1. Saint Iker: Any team aspiring to win the biggest prize in football needs a world-class goalkeeper who is at the top of his game. Italy had Buffon in 2006, and for South Africa 2010 read Iker Casillas. The Madrid goalkeeper is considered the best Spanish goalkeeper of all time; lightning reactions, mastery of his area and solid with his feet; he has it all At the Bernabéu they call him ‘San Iker’, and after saving your skin literally hundreds of times, you start to know if there are extraterrestrial powers hidden between those gloves.
2. By club and country: In the Spanish starting eleven you will find groups of players plying their trade together at club level, and that understanding is irreplaceable. In defense you have Piqué and Puyol from Barça, in midfield Xavi and Iniesta (and Sergio Busquets when Senna is not available) and above; Villa and Silva of Valencia. They all know each other so well that they have developed an almost telepathic understanding and instantly transform the shape of the club on the international stage.
3. Euro Euphoria: For years, Spain had gone to tournaments among the favourites, only to disappoint time and time again. They and England had mastered the art of crashing out in the quarter-finals. But Euro 2008 changed all that. While England failed to even qualify, Spain fought their way to Vienna and defeated the Germans to lift the Euro 2008 trophy. They have finally discarded the ‘Perennial Underachievers’ label that had plagued them for so long; now for the world cup.
4. Wonder Villa: Is your shooter more lethal in the game right now than David Villa? Right now only Eto’o and Luis Fabiano for Brazil come close. The other suitor will line up next to him; Fernando Torres. Villa was a revelation at Euro 2008, going 4-for-4 to send Spain to the final, finishing the tournament as top scorer. Unfortunately for the Valencia star, he was unable to play against the Germans due to injury, but he will be keen to correct that in South Africa. The striker has 33 goals for Spain, and has already scored three World Cup goals: he has to be a solid bet to be the top scorer in the 2010 World Cup.
5. Super Style: Is there any international team that plays in the same style and style as Spain at the moment? The answer has to be a resounding no. Spain has won over the world with its characteristic incisive, the pass at the first touch. They score goals for fun, as their qualifying group rivals will attest. They run around teams, grinding them into submission, almost toying with their opposition at times. They have established eleven firsts and fixed formations for any circumstance or match. Teams just can’t take the ball away from them, and as any astute football manager will tell you: you can’t score goals if you don’t have the ball.
6. Fight in style: As mentioned before, we all knew Spain’s style, but as yesterday’s friendly against Argentina showed, they are not afraid of being trapped. Argentina came out in the second half with a game plan to get into Spain’s miniature midfielders. Masherano and Gago faced Xavi, Iniesta and Alonso with the toughness one would expect from a team led by Diego Maradona. But Spain gave the best it received, and never lost its head in the heat of battle. Villa, Alonso, Xavi and company. It showed that you can fight fire with fire, and Spain ended up putting the Argentines to bed. This bodes well for a World Cup where teams will have no choice but to bully Spain.
7. Super substitutes: When Cesc Fábregas, Xabi Alonso, Pepe Reina and Álvaro Negredo struggle to get into the starting eleven, you know you’re dealing with a special group of players. They have world-class players as reinforcements in all departments: Senna is injured, Busquets enters. Silva needs a break, let’s deliver Juan Mata. Third option card Does Negredo feel like a breather? He brings the top scorer of LaLiga from 2008, Dani Güiza. Amazing.
8. Mix It Up: The Spanish have a fantastic mix of wise old heads and vivacious youngsters. Players like Puyol, Casillas, Xavi and Senna have been there and done it. Younger players such as Iniesta, Silva and Cesc were part of the Euro 2008 winning squad, so nothing will outmatch them next year. And with some youngsters in the form of Jesús Navas, Juan Mata, Pablo Hernández and Nacho Monreal, Spain are in a fantastic position to unleash them in friendlies before next summer.
9. Anyone out there? Who are the realistic challengers to Spain’s assault on South Africa? Brazil, Argentina, Italy, France and Germany are the usual suspects. England and Holland will cause a sensation, but you can usually rely on the aforementioned to mount the more serious challenges. Spain have beaten them all in the last two years, with the exception of Brazil, and we were denied the opportunity to see them meet in the Confederations Cup due to an unexpected slaughter of US giants. Man for man, I’d bet my 10 euros for Spain, but by no means should the Brazilians be underestimated, who always seem to pull off the performances for big occasions.
10. It’s your turn! Brazil, Argentina, Italy, France and Germany have won, so it’s Spain’s turn, right? France showed they can win a World Cup and European Championship in a row with their brace in 1998 and 2000, so Spain should not be intimidated by the prospect. World Cups are naturally difficult to predict, and anything can happen in 90 minutes of football qualifiers. But I have already made my prediction, and if ‘La Roja’ manages to shake off the weight of expectation and light it up in South Africa, the trophy will surely go to Barajas airport on July 12, 2010.
