Spain coach Vicente del Bosque is confident his team’s “true personality” will emerge in the final two group matches as they look to revive their World Cup campaign after a stunning opening loss to Switzerland.
The European champions were supposed to be the Spanish squad that finally fulfilled their potential at soccer’s international showpiece after decades of sides that flattered to deceive.
On Wednesday, however, their much-vaunted midfield and attack were neutralized by a solid Swiss defense, they conceded a scrappy goal and will now potentially face a second round encounter with five-times champions Brazil.
“This is of course not a good sign that we started off this way,” Del Bosque told reporters. “I think our obligation is to cope with this situation and to face the next two matches by trying to win.”
“This is our spirit and this will be our line for the next matches,” he said.
Spain play Honduras in Johannesburg on Monday before rounding out their Group H campaign against Chile in Pretoria four days later.
Del Bosque said the Swiss defeat was no cause for Spain to abandon the style of play that won them Euro 2008 and saw them lose just two matches in more than three-and-a-half years.
“We have come so far playing in a certain way,” he said. “I would certainly not want to put anyone down and would simply say that we may not have shown our true personality as a team. We will do that certainly in the next two matches.”
“We have a margin of error and we have used it up now,” David Villa, who started Wednesday’s match as a lone striker, told reporters. “That’s football. The team that has the most chances doesn’t always win.”
“There’s no way we are going to throw in the towel. We have to keep working and the fans should still believe in us,” he said.
The Spanish press bemoaned the country’s “nightmare” start to the World Cup.
“Huge disappointment in Durban. Spain blew up against Switzerland and its iron defense,” the country’s leading daily El Pais said on its Web site.
“A nightmare has started,” another top newspaper, El Mundo, said.
“Lesson in humility” was the headline in the sports newspaper Marca.
“We have started the World Cup badly,” it said.
The players “remained true to their style, but were inaccurate in front of goal.”
Another sports paper, AS, saw it as a “warning” for the Spanish, who dominated most of the match, but were unable to score.
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