European Champions Spain To Go For The Kill
When will La Furia Roja ever stumble to a defeat again since surprisingly losing to the United States in the semi-finals of the 2009 Confederations Cup tournament?
This year, the Spanish national team of football have played four games – all being friendly matches – and they experienced nothing order than victories. France, Saudi Arabia, the Korea Republic, and Poland lately, have all been consumed by Spain’s red fury. Like they do it best, Vicente del Bosque’s men are once again expected to destroy their Swiss counterparts – whether emphatically or narrowly.
The truth is that pundits are tipping the Spanish to grab nine points out of nine, and prolific striker David Villa is rather happy than nervous about the way the public view his side.
“For us, there is no pressure. Expectations are always there, and that’s because people see that we can play well and win. We are aware that it is easier to win by playing our game. Expectations don’t put us under pressure. It is almost a compliment.”
But as expectations rise up, there is also the imperative need for the 2008 European champions to be on their guard. Switzerland have miserably gone without a single victory in their last five matches, suffering from three defeats on the trot between November 2009 and June 1, 2010.
But their draw two weeks ago against 2006 World Cup winners Italy suggests that they might have some fire in the belly ready to explode against Spain. Ruling out any kind of complacency in his team, Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso revealed:
“We watched videos of Switzerland’s friendly matches against Costa Rica and Italy. They are strong on the counter-attack and they are threatening from set-pieces. Physically, they are strong with a stout upfront able to hang onto the ball.”
Expect the Spanish to go for the kill as they’ve already killed complacency.
Switzerland’s Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, Praising Spain And Fearing For His Side
It looks like Switzerland’s Ottmar Hitzfeld has been captivated by Spain’s captivating form. The manager was forced himself to be optimistic in a statement he made on Tuesday:
“It is going to be difficult. All our players will have to be at their best, and goalkeeper Diego Benaglio will have to play the game of his life. The team should be totally convinced that we can win. Still, in ten meetings against Spain, we have lost eight times. But the doors are open, so it is possible.”
He went on to praise the Spanish team for a long moment, declaring at a point in his statement:
“I think Spain is the best team in the world currently. Imagine how difficult it would be for a modest team like Switzerland to come up against the most powerful national team on the planet. Just understand the differences that may exist in that opening match between the two.
“The great thing about the Spanish side is that it perfectly combines efficiency with brilliance; and that includes their players on the bench, not only those on the pitch.”
Still, Ottmar Hitzfeld reserved some hope for his boys, saying:
“We want to be a competitive team and make it hard for the rest to play against us. Our goal is to cross the threshold of the groups and reach then knockout phase.”
