Thursday, June 7, 2012

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Spain Euro 2012 Squad Profile(Favourites EURO 2012)

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The reigning champions will again go in as favorites

 

Background:

Xavi is now recognized as
Defending champions and tournament favorites Spain secured qualification for Euro 2012 with two games to spare.
Vicente Del Bosque’s men eased through a straightforward group containing Czech Republic, Scotland, Lithuania and Liechtenstein, winning each of their eight games in the process.
Xavi is now recognized as one of Spain's best ever players
Their tiki-taka playing style continues to have the critics purring. No player more embodies that style of play than Barcelona’s Xavi Hernandez who has made a career out of short passing interchanges with team-mates as he looks to work opponents out of position. To use a cliché, Spain let the ball do the work and it remains beautiful to watch.
Spain’s biggest enemies may just be themselves. While a 1-0 friendly defeat to England and a 2-2 draw against Costa Rica were not on the same level as the post 2010 World Cup thrashings by Portugal (4-0) and Argentina (4-1), they did hint at complacency setting in. But these were not important games and when it matters, Spain’s record has been exemplary, as they have won 14 consecutive competitive matches (a joint world record).
However, there have also been suggestions that the fierce club rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid could be an undermining factor. The Spain squad is heavily populated by players from these two clubs and the sight of international team-mates lunging in on each other and exchanging insults in the clasicos will be a worry to Del Bosque.
The absence through injury of Barcelona duo Carles Puyol and David Villa, both key to the Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 triumphs, is also a blow.

Quick Facts:

  • Best World Cup Result: Winners (2010)
  • Best European Championship Result: Winners (1964 and 2008)
  • Record Scorer: David Villa (51 goals from 2005 to present)
  • Most Capped Player: Iker Casillas (129 caps from 2000 to present)
  • Coach: Vicente Del Bosque
  • Captain: Iker Casillas

23-man Spain Euro 2012 Squad:

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Jose Manuel 'Pepe' Reina (Liverpool), Victor Valdes (Barcelona).
Defenders: Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Juanfran (Atletico Madrid), Jordi Alba (Valencia), Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao).
Midfielders: Xavi (Barcelona), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), David Silva (Manchester City), Santi Cazorla (Malaga), Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona), Juan Mata (Chelsea)
Forwards: Jesus Navas (Sevilla), Pedro (Barcelona), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Fernando Torres (Chelsea), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla)

The Coach: Vicente Del Bosque

The former Real Madrid coach continued the good work of Luis Aragones by guiding Spain to their maiden World Cup triumph in 2010. They played with all the style of the Euro 2008 winning team as they passed opponents off the pitch and again proved that size is not everything in a game increasingly dominated by strength and physique. Del Bosque is a humble man who won two Champions League and La Liga titles with Real Madrid before being controversially fired in 2003.

Player to Watch: Xavi Hernandez

He seems to get better with age. A long-term problem with his Achilles may mean that Xavi plays less frequently as he enters the autumn of his career but Barcelona and Spain supporters have several years left of watching this supreme midfielder dictate the tempo of matches with his relentlessly accurate passing. One of the best Spanish soccer players in history.

Group Matches:

Sunday, June 10, 2012 v Italy (18:00 CET in Gdansk)
Thursday, June 14, 2012 v Republic of Ireland (20:45 CET in Gdansk)
Monday, June 18, 2012 v Croatia (20:45 CET in Gdansk)

Prediction: Winners

Germany have undoubtedly closed the gap on La Furia Roja (The Red Fury), but with largely the same players that defeated them in the Euro 2008 final and the 2010 World Cup semi-final, the Spaniards will still hold a psychological advantage over their rivals. A group containing Italy, the Republic of Ireland and Croatia is certainly not easy, and Spain will want to avoid a repeat of their opening match at the 2010 World Cup when they dominated for long spells but were beaten 1-0 by Switzerland. A win in the most difficult game against Cesare Prandelli’s Italy will put them a long way towards qualifying for the quarter-finals.

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