Spanish national team

[Risteard]

Can they break the hoodoo in 2010?
Possible line-up
-----------------------------------Casillas-------------------------------
Arbeloa--------------------------------------------------------Capdevilla
-----------------Puyol------------------Sergio Ramos--------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------Fabregas-------------Xavi---------------------------
Joaquin-------------------------------------------------------------Raul
--------------------Krkic--------------David Villa-----------------------

Save Raul, all those players will be in their prime for 2010 and will develop well over the next 3 years.
A good bench aswell of Reina, Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Torres, Reyes and Militos

[Lim till i die]

Militos

Are those two brothers not Argentinian??

And to answer your question NO, that side is far too Spanish not to choke at the earliest possible opportunity :)

[Risteard]

Eeek!!!!

[lopez]

And to answer your question NO, that side is far too Spanish not to choke at the earliest possible opportunity :)To be fair, they choke every second competition. In the other's they are unlucky or are cheated. Wembley 96 with two goals dissallowed; I don't think they were going to be allowed to win that day although maybe the ref would have allowed a goal after dissalowing four.

It's not down to being Spanish, whatever that means. People make a big deal of the country's diversity, but Spain have won the world championship in basketball, and lost the European final at the weekend by one point with a team equally diverse. In football they are consistently good at youth level, and you'd think that this will eventually transfer to senior level. Also more Spanish players are playing abroad. The problem is how important the clubs are, not how unpatriotic the players are.

Despite that, I doubt they'll win the World Cup, although I've heard good things about Bojan Krkic. Possibly win the European Championships one day.

[see's it]

Can they break the hoodoo in 2010?
Possible line-up
-----------------------------------Casillas-------------------------------
Arbeloa--------------------------------------------------------Capdevilla
-----------------Puyol------------------Sergio Ramos--------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------Fabregas-------------Xavi---------------------------
Joaquin-------------------------------------------------------------Raul
--------------------Krkic--------------David Villa-----------------------

Save Raul, all those players will be in their prime for 2010 and will develop well over the next 3 years.
A good bench aswell of Reina, Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Torres, Reyes and Militos

surely raul will be nearly 36 or 37 by the next world cup

[DmanDmythDledge]

surely raul will be nearly 36 or 37 by the next world cup
He will be 32.

I think Spain will do it next time round.

[see's it]

32 in 2010?

[Risteard]

Yes, likely to turn 33 during the tournament.
He'll be well up to the pace.

[see's it]

1 of the best finishers ever in the game ive always been a fan

[shanman2]

Can they break the hoodoo in 2010?
Possible line-up
-----------------------------------Casillas-------------------------------
Arbeloa--------------------------------------------------------Capdevilla
-----------------Puyol------------------Sergio Ramos--------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------Fabregas-------------Xavi---------------------------
Joaquin-------------------------------------------------------------Raul
--------------------Krkic--------------David Villa-----------------------

Save Raul, all those players will be in their prime for 2010 and will develop well over the next 3 years.
A good bench aswell of Reina, Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Torres, Reyes and Militos

David Silva valencia and susaeta at bilbao will both be in that team along iniesta who is better than Xavi. Reyes, Joaquin, Raul and Xavi Alonso wont even contend palaces on the team.

[chappie]

the young lad navas from sevilla will surely be on one of the flanks if he can get over his nerves or whatever it is that seems to affect him travelling...more than likely with david silva....if only vicente could get himself back in workin order then they would look prretty good out wide...always rated vicente but has missed more a less the last 18 months with injury, its hard to see him being the same player when he gets back from them

[Dodge]

Raul is finished and Iniesta is younger and already better than Xavi (who I rate highly). Poor Bojan has a lot of hype to live up to

[Stuttgart88]

Can Youth Reverse Spain's Curse?

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=609737.html#can+youth+reverse+spains+curse

[Risteard]

I backed a draw tonight and instantly regretted it.
They beat France 1nil.
Mark my words, they're destined for great things, if not in Austria/ Switzerland then definitely in 2010.

Rauls turning back the clock Dodge, no?
Its just stubborness keeping him out at this stage.

[Roadend]

Rauls turning back the clock Dodge, no?
Its just stubborness keeping him out at this stage.
Stubborness and a new oxygan depletion chamber he had installed in his house, seriously.

[Lionel Ritchie]

What would depleting oxygen do for him?

I've heard of treatments involving enhanced or increased oxygen that help younger players recover from injury.

[lopez]

He's got so much competition for the striker's role, though. Sadly missing from his debut due to a dose of the trots was Bojan Krkic who would have been the youngest player since some Basque's debut circa 1936.

Anyway, loved the new shirt they played in. Sort of gold. France also played in red shirt, which is also a departure from the norm. Makes our grey shirt against Wales hardly unusual.

[Stuttgart88]

Any photos?

The French rugby kit is quite a departure too.

[NeilMcD]

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/euro/news/kind=1/newsid=654426.html

[Stuttgart88]

Thanks

[Docboy]

I'll be lumping some cash on the Dutch this summer, who look to have the right blend of youth and experience. That's if the likes of Van Persie and that are fit

[shakermaker1982]

I might have a tenner on Spain - Croatia would be my dark horses.

Docboy - Holland would do well to get out of their group!