Spanish National Team Official Thread

dena wrote:Spain for Olympic gold?

We achieved our first two objectives tonight – qualifying for the Olympics and reaching the final – and now we will fight for the title. I was lucky enough to play the game and I know that you have to keep going until the very end. If you keep fighting, that faith is sometimes rewarded. The game is never over until the final whistle, and so it proved.

We had a lot of players across the middle of the pitch, and we were playing well without really hurting them. So I brought on Diego Capel and Jeffren Suárez to get us behind them and playing in more dangerous areas. We got there eventually and I think it was the right result.

I have said all along that the boys on the bench have been great in their attitude – although they haven't been playing, they've been ready to come on and make an impact. I made the changes because I thought they would help us, because the substitutes were confident boys. You could then see the spirit and togetherness in the squad when the other substitutes came off the bench to celebrate the second goal with their team-mates.

Aaron wrote:

SBSP wrote:When's the final?

Defence
Our defence has conceded only two goals. It's very quick, very solid and right now playing with a lot of confidence. We're doing a great job, but that is also down to the pressing the team does higher up the pitch. The forwards and midfielders help make our job easier, in the same way that the full-backs are an important attacking weapon.

Midfield
We're a team that likes to pass the ball around a lot and build up the play. Players like Thiago Alcántara and Juan Mata are key to our build-up play and then there's Javi Martínez who is capable of doing a bit of everything. This part of the team is the engine because this is where our football emerges from.

Attack
These are the players who decide matches – the results don't come without their goals and this is where Adrián López warrants praise. At first there were people doubting him and criticising him but we believed in him and knew that the goals would come. He is proving he's a great striker. As well as him we've got a lot of width on the flanks and players with great movement.

Fine Shagger wrote:

So cute

Sean wrote:What do you thin would have been said if Spain didnt score that equaliser, would the Spanish be angry or see it as a good tournament?