Spain shook off the tag of inveterate also-rans to triumph at Euro 2008 and they won a first World Cup two years later to secured them the undisputed status as the team to beat.
However, they will have to rewrite the record books if they are to keep their European title in Poland and Ukraine this summer. No country has ever retained the Henri Delauney Trophy and no country, on any continent, has won three major tournaments in a row.
Under coach Vicente del Bosque, they continue to win plaudits for their slick possession play, attacking flair and solid defense, and are firm favorites to become the first nation to win back-to-back continental titles with a World Cup in between.
Photo: Reuters
“Of course, we are favorites due to the fact that we are the reigning European and world champions and it seems that is something we can’t shake off, but Netherlands and Germany, who were second and third in the World Cup, are also clear favorites, all the more so because of their impeccable Euro 2012 qualifying runs,” a smiling Del Bosque said in an interview in March.
Del Bosque succeeded Luis Aragones after Euro 2008 and he has kept the core of the team intact, while making minor adjustments to a well-organized and confident side, who won all eight matches in Euro 2012 qualifying. They had also won all 10 qualifiers in the buildup to the World Cup.
One major setback for the former Real Madrid coach is the loss of Spain’s record scorer David Villa after the Barcelona striker failed to recover in time from a broken leg sustained in December last year.
Spain would not have won Euro 2008 or the 2010 World Cup without Villa’s goals — he has 51 in 82 appearances — and his absence in Poland and Ukraine is a significant blow.
Carles Puyol’s knee problem, which has ruled out the talismanic defender, is another untimely misfortune and it will be up to Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique to hold the line in central defense.
Del Bosque has included striker Fernando Torres in the squad, despite his staggering loss of form since he joined Chelsea from Liverpool more than a year ago. The 28-year-old, who became a national hero when he netted the winning goal in the Euro 2008 final against Germany, appears to be on his way back to something like his old self, scoring against South Korea in a friendly last month, and in Villa’s absence he has a good chance of starting against Italy in Gdansk, Poland, on Sunday.
Athletic Bilbao’s towering striker Fernando Llorente and Sevilla’s bull-like forward Alvaro Negredo are Del Bosque’s other options up front, and he has also experimented with a team that does not include a traditional central striker.
With exceptional midfielders like Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, David Silva and Xavi on his roster, who all have a keen eye for goal, Del Bosque may go for a 4-2-4 formation, with Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets in the holding midfield roles.
“We have had almost four years now with a stable national team, a national team that has not suffered major changes,” Del Bosque said. “Yes we have quality, yes we have the right playing system and yes we have the passion necessary to compete.”
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was