Sports
2010 W/Cup: How Will Spain Cope With Favourites Tag?
Spain are universally considered to be favourites to lift the FIFA World Cup in South Africa on July 11.
Their triumph at Euro 2008 has loosened the medallion of ‘nearly-men’ from around their neck, a hindrance which proved to be too heavy for Raul’s generation to overcome, and for the first time ever, La Furia Roja enter a major tournament with little to prove.
Similar to the respect that domestic champions Barcelona collect from across the globe, Spain are widely regarded as wonderful to watch, and have a squad bristling with talent. To many, they would be worthy winners of a tournament where the major European superpowers such as Italy, France and the injury-hit Germans are not seen on paper as viable threats.
However, in a similar vein to France after their Euro 2000 victory, the weight of expectation that success can bring can often be as overbearing as the hunt for success itself. At World Cup 2002, Les Bleus were deemed to be the team to beat, but their bid to become the first side since Brazil in 1962 to retain the title was a disastrous one. An unfamiliar climate in an unfamiliar continent combined with a stunning opening game defeat to Senegal, the absence of Zinedine Zidane in the first two group matches, and a dramatic loss of form to key individuals left France winless, goal-less, and going home.
Vicente del Bosque’s men should take heed. On paper, their draw seems relatively straightforward, but being installed as pre-tournament favourites immediately places them on a pedestal, to be shot down by Honduras, Chile and Switzerland, who will be in the hunt for a famous result. Furthermore, La Roja’s World Cup history is littered with giant-killing defeats – Northern Ireland in 1982, Nigeria in 1998 and South Korea in 2002, to name but a few.
Being the team expected to do well, and expected to win, can psychologically disrupt a player’s focus and drive; if anyone in the squad feel that they will cruise through Group H simply by turning up to the party, they could be monumentally brought back down to Earth.
It could be argued that this team is too experienced to allow for such an elementary error of judgement, but it comes with the territory of being the team to beat, and the failure to perform in one match (think of the defeat to the USA in last summer’s Confederations Cup semi-final) can bring a methodically-planned campaign to a grinding halt.
Indeed complacency is a concern of every manager when facing inferior opposition, and one that is difficult to eradicate. Del Bosque’s array of talent must be able to disregard the praise and channel their preparations solely on the next opponent. ‘Taking each game as it comes’ may be a tired cliché, but in knockout competitions such as the World Cup, taking place in a month of intense action, it is absolutely crucial.
South Africa will become the epicentre of the planet from June 11 until July 11, with players facing greater media demand, greater scrutiny, not to mention seven matches in the space of 30 days, should they reach the final. The next match is the biggest match, as Del Bosque will repeat ad nauseum to his final 23, and there will be no talk of finals, of being victorious, only on the next task in hand.
World Cup fever is beginning to kick in, and one way of recognising this is the manner in which each nation’s domestic press exacerbate any minor team issues, and pinpoint any errors in a ruthless manner. If ever proof of this fact were needed, it can be found in the recent criticism of goalkeeper Iker Casillas following his performance versus Saudi Arabia. If even ‘San Iker’ isn’t safe from the snipers, then it’s time to recognise the euphoria and chaos that can ensue during a World Cup campaign.
Spain and in particular Victor Valdes, handled the situation superbly, giving the Real Madrid legend his full public backing. There had been concerns that Valdes’ inclusion despite never being capped at international level, could be a potential disruption to an otherwise harmonious squad. Valdes, however, was appreciative of the situation, and behaved diplomatically – an attitude that Spain’s squad as a whole has maintained, and will stand them in good stead.
The point being that it isn’t only the teams on the pitch that want to see a favourite falter, if there is potential for upsetting a squad, the manic, press-orientated World Cup bandwagons can see to that. Moreover, Spain’s recent imperious form has led to a general anticipation that this is a team in the midst of a halcyon era, and that world domination will naturally follow.
There is still the ongoing saga regarding the future of Cesc Fabregas and Fernando Torres at club level, and transfer rumours affect players more than they would like to admit. The English Premier League duo have been subject to incessant questioning regarding their destination for the 2010/11 season, Del Bosque needs to know that his players are focused on the task in hand.
The role of favourite brings additional problems to a coach and squad ahead of a major tournament that can easily be succumbed to. Vicente Del Bosque’s side will need to use all of their experience to avoid falling foul of the problems that have haunted them, and indeed others in their position, in the past.
Sports
Inter Best Juventus To Maintain Serie A Lead
Andrea Cambiaso scored at both ends during the first half of Saturday’s Derby d’Italia, before Pierre Kalulu’s red card forced Juventus to play the entire second half a man light.
Substitute Francesco Pio Esposito got Inter back in front with a bullet header, then Manuel Locatelli’s pinpoint finish looked to have salvaged a point for the Bianconeri, before Zielinski struck on the cusp of stoppage time.
Juventus made the brighter start, but they were masters of their own downfall in the 17th minute, when Cambiaso deflected Luis Henrique’s cross beyond Michele Di Gregorio.
Cambiaso atoned within nine minutes, catching Henrique on his heels when Weston McKennie’s cross squirmed through to the back post and applying a side-footed finish.
But after Bremer cleared Zielinski’s dinked effort off the line, Juve’s hopes were damaged when Kalulu received his second yellow card for a 42nd-minute pull on Alessandro Bastoni, though the Inter centre-back appeared to go down theatrically.
Di Gregorio made a remarkable stop to thwart Hakan Calhanoglu, but as Juventus dropped ever deeper, they were punished when substitute Esposito guided Federico Dimarco’s searching cross into the far corner with 76 minutes on the clock.
It looked like Inter would have to settle for a point when Locatelli whipped a wonderful finish into the bottom-left corner in the 83rd minute, but Zielinski had the final say as his 20-yard drive fizzed through Locatelli’s legs and beat Di Gregorio.
Sports
Szoboszlai’s Real Madrid Dream Sparks Concern At Liverpool
A cloud of uncertainty has settled over Liverpool after comments from Hungary head coach Marco Rossi reignited speculation about Dominik Szoboszlai and Real Madrid.
Rossi, who has worked closely with Szoboszlai since his teenage years, revealed that the midfielder’s lifelong ambition is to play for the Spanish giants.
“Because of the very close and direct relationship I’ve had with Dominik since he was a child, Real Madrid has always been his dream,” Rossi said.
For a Liverpool side building around Szoboszlai as a centerpiece of Arne Slot’s project, those words landed hard.
Within hours of Rossi’s remarks, Szoboszlai interacted on social media with two Real Madrid players, applauding posts from Vinicius Junior and Trent Alexander-Arnold following Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad.
His reaction to Vinicius’ post drew particular attention. The exchange with Alexander-Arnold, his former Liverpool teammate, was seen as less surprising.
Still, in the hyper-connected world of elite soccer, even a digital thumbs-up can carry weight. On Merseyside, fans and pundits quickly began dissecting the meaning behind the interactions.
Szoboszlai, Hungary’s captain, has become one of Liverpool’s most influential players. That status is precisely why Rossi’s comments triggered such an intense reaction in England.
The midfielder had just delivered on the field as well, scoring in Liverpool’s 3-0 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.
After the match, Mohamed Salah heaped praise on his teammate, calling Szoboszlai “the best player in the world.” Slot struck a slightly more measured tone but echoed the sentiment.
“I think there are many elite players in the world, but I definitely agree with Mo that he is one of them,” Slot said. “He is very important for us.”
Szoboszlai is under contract at Liverpool through 2028. However, the club is reportedly eager to open extension talks in the coming months to secure his long-term future.
The player himself addressed the situation recently with notable candor.
“There’s nothing yet, to be honest. Nothing from now on. It’s not in my hands. That’s how it works,” he said. “There’s no progress, but if the right offer comes, we’ll see.”
He was equally clear about his affection for Liverpool.
“We’ll see what happens. Hopefully everyone will be happy in the end. Of course I want to stay. I like the city, I like the club, I like playing with these guys. I love Anfield, I love the fans. Let’s see what the future brings. It’s not my fault. I’d love to stay. We’ll see.”
Inter’s dramatic victory boosted their lead over rivals AC Milan to eight points, ahead of the Rossoneri hosting Como on Wednesday. Juventus, meanwhile, could drop out of the top four as Roma visited Napoli last night.
The last four Serie A matches between Inter and Juventus have produced a total of 21 goals (an average of 5.25 per game), compared to just nine in the previous six (1.5 per game).
Cambiaso became the first player in Derby d’Italia history to score and put through his own net in the same match between these old rivals, but it was Zielinski’s fifth Serie A goal of the season that proved decisive.
Inter will argue they were deserved victors after amassing 21 shots and 1.88 expected goals (xG), while Luciano Spalletti’s visitors mustered 10 shots and 0.92 xG – though the Bianconeri actually attempted six of their shots while down a man in the second half.
Sports
Wolves Beat Man Utd Conquerors
Premier League strugglers Wolves overcame resolute Grimsby Town in challenging conditions at Blundell Park to reach the FA Cup fifth round at the expense of the side that eliminated Manchester United in the last round.
Santiago Bueno scored from Wolves’ only shot on target with an hour played, diverting Joao Gomes’ cross past goalkeeper Jackson Smith with his thigh to end the League Two club’s resistance.
Unrelenting rainfall caused heavy ground underfoot and one penalty area in particular- that of Grimsby’s Smith in the first half – was already a quagmire before kick-off.
Charles Vernam shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box with just 43 seconds on the clock as Grimsby sought to catch their top-flight visitors cold.
Wolves had to wait until the 17th minute for their first opportunity of note, forward Tolu Arokodare firing over with a first-time attempt.
The white paint of the pitch markings soon blended and blurred with the mud as the surface rapidly deteriorated, and both sides struggled to stitch together cohesive attacks as passes travelled unpredictably across the sodden ground.
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