World's best (Spain) team called 'boring'

[Bigpokey24]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/spain-s-de ... semis.html

Spain's all-conquering national team has been rocked by accusations it is "boring" despite moving to within two games of officially becoming the greatest side ever.


A 2-0 victory over France in Donetsk on Saturday night moved Spain into a semifinal showdown with Portugal at Euro 2012 and kept alive its dream of being the first team to win three straight major tournaments.


Criticism of Xabi Alonso (left) and Spain is growing. (Getty Images) However, yet another comfortable performance was not enough to appease critics who have started to pick holes in the team's precise and structured style of play – and are growing in voice.

When French fans whistled and jeered as Spain's players passed the ball between themselves in the second half, the Spanish supporting contingent did nothing by way of verbal counter. With the sole exception of a romping 4-0 destruction of the Republic of Ireland in its second group game, each of Spain's performances at this tournament have been met with some form of flak, and this was no different.

Critics complain the passing game mastered by club side Barcelona and adopted wholeheartedly by the national team is too labored, too slow in its build-up and lacking in both pace and excitement.

Such jibes have stunned Spain's stars, who argue that giving the nation its first major trophy for 46 years at Euro 2008, backing it up by clinching the World Cup two years ago and staying unbeaten at these Euros should be good enough to ensure positive reviews. "All the debate speaks volumes about the demands made on us," said defender Alvaro Arbeloa. "People don't seem to realize that in a competition like this the difficulty is huge. You can't win every game 3-0. You can't be brilliant every time. The opposition play too but it is as if they don't exist."



Spain had won its six previous games in the knockout stages of tournaments 1-0, and this contest appeared to be heading the same way until Xabi Alonso knocked home a penalty kick in the final minute to extend the advantage.

It was a memorable night for Alonso, who celebrated his 100th appearance for his country with a pair of goals, the first coming after 19 minutes with a perfectly-placed header after Jordi Alba crossed from the left.

France, beset by such serious disharmony in its camp that head coach Laurent Blanc was forced to go public with its details, had neither the talent nor the will to respond. Such a spineless French display certainly made Spain's life easier, but also gave extra ammunition to the Spanish doubters.

A tougher task surely awaits in the form of a Portugal side led by Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored three goals in his past two games including a late winner against the Czech Republic.

Either way, don't expect the Spanish approach to be any different. The only chance of a change in the tactical blueprint will be if it no longer works, and there is nothing to suggest anyone is close to discovering an appropriate antidote.

It may be increasingly unpopular, but Spain's incremental approach, based on retaining possession at all costs, has delivered an extraordinary run of success that is close to adding another golden chapter.

Against France, head coach Vicente del Bosque did not even use one recognized striker from the start, with Fernando Torres being left on the bench until late in the second half.

Easy on the eye or not, Spain's way is mightily effective and, in this tournament especially, has allowed the team to win and progress even when it is not playing at its best or most fluid.

"In the past we suffered and we were out," said midfielder Andres Iniesta, who scored the winning goal in the World Cup final in South Africa. "Now we suffer, and we win. We have made the exceptional into something routine."

The onus is on the rest of Europe – and the rest of the world – to force Spain out of its comfortable slow dance, not on the reigning champion to alter a winning formula just because it offends a few.

[tfco]

I slept for a bit during the 2H.

[Bigpokey24]

no be only you.. it is a very negative way to watch football.... people watch football because of the unexpected.. these folks have destroyed the game...sotey , the do not play with a center foward

[Bigpokey24]

Has 'boring' Spain lost its football mojo?

http://worldsport.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06 ... ball-mojo/

Even just a few months ago, it would have been sporting heresy. Now, it was just a throwaway comment between colleagues in the office. “I’m bored with Spain.” I nodded in agreement - it was hard to argue.

Can it be true? Are we really getting tired of watching the world and European champions? An international side that echoes the quality of Barcelona; a team of footballing matadors with players who can humiliate their opponents, passing them to death and running them into the ground as they chase the ball in vain.

[Bigpokey24]

Ok I just saw Spain vs France today and I have to say Spains plays most boring football ever, only Greece was more boring than Spain.
There's no doubt that Spain is the strongest team, but the way they play is so boring.
All they do is pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass......bascially passing the entire time.
They don't take shot unless if they think they have chance on scoring.
So would you say that Spain is the most boring team right now?

Spain play a very boring, defensive style of football. One of football's many sayings is 'if you don't concede, you can't lose'. Spain play to this rule. By passing it about, they are not allowing the opposition to get the ball, and therefore the opposition cannot score. However, Spain are not going anywhere with the ball, because they are too scared that they will give it away and have to defend. Basically, they are cowards. At least 'boring' Chelsea were brave.

No doubt,Watching Spain play is like watching a fighter run around the ring and throw a lucky punch every once in a while, it’s just boring. They do have awesome players but their style of soccer is just plain boring and lacks "flair". That's why i like teams like Germany who play aggressive & fast football. And the brazil of 2002 when there was Ronaldo, because they played the beautiful game!
They play with a defensive midset all the time and i would like to add that Sergio Ramos is perhaps the most dirty player in football! He plays ugly football and he is just awful to watch

[oluphemmie007]

i have said it before that the reason barca (and spain) play the passing game is not for attacking purpose. they do it to wholly control the game.they defend by withholding possession, attack by controlling transition.

[airwolex]

Ofcourse they are boring, again I couldn't finish the game as I was so bored but you have to put most of the blame on the opposing teams. You have to be brave against Spain as well, get at them get the ball off them and make things happen; France just didn't do this. Apart from maybe Ribery the rest of the team were bad for me; Benzeama's all sorts of rubbish.

Iniesta, Jordi Alba, Alonso and sometimes Silva are good to watch because they sometimes play with purpose but the overall game is simply effective and mundane. Xavi has to be one of the most irritating soccer players to ever walk the face of the Earth how can you play 360 minutes of soccer just passing and passing and passing. It must take some kind of psychosis to be able to do that without even attempting to do something a bit different.

I have to congratulate them for finding a style that suits them and is unique but I really hope for the sake of football Germany or Portugal win this cup. I'd hate to see other teams copying them in the future; I might have to stop watching football altogether.

[Mr. Piffington]

They are brilliant, no doubt about that, they can be a tad bit boring though.

[Mr. Piffington]

Ofcourse they are boring, again I couldn't finish the game as I was so bored but you have to put most of the blame on the opposing teams. You have to be brave against Spain as well, get at them get the ball off them and make things happen; France just didn't do this. Apart from maybe Ribery the rest of the team were bad for me; Benzeama's all sorts of rubbish.

Iniesta, Jordi Alba, Alonso and sometimes Silva are good to watch because they sometimes play with purpose but the overall game is simply effective and mundane. Xavi has to be one of the most irritating soccer players to ever walk the face of the Earth how can you play 360 minutes of soccer just passing and passing and passing. It must take some kind of psychosis to be able to do that without even attempting to do something a bit different.

I have to congratulate them for finding a style that suits them and is unique but I really hope for the sake of football Germany or Portugal win this cup. I'd hate to see other teams copying them in the future; I might have to stop watching football altogether.

You say it like it's easy. My guy, if France did that the scoreline would have been embarrassing. People who try to 'have a go' at Spain will end up get beat so badly more often that not.

[kone]

Lol Spain boring ke? Abeg no hate only if supereagles can have iniesta xavi n fabregas in one team come add silva

[tfco]

Lol Spain boring ke? Abeg no hate only if supereagles can have iniesta xavi n fabregas in one team come add silva

we are not discussing individual skill here.

pass pass pass x 100 = yawn

[megapro]

When French fans whistled and jeered as Spain's players passed the ball between themselves in the second half, the Spanish supporting contingent did nothing by way of verbal counter.

French fans now realise why the Ukrainian fans did same to the French team at one stage in the second half of their game. Then they made 35 passes in a way that looked disrespectful.
One wonders where soccer is heading to.

[Coach]

T'is not Spain that reduce the game to its monotony, but their cowardly opponents who sit back, play extra fullbacks, inhibit their own attacking impetus and show no intention of getting the ball. There is nothing boring about retaining possession, methodologically picking passes of varying trajectories, patiently waiting for the kill. The opposition are passed into submission. When faced by a brick wall, the only option is to slowly chip away at it.

...France could've deployed Benzema further forward, started with Ben Arfa wide-left and Ribery wide right to pin back Spain's rampaging fullbacks. Nasri could've been given a free licence in midfield, with a back six behind, but no, they opted for two pairs of briefs, a chastity belt and squeezed their bum cheeks together as tight as they could. Surprise, surprise, they were f*cked! France offered nothing and Spain wore them down, the only way they could be. Look at the pass completion rate, the territorial dominance, this was more an exhibition of omnipotence than a footballing contest. The last time such subservience was seen on a playing field, Arsene Wenger was kicking bottles of Evian across the Nou Camp, Frenchman vs Spaniards, once again.

[Gooner1]

the easiest thing in the world to be is a critic
so you want spain to just give it to the opposition so that viewers can be entertained? what rubbish.......
haters will always hate

[Chimurenga Rebel]

T'is not Spain that reduce the game to its monotony, but their cowardly opponents who sit back, play extra fullbacks, inhibit their own attacking impetus and show intention of getting the ball. there is nothing boring about retaining possession, methodologically picking passes of varying trajectories patiently waiting for the kill. The opposition are passed into submission. When faced by a brick wall, the only option is to slow chip away at it.

France could've deployed Benzema further forward, started with Ben Arfa wide-left and Ribery wide right to pin back Spain's rampaging fullbacks. Nasri could've been given a free licence in midfield, with a back six behind, but no, they opted for two pairs of briefs,a chastity belt and squeezed their bum cheeks together as tight as they could. Surprise, surprise, they were f*cked! France offered nothing and Spain wore them down, the only way they could be. Look at the pass completion rate, the territorial dominance, this was more an exhibition of omnipotence than a footballing contest. The last time such subservience was seem on a playing field, Arsene Wenger kicking bottles of Evian across the Nou Camp, Frenchman vs Spaniards, once again.

You have a way with words Sir.

[Guv007]

They are brilliant, no doubt about that, they can be a tad bit boring though.

More than a tad but France were playing with no brains last night the way they kept passing to Spanish players in the 2nd haif.

[airwolex]

Ofcourse they are boring, again I couldn't finish the game as I was so bored but you have to put most of the blame on the opposing teams. You have to be brave against Spain as well, get at them get the ball off them and make things happen; France just didn't do this. Apart from maybe Ribery the rest of the team were bad for me; Benzeama's all sorts of rubbish.

Iniesta, Jordi Alba, Alonso and sometimes Silva are good to watch because they sometimes play with purpose but the overall game is simply effective and mundane. Xavi has to be one of the most irritating soccer players to ever walk the face of the Earth how can you play 360 minutes of soccer just passing and passing and passing. It must take some kind of psychosis to be able to do that without even attempting to do something a bit different.

I have to congratulate them for finding a style that suits them and is unique but I really hope for the sake of football Germany or Portugal win this cup. I'd hate to see other teams copying them in the future; I might have to stop watching football altogether.

You say it like it's easy. My guy, if France did that the scoreline would have been embarrassing. People who try to 'have a go' at Spain will end up get beat so badly more often that not.

It's not easy but teams should be braver. I have a feeling that Spain will not humiliate anybody anyway, they don't create that many chances.

Either way I blame the teams more than I blame Spain; a lot of them play like pussies against Spain.

[Heliopolis]

Barca pass to attack and score, Spain pass to control the match and prevent opponents from scoring. Biggest difference between Barca and previous Spain teams and this 2012 Euro version of Spain is that Spain does not have a game breaker like a Messi or Villa in attack. Guys like Iniesta, Silva, Pedro, etc are excellent players that can stretch the field and create chances but they arent going to average a goal per game. Fabregas is not a striker or false-9 and his first natural instinct when he gets the ball is to pass. Torres is god awful and his movement is terrible. He looks lost everytime he is on the pitch.

Spain are boring to watch because their passing does not lead to anything.

I cant blame cowardly opponents because Spain is just that good when it comes to retaining possession. Teams that want to play a high pressure attacking match against Spain will leave themselves liable to conceding a handful of goals. IMO the best model is the 'Chelsea' one. Sit back, defend in 2 rows of 4, take your chances well, and then sit back the rest of the match.

[Mr. Piffington]

T'is not Spain that reduce the game to its monotony, but their cowardly opponents who sit back, play extra fullbacks, inhibit their own attacking impetus and show no intention of getting the ball. There is nothing boring about retaining possession, methodologically picking passes of varying trajectories, patiently waiting for the kill. The opposition are passed into submission. When faced by a brick wall, the only option is to slowly chip away at it.

...France could've deployed Benzema further forward, started with Ben Arfa wide-left and Ribery wide right to pin back Spain's rampaging fullbacks. Nasri could've been given a free licence in midfield, with a back six behind, but no, they opted for two pairs of briefs, a chastity belt and squeezed their bum cheeks together as tight as they could. Surprise, surprise, they were f*cked! France offered nothing and Spain wore them down, the only way they could be. Look at the pass completion rate, the territorial dominance, this was more an exhibition of omnipotence than a footballing contest. The last time such subservience was seen on a playing field, Arsene Wenger was kicking bottles of Evian across the Nou Camp, Frenchman vs Spaniards, once again.

I read stuff like this and I laugh. To play to attack Spain these days is just suicide, they can hold the ball for fun and make even the best players look like school boys the best most teams can do is damage control from the get go and hope for a lucky counter or something.

[megapro]

T'is not Spain that reduce the game to its monotony, but their cowardly opponents who sit back, play extra fullbacks, inhibit their own attacking impetus and show no intention of getting the ball. There is nothing boring about retaining possession, methodologically picking passes of varying trajectories, patiently waiting for the kill. The opposition are passed into submission. When faced by a brick wall, the only option is to slowly chip away at it.

...France could've deployed Benzema further forward, started with Ben Arfa wide-left and Ribery wide right to pin back Spain's rampaging fullbacks. Nasri could've been given a free licence in midfield, with a back six behind, but no, they opted for two pairs of briefs, a chastity belt and squeezed their bum cheeks together as tight as they could. Surprise, surprise, they were f*cked! France offered nothing and Spain wore them down, the only way they could be. Look at the pass completion rate, the territorial dominance, this was more an exhibition of omnipotence than a footballing contest. The last time such subservience was seen on a playing field, Arsene Wenger was kicking bottles of Evian across the Nou Camp, Frenchman vs Spaniards, once again.

I read stuff like this and I laugh. To play to attack Spain these days is just suicide, they can hold the ball for fun and make even the best players look like school boys the best most teams can do is damage control from the get go and hope for a lucky counter or something.

Italy looked Spain right in the eye.

[Mr. Piffington]

T'is not Spain that reduce the game to its monotony, but their cowardly opponents who sit back, play extra fullbacks, inhibit their own attacking impetus and show no intention of getting the ball. There is nothing boring about retaining possession, methodologically picking passes of varying trajectories, patiently waiting for the kill. The opposition are passed into submission. When faced by a brick wall, the only option is to slowly chip away at it.

...France could've deployed Benzema further forward, started with Ben Arfa wide-left and Ribery wide right to pin back Spain's rampaging fullbacks. Nasri could've been given a free licence in midfield, with a back six behind, but no, they opted for two pairs of briefs, a chastity belt and squeezed their bum cheeks together as tight as they could. Surprise, surprise, they were f*cked! France offered nothing and Spain wore them down, the only way they could be. Look at the pass completion rate, the territorial dominance, this was more an exhibition of omnipotence than a footballing contest. The last time such subservience was seen on a playing field, Arsene Wenger was kicking bottles of Evian across the Nou Camp, Frenchman vs Spaniards, once again.

I read stuff like this and I laugh. To play to attack Spain these days is just suicide, they can hold the ball for fun and make even the best players look like school boys the best most teams can do is damage control from the get go and hope for a lucky counter or something.

Italy looked Spain right in the eye.

And only came out with a draw. We all know France is not on Italy's level so asking France to do it too isn't the smartest thing.

[kofi86]

Spain became boring imo. In 2008 they were really exciting, in 2010 it was worse, but 2012 takes the cake. They do not care about goals or anything. Have a 1-0 lead against France and that's it.

[Coach]

@Piffington, sit back and laugh, your response draws raptures from the crowd.

Re: the best most teams can do is damage control from the get go and hope for a lucky counter or something.

And how does a team counter playing a centre-forward dropping deeper than democracy did in the doldrums of Damascus. How adept is a speedy breakaway chaperoned by two rightbacks and a Flourent Malouda? Napoli play the counterattacking game with aplomb, how often have they substituted a Lavezzi in place of a sh*t rightback, to do f*ck all?

France's cowardice was the author of their failure. They could have played with a front four on the counter and kept six behind the ball, they didnt. They, doubled on right, for want of damage control from the get go and hoped for a lucky counter or something. 2-nil. Au revoir!