Monitoring the form of key players must be monotonous for Vicente del Bosque. The Spain manager surely has to keep making the same few journeys as he heads for Camp Nou or the Bernabeu. His starting XI contains seven Barcelona men and three on Real Madrid’s books. The left-back Joan Capdevila, of Villarreal, must team sheet as a clerical error.
Del Bosque will know the advantage he enjoys over his peers. Spanish footballers were once castigated for sticking to their homeland or floundering when they did make a change of scene. The accusations no longer apply. Gerard Pique, at Manchester United as a teenager, and Xabi Alonso, formerly a great asset to Liverpool, are among those willing to be cosmopolitan.
Spain are no longer so open to accusations of insularity. Were it not for the lack of sharpness following knee surgery, the current Anfield centre-forward Fernando Torres would surely start in Del Bosque’s side.
In general, though, circumstances have recently made La Liga seem like a World Cup training camp for men who have now taken Spain to the final for the first time. Continuity of selection can also be sensed in the rhythmic passing of men so accustomed to working together. Germany were beaten by a single goal, from Carles Puyol at a corner-kick, but the losing manager, Joachim Loew, made no pretence that the outcome had really been in the balance.
The same result against the same opponents had made Spain the champions of Europe two years ago. Little has altered since then and these players have developed so practised a style of play that a 1-0 lead is equivalent to a win since they are so accomplished at keeping the ball.
All those men on the payroll at Real or Barcelona cannot help but see themselves as the elite. They did lose their first match at this World Cup 1-0 to Switzerland but the principal conclusion has been that imposing control with scrupulous passing draws the sting out of opponents rendered harmless by all the futile chasing.
Nonetheless the Netherlands may be more assertive than some of the teams cowed by Spain. Their outlook is entirely different from that of Del Bosque. A population of around 16.5 million does not suffice ordinarily to deliver the sums earned by footballers in bigger countries. While the Spain line-up is packed with those who never roamed far or have stopped doing so, Bert van Marwijk’s side is far-flung.
Of the XI who started against Uruguay four earn a living in Germany and Wesley Sneijder is in Milan with Internazionale. Three are at work in England and the same number are with Dutch clubs. By and large they do not exude the star quality radiated by a few of the Spaniards. Van Marwijk’s side, all the same, will most likely cherish the contrast. These, too, are good footballers. Arjen Robben should ensure there is no inferiority complex and Sneijder is a major force.
The Dutch ought to pose a level of threat Germany could not attain. They may also be qualified to wage war in midfield to a degree Loew’s team could not. Mark van Bommel virtually casts himself as a villain but there will be a need for such a character in the final. These are men with know-how acquired in a range of places over a period of time. While the Uruguay line-up in the semi-final was particularly affected by injury and suspension, the Netherlands showed a commendable efficiency to exploit the situation and score three. They will, all the same, have to be more recalcitrant in the final than they were when conceding two goals to Oscar Tabarez’ line-up.
Even so, the general obduracy of the Dutch is not in dispute. Spain will have to be at their best if the Netherlands’ resilience and success is to be snapped.
Guardian Service
