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Spain
When is Spain finally going to live up to expectations? It has the skills; it has the experience, but time and again it fails to deliver the goods at crunch time.
Once again, the Spanish side impressed in qualifying, but will that form translate into the finals... or will we see a faltering formation living on the edge?
As the countdown to the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan continues, CNNSI.com's Pedro Pinto will take a close look at all of the nations that will contend for football's greatest prize.
Pinto is an anchor on World Sport, the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International.
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Spain has an estimated population of nearly 40 million. Predominantly, Spaniards are a mix of Mediterranean and Nordic ethnic types. The Iberian Peninsula has been occupied for many millennia. Some of Europe's most impressive Paleolithic cultural sites are located there. The Basques are the first identifiable people of the peninsula and are the oldest surviving group in Europe. By 1512, the unification of present-day Spain was complete. Today, Spain enjoys one of the most industrialized and open economies in Europe.
Provided by CountryWatch.com
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Spain has largely depended on the same group of players for the last four years: Raul, Fernando Hierro, Luis Enrique, Josep Guardiola, Miguel Nadal, Sergi, Santiago Canizares.
They were all there in '98 and will be there in the 2002 finals as well. That can be an advantage and a disadvantage. The players have built a relationship on and off the field which has created a certain stability, but lack of competition for places and old habits can come back to haunt them.
Manager Jose Antonio Camacho has tried to bring in new blood, and he is depending on up-and-coming stars like Diego Tristan and Xavi, as well as proven international midfielders Gaizka Mendieta and Juan Carlos Valeron to provide a spark.
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Has to be Raul. He burst into the Real Madrid team when he was only 17 and for the last seven years has terrorized defenses and goalkeepers with his magical dribbling skills and precise shots. People say he's weak in the air. But he still gets his share of goals from headers, and he's not expected to be a target man anyway. He is a mobile forward who can appear on the right, left or center to start or finish an attacking move. |
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Central Defense. Fernando Hierro is getting old, and although his positioning is still stellar, he is not the player he once was. That has been proven at the club level, where Real has conceded more than its usual share of goals. Then the question is -- who is going to start by his side? There is Nadal (who is also slow), Aitor Karanka (who doesn't even start for Real at times) and David Albelda (who is used by Valencia as a defensive midfielder). The heart of the Spanish defense could be the heart of their problems. |
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Gaizka Mendieta. There is no question that the midfield maestro can be an inspiration to his team. But as we have seen with Lazio, he can also drift out of games. Camacho needs to give Mendieta the freedom to roam, because that is what drives him. If you restrict Gaizka to the right or the center, you are only stopping him from doing what he does best: finding the right spot at the right time to strike when it is least expected.
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Spain finished first in Europe's Group 7, ahead of Austria, Israel, Bosnia Herzegovina and Liechenstein. It won six and drew two of its eight games. However, going unbeaten against this kind of opposition isn't something to write home about.
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Spain has now qualified for 11 of the 17 World Cups. It has played a total of 40 matches, winning 16, drawing 10 and losing 14. Its best finish was a fourth place in 1950. In '98, it went out in the first phase, something that has happened four times.
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Spain has the ingredients, but can Camacho cook up the right meal for Spanish fans to enjoy? It will largely depend on the solidity of the back line and the creativity of their midfield quartet. Up front, Raul and Tristan can dominate. They have done it both at home and in Europe for their clubs this season. If it all goes right, the Spaniards can reach the semis. Otherwise, I would not be surprised if they went out in the second round.
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