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Much to prove Spain aiming to shed perennial 'underachiever' tagPosted: Thursday April 25, 2002 6:32 AMMADRID, Spain (AP) -- Rarely has a team promised so much but delivered so little. Spain, a country boasting many of the world's top clubs and players, goes to the World Cup in South Korea and Japan desperate to shed its perennial reputation as a team so often tipped among the favorites to win a title only to be knocked out in the early stages. This time, coach Jose Antonio Camacho -- intentionally, it seems -- is playing down expectations. "Our aim is to get past the quarters, something we've almost never done," Camacho, 47, told The Associated Press. "The problem is Spain always goes to the World Cup as a favorite without ever having won the cup. So when it doesn't win then the failure is even greater." Spain is in Group B alongside Paraguay, Slovenia and South Africa -- three inferior opponents, on paper at least. But the Spanish need no reminding that a draw with Paraguay and an opening defeat against Nigeria led to them falling at the first hurdle at France 1998. "I think we're superior but we have to demonstrate that on the pitch," Camacho said. "I was totally convinced that Spain was superior to Nigeria, Paraguay and Bulgaria (in 1998) and this time I'm convinced that Spain is superior to Slovenia, Paraguay and South Africa. "But in June I don't know what's going to happen." This will be Spain's 11th World Cup appearance and its seventh consecutive since 1978. Surprisingly, the furthest the side has ever reached was the semifinals in 1950. On three occasions it has progressed to the quarterfinals. The country's only trophy at senior level is the 1964 European Championship. In contrast, the likes of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have dominated world soccer for decades at club level. Whisper it to Camacho, but Spain again looks to be one of the strongest teams heading to Japan and South Korea. In attack, they boast the likes of Real Madrid duo Raul Gonzalez and Fernando Morientes, as well as the imaginative Diego Tristan of Deportivo La Coruna. In midfield, there's Barcelona's Luis Enrique and Lazio's Gaizka Mendieta, and at the back the commanding figure of captain Fernando Hierro and the exciting young talent of Barcelona full back Carles Puyol. Valencia's Santiago Canizares is likely to get the nod to play in goal ahead of Real's equally impressive Iker Casillas. Spain topped its qualifying group with an impressive 6-2-0 record and a 21-4 goal difference. Its opponents were Austria, Israel, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Liechtenstein. But like so often in the past, some fear an impressive qualifying campaign may lead to yet another anticlimax. "Spain's Disturbing Failure" was the headline in the leading daily El Pais following a recent 1-0 defeat against the Netherlands, which failed to make the World Cup finals. The paper compared the team to a ship leaking all over. Spain also played poorly in a 1-1 draw with Portugal. Camacho, a former Real Madrid and Spanish international who took over the side following the France 1998 debacle, believes there are two basic problems: vulnerability to set pieces and an inability to hold onto a lead. "In all the matches we've been beaten it's been through goals from a corner kick or a free kick, not through football," he said. "Playing football I think we are always superior." The second problem, he fears, is one of mental attitude. "We're not good at gauging a game," Camacho said. "We often tend to concentrate on playing well and end up losing a game in which we had the lead by letting the opponent come back. "If you play against Argentina, France or Italy and they start winning, it's very unlikely they will let it go."
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