Leipzig: Every four years Spain arrive at the World Cup hoping and believing that this time it is going to be different.
This time, Spanish heads tell their hearts, they are finally going to be crowned world champions and consign over 50 years of World Cup failure to the history books.
This time has been different -- but not for the most obvious reasons.
For once, the Spanish media have not hyped the national team's chances and the players haven't spent weeks talking themselves up.
Instead, in various ways, they have done their talking on the pitch, as Wednesday's emphatic and thoroughly deserved 4-0 Group H win over debutants Ukraine in their World Cup opener demonstrated.
It was Spain's 23rd match without defeat since Luis Aragones took over after Euro 2004 in Portugal, and was done in a totally businesslike and professional manner.
With the ruthlessness of the matador's sword killing a bull thrown in.
They established an early grip on the game with two goals in the opening 17 minutes from Xabi Alonso and David Villa, and added two more in the second half.
Villa scored from the first penalty awarded in the finals and Fernando Torres blasted home an unstoppable shot nine minutes from time.
They stifled former European Footballer of the Year Andriy Shevchenko, clearly not at his best following injury worries but also kept under control by some brilliant defensive work from Sergio Ramos, Pablo Ibarez and Mariano Pernia.
The defence provides the foundation for the rest of the team to function and Aragones's 4-3-3 system, honed to perfection by newly-crowned European champions Barcelona, worked perfectly.
Luis Garcia and his Liverpool club-mate Xabi Alonso also worked tirelessly in midfield alongside Marcos Senna while up front Villa and Torres were simply irresistible.
Torres, powerful, tall, strong and with the pace of a Spanish stallion, terrorised the Ukraine defence and his outstanding goal in the closing minutes was the best of the match.
No-one, least of all the Spaniards, will celebrate this win for more than it was -- a fine start to a long tournament.
There is a school of thought among coaches here that it is better to start slowly as England and Brazil have done rather than at a gallop like Spain did at the Zentralstadion.
The argument goes that if you start poorly you can only get better. Start brilliantly and things can only get worse.
This was indeed Spain's best start to a World Cup and only their fourth win in 12 opening games since their best finals when they finished among the top four in 1950.
It represents another high for Spanish sport this summer.
A week before Barcelona won the Champions League, Sevilla lifted the UEFA Cup.
In motor racing Fernando Alonso appears to be heading for a second successive Formula One world title while last weekend Rafael Nadal retained French Open tennis crown.
"We are a great footballing country, but we've done nothing at the World Cup before," said Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas earlier this week.
They still have it all to do in the World Cup and there is a long way to go but judging by this performance it might be Spain's year.
They will not think that in Spain of course.
Comments
0 comment