Spain have made it to their first World Cup semifinals in the country's history. A shocking statistic really, especially considering the talent that the Iberian nation has produced over the decades. In effect it has always come to as a surprise when we look back at Spain's inability to progress far in World Cup tournaments, and indeed to have never won a World Cup at all. Holland are always said to be the best nation to have never won the World Cup, especially after the near-misses of 1974 and 1978, but Spain must surely be put in that category as well.
It was not a particularly convincing performance which saw Spain overcome the stubborn Paraguay defense. In effect they did not sweep their South American opponents as many may have had predicted it. Of course Spain dominated most of the play and possession however, as Paraguay was content to just sit deep and absorb pressure, but they struggled to create too many clear-cut chances. Outstandingly, it was Paraguay who came close to breaking the deadlock in the final minutes of the first half, had Nelson Valdez's back-post cross been converted. Valdez was again the dangerous moments later as he latched on to a long cross, controlled, and smashed in a shot past Casillas. It was the linesman who would come to Spain's rescue however as the Paraguay striker was flagged offside. Spain came back in the first half and quickly made the change as the misfiring Torres was substituted by Fabregas. The real drama came at the hour mark as Paraguay was awarded a penalty when Pique pulled down Oscar Cardozo in the box after an ensuing corner-kick. Cardozo stepped up to take the penalty and fired low and hard. Casillas would pull Spain out of the fire this time around, as the Real Madrid stopper dove to his right to save and smother the shot. And mere seconds later it was David Villa who was taken down in the box by the then flawless Alcaraz. Xabi Alonso took responsibility and smashed in the penalty. The play was called back for encroaching however and Alonso was made to re-take the penalty. Villar came up with the save this time and the ensuing scramble gave way to a corner-kick, as Paraguay rushed to the ball to clear it. There was one piece of controversy as Fabregas seemed to have been pulled down by Villar after he had latched onto the rebound. The call was not given however and play resumed.
The Breakthrough would come at the 83rd minute of a very tense game. It was no surprise that David Villa would save Spain yet again as his solitary strike turned out to be the decisive one. It is unquestionable that David Villa has been the most important player for Spain. In fact, in terms of the national team, it has always been the case. Torres, for the most part, fails to come up with the goods at this stage. Doubtlessly Xavi is the engine which makes the whole operation run smoothly, but David Villa is incontestably the X factor of this team. This was his fifth goal of the tournament, and all his strikes have thus far proven decisive. Certainly Vincente Del Bosque will be hoping for more of the same from the Spain hitman.
Spain are thus poised to become heroes, should they overcome the impressive German unit in their semifinals clash. It will be a bit of a case of unknown territory for La Furia Roja, but they unquestionably possess all the weapons to reach the final of the World Cup. As we look at the squad on paper, player for player, it is self-evident that the Spanish are superior to the Germans. As such they come into this clash with the added burden of being the favorites to advance. Indeed this is a tag that the Spanish have tried very hard to rid themselves of, especially after their recent triumph at the European Championship. Tactically speaking, this Spanish team may hold much of the same personnel which featured at EURO '08, but it plays differently. Unlike the EURO '08 squad, Vincente Del Bosque plays with two holding midfielders: Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets. As a result the play does not go through Xavi as much since he does not play as centrally anymore. Consequently he does not orchestrate from the midfield as much and plays in a much more advanced position. This team, although it plays the same possession style of football, is much more forceful and direct. The only problem with this is that it plays narrow and usually tries to break through the middle. This lack of width has seen them struggle a lot during some of their games. Conversely, the additional holding midfielders offers extra cover to the back-line and allows Sergio Ramos and Capdevilla to bomb forward and join in on the attack.
It will surely be a gripping contest between these two teams. The impressive Spanish midfield will most likely get the best of the German midfield. Considering the pairing of Khedira and Schweinsteiger, Spain should be able to over-flood them and dominate midfield. however Germany is a team that has proven to operate very effectively on the counter. With the Marauding runs of Ramos and Capdevilla on the right and left flanks respectively, Spain could play right into the Germans' hands. The absence of the impressive Thomas Muller on the right hand side will be crucial for the Germans however. As such we might see the inclusion of either Cacau, Marin, or Trochowski. Trochowski, a very potent attacker and skillful player he might be, is unlikely to get the nod from Low due to his lack of pace. Marin possesses both the pace and dribbling ability but operates mostly on the left-hand side. By process of elimination, we are left with Cacau whose natural position is as a right-sided forward. His defensive ability is the only question mark however.
It will definitely be a game to be decided by the smallest of margins. Not necessarily referring to the score line but more so in terms of the defining moments of the games. The individual battles on offer are all tantalizing propositions as well: Xavi against Schweinsteiger, Villa against Lahm, Sergio Ramos against Podolski, Puyol against Klose. The winners of these key battles will most likely see their side going through to the finals.
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