Spain to keep faith with attacking style
Reuters - Sunday 04 July 2010, 17:59
POTCHEFSTROOM - Spain must
remain faithful to their fast-flowing, attacking style against
Germany in Wednesday's World Cup semi-final, according to coach
Vicente del Bosque.
The European champions, who beat the Germans 1-0 in the
final at Euro 2008, have faced teams deploying mostly defensive
tactics in South Africa and have kept alive their hopes of a
first World Cup triumph thanks to the creative flair of players
like Xavi, Andres Iniesta and the prolific David Villa.
Germany's young team, meanwhile, have demolished
international giants England and Argentina with a similar blend
of quick passing, movement off the ball and devastating
counter-attacking, raising the prospect of a much more open
match in Durban on Wednesday.
"We have to be, or try to be, faithful to our style, with
the competitive spirit we have shown," Del Bosque said at a news
conference at Spain's training base in Potchefstroom.
"We started off this World Cup with the (1-0 Group H) defeat
to Switzerland, which was so painful, but now the joy of four
consecutive wins has put us in the semi-finals and we hope to
make the most of it."
Germany coach Joachim Low has selected the youngest German
World Cup squad since 1934 and has managed to build a side out
of exciting new talent like Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil and
old hands Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas
Podolski.
Spain, by contrast, are little changed from the team that
lifted the European Championship trophy in Vienna two years ago.
"They (Germany) recently began a rebuilding exercise for a
team that appeared to be worn out," Del Bosque said.
"They started from scratch and managed to rejuvenate the
side and are feeling their way at this tournament while
respecting players from the past.
"I think they have made advances, although Germany have
always been strong."
REVENGE TALK
The 59-year-old Del Bosque said he did not think the German
players would be motivated by a desire to revenge the Euro 2008
defeat, in which striker Fernando Torres, who has yet to find
the net in South Africa, scored the only goal.
"Talk of revenge in the great national teams doesn't exist,"
he said.
"They want to win to get to the final and so do we. Athletes
always look to the future."
Asked whether Torres, who returned from knee surgery shortly
before the World Cup, would be in the starting 11 to face
Germany, Del Bosque said he believed he would.
"He continues to be an important player for us and one that
the other squad members are used to," he added.
"All strikers go through good and bad runs but he brings his
work rate and his personality to the team and he is still our
forward.
"You should not necessarily take my words to mean that he is
definitely going to be starting (the Germany match) but we have
full confidence in him."
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