basically can let fans know whether their club has a chance to make it to the final. RFEF should follow the FA Cup’s blueprint and have random draws for each round without any seedings to stop protecting the big clubs from facing one another early on. That would generate more interest for the fans and keep it unpredictable. Sure, the Clásico cup final would attract huge ratings but think of the long term health of this cup too if domestic interest diminishes.

The other big issue hurting this competition is that, unlike most countries, Spain does not have a “national stadium” to host a cup final. England has Wembley stadium in London to host the FA Cup, Germany has the Olympiastadion in Berlin as the venue for the German cup/DFB-Pokal final. Yet, RFEF opts to wait till the finalists have been decided before choosing a venue for the final. Clearly, a national stadium will never be built and I can imagine the outrage if the Santiago Bernabéu was appointed as such.

Perhaps RFEF should take a page out of NFL‘s book and select the venue years in advance. You don’t see the NFL deciding a few weeks before the Super Bowl on where it should take place. Heck, UEFA already have their venues selected for this season and next season’s Champions League finals. Sadly, the RFEF opts to just keep dragging its feet on decisions that any well run organization would already have figured out from the get go. However, this is La Liga and we have grown accustomed to where going forward is hindered by the league doing things backwards.

La Roja’s Exploitation Must Stop.

 Without a doubt, we have been fortunate to watch a team such as Spain these past six years. They have been wowing the world with their performances and results in Spain and in other countries. However, the Spanish Football Federation is turned their national team into a cash cow by taking advantage of their team’s success by turning them into a touring road show. It’s time for La Roja’s exploitation must stop.

Ever since Spain won the 2010 World Cup, the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) has been scheduling games for Spain all over the world. Spain have played friendlies in Mexico, Argentina, Portugal, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Panama, Qatar, USA, and Ecuador. Sometimes, these friendlies take place during the summer and sometimes they take place while the Spanish League is in session.

 The RFEF recently announced that Spain would be participating in two friendlies next month. Once again, the RFEF is blatantly disregarding the well being of their players by cashing in on these unnecessary friendlies. Next month sees them play Russia in Dubai and in South Africa to face the 2010 World Cup hosts. Currently, the country’s players are representing their clubs both domestically and in European competitions in a congested fixture list because of the upcoming World Cup. Wouldn’t it be considerate of the RFEF to give these players a break? 

 Now FIFA is not blameless in all of this. They too have yet to figure out how to prepare a proper calendar without it interfering with club football. However, FIFA does not mandate countries to play in every international break. These matches in November are for upcoming World Cup qualifying playoffs, so basically this break serves as friendlies scheduling for Spain. However, the RFEF could have opted to not schedule any friendlies and just given their players a break for some much needed down time.

This most recent Clásico showed us how fatigued some players looked. Why pile on their wear and tear and not afford them some rest. I am surprised the big two, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, have not made a big fuss about these friendlies and the distances their players have traveled as the RFEF keeps globetrotting them at every available opportunity. These players have to prepare for the league, Spanish cup and UEFA Champions League. They did their job and qualified for the World Cup so shouldn’t they deserve a break?

Del Bosque could always rest the usual players and opt to call up the young players or fringe players instead, to see who make the cut. Yet, there probably is a clause that requires the presence of the stars in these distant countries. Nevertheless, the time has come for the big clubs, or the players through FIFPRO, to put their foot down and ask for an end to this exhausting traveling. 

 Clearly these players are not up for it as evident with some of the drubbings they received in Argentina and Portugal. However, if no one speaks up, then the RFEF will continue to schedule these cash grabbing events and exploit the cash cow that is La Roja? Is it worth it when the team’s performance might suffer and ultimately cost them a shot at a successive World Cup crown? It’s high time someone put their foot down and end this globetrotting money making bonanza.

History does not favor Del Bosque and La Roja

Spain punched their ticket to the 2014 World Cup a few days ago where they will get to play against the best of the world for the World Cup. This also means that Vicente Del Bosque will also get the rare chance to manage his team to a second consecutive World Cup crown. However, the odds are against Del Bosque as he faces an onerous challenge to do where others have failed before him.

Del Bosque and Spain have a tall task ahead of them. The last team to repeat as World Cup champions were Brazil back in 1958 and 1962. A few teams have appeared in consecutive finals but failed to win both times. Argentina back in 1986 and 1990 along with Brazil 1994 and 1998 come to mind. Both teams failed to repeat with Argentina under the helm of the same manager while Brazil had a different manager in their second final.

Carlos Bilardo was the man who helped guide Argentina to their second World Cup title back in 1986 against Germany. He did not step down following that glorious moment for himself and his country, and four years later, his team made it to the World Cup final where they faced Germany yet again. In what was one of the most forgettable finals ever, Germany defeated Argentina to dash Argentina’s hopes of repeating as champions.

Brazil won their fourth World Cup crown back in 1994 and were back in the final four years later in 1998. Carlos Alberto Parreira was the man who steered Brazil to success in 1994 but would coach Saudi Arabia for the 1998 edition. Instead, it was Mário Zagallo, who actually was part of the 1958 and 1962 Brazil teams, that steered his side to the World Cup final before falling to the hosts, France. Parreira did get another shot at winning it with Brazil in 2006 but that team came up short.

More recently, Marcello Lippi attempted to guide the Italian national team to a second consecutive World Cup final, following their World Cup triumph in 2006. However, Lippi and Italy would also fail in repeating as champions as they could not even advance from the group stages. All three countries saw their attempts at repeating come up just short or crash and burn, and Del Bosque can afford to learn from those three managerial counterparts.

If there is anything you can criticize Del Bosque for, it could be on his reliance on the old guard. Many thought he should have dropped Fernando Torres after World Cup 2010 but there he was scoring in another European final two years later and participating in last summer’s Confederations Cup as well. Many believed that Del Bosque should have used the Confederations Cup to test his younger players and not subject his veterans to another busy summer.  Surely that was the downfall of Lippi when his faith in the old guard, while disregarding young talent, did not pan out four years after winning their  World Cup.

Thus, Del Bosque will have to think hard about which players he will take to Brazil this summer. Does he stick with David Villa and Torres, or move on and put his hopes on the likes of Negredo and Michu? Will he use Cesc more often than Xavi and will he start César Azpilicueta over Arbeloa? It is a fine line between depending on veterans and over relying on them. Many believe Parreira made a grave mistake after he opted to go with the veterans in World Cup 2006 and not with the young players that participated and won the Confederations Cup the previous summer.

Furthermore, Del Bosque also has to be worried about fatigue and compliance. For some of his men, this will be their second World Cup, and sixth tournament if you count Confederations Cups as major tournaments. That is a lot of wear and tear on those players who have been representing club and country in over 70 matches a year. Will they have the energy to compete for another World Cup title?

Better yet, are they still hungry for another World Cup crown? Bilardo’s Argentina  were lively and threatening in 1986 but appeared bloated and lethargic four years later. We saw recently how Real Madrid came out flat after winning the league title under Mourinho while Barça fans still recall how their team under Rijkaard became complacent after winning the Champions League. The feeling of working hard and finally achieving the goal you have long strived for is rather unique and irreplaceable. It is also much more difficult to duplicate that motivation after you had already tasted success. Can Del Bosque take some comfort that the sting from Spain’s 3-0 loss to Brazil in the Confederation Cup Final could provide him with players hell bent on revenge?

The World Cup is 236 days away. That’s plenty of time for Del Bosque to decide on what path will he take. Will he avoid making the same mistakes that other managers have made in the past and select younger players who have not featured for Spain and are hungry to duplicate the same success that their idols have attained? Many envy to be in the position of Del Bosque however, I see it as a daunting position to be given the task that many have failed to overcome. History is against him but perhaps Del Bosque can learn from where others have failed and perhaps make Spain can surprise us once again.

Blame the Federations and not FIFA.

Another unnecessary and poorly timed international fixture break was bestowed upon a few days ago. It was sandwiched in between league games. Of course, some of the matches were important such as the Asian World Cup Qualifiers but the rest were meaningless friendlies with a few memorable performances and inexcusable trips across the globe. Of course, FIFA picked this date but they should not bear the brunt of the blame. The blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the respective country’s federation.

The FIFA Virus reared its ugly head again a few days ago. Barça players had to play in meaningless friendlies which required them to play on a few days rest and training with their national teams coupled with flights across the Atlantic Ocean. Alexis Sanchez was the biggest FIFA Virus casualty when he suffered yet another injury that will keep him out up to four weeks. Barça players representing Spain flew all the way to Panama for a friendly while Dani Alves traveled to New York with Brazil to face Colombia. Messi traveled to Saudi Arabia to represent Argentina.

All the Barça players had to return and get ready for a match today.  Today! Not tomorrow, but today! So Barça players, and other club players too, had to return and get ready for another match on two day’s rest. I am sure that is exactly in the best interests of the players and the game. Many would love to spew venom at FIFA for such a meaningless decision to have International games played in such a manner but I don’t think they should bear the brunt of the blame.

They are not blameless either but I wouldn’t have objected if this window was used solely for Asian World Cup Qualifiers. However, since these games were scheduled on a Wednesday and not over a weekend, why did the rest of the world decide to schedule friendlies? This is why I place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the country’s federation. RFEF, Royal Spanish Football Federation, and other country’s federations decided to schedule the games. RFEF has been cashing on Spain’s success by scheduling them to play in friendlies in Argentina, Puerto Rico, and just recently Panama the past few years.

Countries do not have an obligation to schedule a friendly. FIFA only provides the window but the final decision lies with the Federations. Mexico, a side that is well known for playing way too many friendlies, did not participate in the glutton of friendlies on Wednesday. Obviously, the Mexican league playoffs played a part in that decision but they could have scheduled a friendly and fielded C team too. They did not! Therefore, it is possible to not see your country play a friendly on a day set aside for friendlies. So, the next time you complain about countries playing meaningless friendlies; don’t blame FIFA, but blame the Federation head honchos who decided to cash in and schedule the friendly.

Euro 2012 to be the final great Euro Cup.

Get ready folks. Euro 2012 is coming up this summer and following yesterday’s draw, this will be another exciting tournament. Sadly, it will also be the final Euro Cup that will be considered great. In my opinion, UEFA’s decision to expand it from 16 teams to 24 teams for the 2016 edition will extinguish the flame that made this tournament great.

The draw for this summer Euro 2012 group stages took place last week and once again, the draw reminded me why this is my favorite tournament in football. Where else can you get a group with three European champions? Where else can you get arch rivals meet at the group stage? World Cup? Rarely. Copa America? Not that often. The Champions League does come close in terms of providing us a sort of the Best of the Best in Europe competition. However, nothing can top the Euro Cup.

My first ever football memories were that of Euro 88 when Holland finally won their first ever tournament and put to rest the despairs of their shortcomings in the past. Since then, I have been following them as they continued to break my heart in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 Euro cups. In my opinion, this summer presents the final time that the Euro cup will be special. UEFA’s president, and former winner of the Euro cup, Platini will be expanding the Euro cup from the current 16 teams to 24 for the 2016 edition. I hope that somehow that will never be implemented but I don’t the chances of that happening any more than the chances of FIFA switching venues for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

I have always gotten grief about my belief that the Euro Cup is harder to win than the World Cup. I still stand by that statement. In the past, it was hard just to qualify for the Euro cup. Before 1996, only 8 countries qualified for the tournament. 8. Defending champions Spain failed to qualify in 1992 and even the Italian national team failed to qualify in 1992 along with three other times after winning the tournament in 1968. Can you imagine a World Cup or Euro Cup now where Italy and Spain are not present? For some reason, this one tournament that did not have its usual teams until it expanded to 16 for the 1996 Euro Cup. The change was needed after UEFA expanded from 33 countries to 47 teams after 1994.

16 teams did double the number of participants but it did not dilute the competition. Unlike the World Cup or the Champions League where more is not better, doubling the number of nations fighting for the Euro Cup was a boost. The big factor that differentiated between the Euro Cup and the World Cup were the group stages. The World Cup now might have one group of death but most of the time, we know which teams will advance from their groups along with the odd surprise such as France and Italy’s elimination from this past World Cup group stage or France and Argentina’s shock elimination back in 2002.

However, most group stages never pack a punch like the Euro Cup. Euro 88 gave us a Germany, Spain and Italy group.  Euro 96 gave us a group consisting of France, Spain, Bulgaria and Romania, 3 of which were in the knockout stages of the previous World Cup that France failed to qualify for.  Euro 2000 gave us a group consisting of then defending World Cup champions with Holland and Denmark while England was grouped with Germany and Portugal and Romania. Euro 2004 gave us a group consisting of Holland, Germany and Czech Republic while the last edition of Euro 2008 gave us a group consisting of Holland, Italy and France. How often do you get those types of group stages where the previous World Cup finalists are grouped together?

On top of that, how often do you get to see arch rivals such as Holland and Germany, or England and Germany get grouped together? Brazil and Argentina? Only during the World Cup qualifiers and that started this past decade when Conmebol scrapped the two group stages to keep Brazil and Argentina separated. As a fan of the Oranje, getting to see Holland face Germany in the group stages is something to get ready for. Holland’s group this year will pit them once again against Germany and also against Portugal, the side that knocked them out of Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006.

Those group stages are a killer to get out of and if you do advance, you still have other teams that are no pushovers. When France won it all in 2000, they had to defeat Denmark and Euro 96 finalists Czech’s before losing to Holland in the final group stage match. They then had to face Spain, Portugal and Italy to win the Euro Cup for the second time. Spain had to defeat Russia, Sweden and then Greece before having to beat Italy, Russia and Germany for the cup. Denmark’s amazing story in 1992 saw them get invited at the last second to replace Yugoslavia and they survived a group that featured England, France and Sweden before defeating Holland and Germany.

As much as we all love the World Cup for what it is, it does not generate that much excitement till the final group stage match or the knockout rounds. It is diluted with teams that some would consider minnows that are out of their league. Even then, sometimes the knocks out stages fail to deliver us big games. Looking back at the 2002 World Cup, Germany made it all the way to the final without defeating a single European country. They tied with Ireland in the group stage and defeated Saudi Arabia and Cameroon before knocking out Paraguay, USA and South Korea before falling to Brazil in the final. Heck, even Brazil made it to the final by playing Turkey twice, Costa Rica, China, Wilmots’s inspired Belgium, and England. France did have its work cut out for it in 2006 when they had to go through Spain, Brazil and Portugal while Italy had to go through Ghana, USA, Czech Republic, Australia, Ukraine, and Germany before defeating the French.

I know the World Cup is no easy task and I expect some rebuttals in that if the Euro Cup is harder to win than the World Cup, then how come Denmark, Holland and Greece never won the World Cup. That’s not the point. Comparing the two tournaments in terms of level of difficulty is what I’m getting at. We will never see a World Cup group stage with Germany and Holland or Spain with Brazil, or Italy with Argentina as often as we would like. World Cup keeps its mega powers away from each other whereas the Euro Cup didn’t care. Can you recall the last time Germany was eliminated from a World Cup group? I recall Germany crashing out in 2000 and 2004. Prior to World Cup 2010, you had to go back to World Cup 1974 to see Italy crash out of a World Cup group stage while it happened to them twice in recent tournaments, Euro 96 and Euro 2004. Will we ever see a country win the World Cup playing a group with Holland and Italy before taking on the likes of Spain, Germany, Brazil and Argentina in the knock out stages? I highly doubt it. That’s the type of strength that the Euro Cup provides us with.

This summer, we are going to see England and France meet again like they in 2004. Holland and Germany meet again after recently being grouped together in Euro 2004 and also back in Euro 92. Sadly, this will probably be the last time we will get to enjoy a tournament with such group stages. Euro 2016 will see the teams expand from 16 to 24. This will lead to the introduction of two additional groups which will spread out the big teams and thus lessen the chances of seeing the same sort of groups we are accustomed to seeing. However, why mess with a good thing? 16 teams were more than enough and in a time where we are complaining of too many matches for players for both club and country, how does expanding lessen that dilemma?

So sit back and enjoy this great tournament one final time. The next one might be only exciting when it comes to the final group stage or the knock out stages, which is what we have right now with the World Cup and to a lesser extent, the Champions League. Here’s to the last toughest international football tournament.