Bosque: Midfield mastery behind success
Reuters - Wednesday 07 July 2010, 22:34
DURBAN - Bossing the midfield with
experienced, talented players was the decisive factor in Spain's
deserved 1-0 win over Germany in the World Cup semi-final on
Wednesday, Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said.
As in their previous matches in South Africa, Spain attacked
relentlessly and clung on to the ball as the German midfield
struggled to repeat the flowing moves that had crushed England
and the widely fancied Argentina.
"It is always based on the quality of the people in the
midfield. It is a good organised midfield and if you have order
then you can really showcase individual talent," Del Bosque told
a news conference.
"We have great players, excellent players, good substance
and that makes everything easier," he said. "I'm running a group
of young men who are very experienced in the world of football."
Man of the match Xavi was at the heart of Spain's best
attacks, spraying the ball to the flanks and firing long
penetrative, passes as German heads sagged.
He also delivered the corner that Carles Puyol headed
powerfully past Manuel Neuer to hand Spain their first World Cup
final appearance in 13 campaigns.
"We looked for the best way to play, take the ball, keep it,
and to keep the ball during the entire match. Our players
fulfilled this job in a magnificent way," Del Bosque added.
Xavi praised the performance of his team mates and said the
players were comfortable throughout the match.
"I'm very happy. I think it was deserved. The team did a
great job. We dominated the match and the Spanish personality
imposed itself," he told a news conference.
"We felt very much at ease on the pitch. That's what we
want, that's what we are looking for."
Follow FFT.com on Twitter
Join FFT.com on Facebook