Del Bosque: No specific anti-Sneijder plan
Reuters - Saturday 10 July 2010, 19:15
JOHANNESBURG - Spain have not prepared a
specific plan to counter in-form Netherlands midfielder Wesley
Sneijder in Sunday's World Cup final, coach Vicente del Bosque
said on Saturday.
Sneijder is joint-top scorer with Spain striker David Villa
and Germany's Thomas Mueller in South Africa with five goals and
his incisive distribution, ball-winning skills and long-range
shooting have been a major reason for his team's successful run.
"We have faced other good players who play in that
position," Del Bosque told a news conference at Soccer City.
"We have a very good midfield and they are very used to
dealing with that kind of player," he added. "So no we don't
have a specific plan to deal with Sneijder."
European champions Spain have had to battle some
defensive-minded teams at the finals, enjoying long periods of
possession but struggling at times to create chances.
Del Bosque said he did not expect the Dutch to switch to a
more defensive style on Sunday, when both teams will be bidding
for a first World Cup triumph.
"I don't believe Holland will change their approach simply
because they are playing Spain," he said.
"They have a very well-defined style, as do we. I certainly
don't think they will change the script.
"We have a lot of options and various solutions for any
problem that might arise."
The 59-year-old coach gave nothing away about his starting
11 for the final, declining to say whether he planned to select
misfiring striker Fernando Torres or stick with forward Pedro,
whom he fielded against Germany in the semi-final.
Torres returned from knee surgery shortly before the finals
and has yet to find the net in six appearances.
"I can tell you that we have 23 excellent players (in the
squad) and any of them could be on the pitch tomorrow," he said.
"There is no problem as far as I am concerned."
Follow FFT.com on Twitter
Join FFT.com on Facebook