Another poor start for Spain at a World Cup but it will be
the manner of this defeat that shocks the world. Not many would have predicted
such an emphatic win for a Dutch side that has lost it’s star midfielder in
Kevin Strootman to injury early this year. Louis van Gaal tactically
outmanoeuvred Vincente del Bosque as the Spaniard decided to remain loyal to
the vast majority of players who have served him so well in the past.
Players like Fernando Torres and David Villa remain in the
squad when others such as Fernando Llorente and Alvaro Negredo are watching
from home despite superior form being shown by the latter pair. Even a player
like Xavi should count himself fortunate to remain in the starting lineup with
so many fantastic, more youthful midfielders available for the Spanish squad.
It would surprise me to see del Bosque make any drastic
changes to the team as he is a very consistent manager with his team selections
though I expect Cesc Fabregas to start ahead of Diego Costa in their next match
against the Chileans who would have watched the score-line in this match with a
mixture of delight and trepidation.
This Spanish team are a group of players who usually react
to adversity in a positive manner though this group could prove a step too far
for this ageing group. If this is to be the stage where the current world
champions are to depart the competition, could this be the end of del Bosque,
and if so, could it be the start of a new era, most likely under the tutelage
of current Bayern supremo Pep Guardiola?
