To be or not to be?- or rather to have a centre-forward or not?
Vicente Del Bosque knew he was taking a gamble when he decided to dispense with a recognised striker at the start of Spain’s opening Euro2012 game against Italy-but it was a calculated choice for this serene and wise man from Salamanca.
The Italy he was facing- an ambitious 3-5-2 line-up- was not the defensive ‘lock down’ that most Spaniards have come to expect. It opened up the prospect of a fast-moving game, with Spain being pressurised inside its own half, and Italy going for goals. Del Bosque chose to rely at the outset on six recognised mid-fielders, with one of them , Cesc Fabregas, playing a nominal false ‘9’ centre-forward, dropping deep to unsettle the opposition defence.
That was La Roja playing with a system we have come to identify with FC Barcelona –which has Messi and his talent to create havoc amidst the opposition, and score goals. And perhaps that was what risked showing up as the crucial difference, as Spain’s quick-passing intricate play and possession failed , for much of the game, to find a creative deliverer, while leaving the team dependant on the quality of its captain and goalkeeper Casillas to save it from Italy’s succession of dangerous onslaughts.
Only when Italy finally scored, did Del Bosque’s system come into its own with some intricate passing, worthy of the best of Barca, involving Iniesta-who stepped up his rhythm- , Silva, and Cesc, who delivered the equaliser. From then on Spain seemed to grow in confidence, even if their passing suffered at times from a ground that was too dry.
Del Bosque brought out Torres, his most controversial striker, in the final stages of the game, when Italian energies were flagging and more gaps available to exploit. I have suggested before that Torres has come to this tournament ‘hungry’ to prove himself after feeling badly used by Chelsea for most of the season and have predicted that Del Bosque would want to test him in this first game. What we saw was a Torres with the capacity to disrupt the opposition almost with immediate effect, but lacking that edge that made him such a powerful force in Euro2008, and seemingly doubting too much in himself to strike effectively. Torres has taken to looking up to the heavens and pleading- I suspect he is asking God to give him speed, as well as luck. Doubt is a terrible thing for any striker to have.
Many managers would I think now drop Torres- but I suspect that Del Bosque will think long and hard before doing this since playing him against the weaker sides of the Group-Ireland and Croatia- could set him on course for the kind of goal-scoring spree that restores morale. On the other hand, using Negredo or Llorente, or the first line-up used against Italy should I think defeat both Ireland and Croatia without major problems.
This was a tough test for La Roja, but its 1-1 draw against this excellent Italian side was a much better start to a major tournament than its opening defeat by a mediocre Switzerland in the World Cup of 2010. This Spain was neither tired, nor lacking quality or inspiration-although Arbeloa was the least impressive of its players.
For me Spain’s best player and the man of the match was Iniesta, hugely creative in mid-field and a constant challenge to the resilience of Italy’s defence. He was unlucky not to get a winning goal, and one of the reasons why I retain faith in Spain’s ability to do well in this tournament, if not win it.
The numbers and enthusiasm of Spanish fans in the Gdansk stadium yesterday was testimony to Del Bosque’s great achievement in helping make Spanish football something his fellow countrymen can take real pride in, for all the humiliation of having to see their elected government having to go to Europe, cap in hand, to save the nation’s banking system.
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