Spain Soccer Team 2010 World Cup Champions!

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Spain Soccer Team
La Roja Is the Best!

The Spain Soccer Team continues to play soccer as it was meant to be played! When Spain goalie, Iker Casillas, knocked away Antonio Di Natale’s penalty kick in the penalty shootout of the 2008 UEFA European Championship quarterfinals, millions of Spaniards and Spain soccer team fans wondered if this could be the end of a long history of heartbreak and misfortune for La Roja (i.e., The Red), Spain’s national soccer team, also known as La Selección.

Cesc Beats Buffon

It was left to the foot of then 21 year-old Cesc Fábregas, midfielder for Arsenal of the English Premier League, and second-half substitute for Spain. The youngster cooly knocked the winning goal past the Italian goalie, Buffon, and Spain had eliminated the defending World Champs and advanced to the semifinals.

There was, of course, still work to be done. They dispatched the dangerous Russians with surprising ease, beating them 3-0 in the semifinals. The Russians had come into the match with great confidence after whipping the Dutch 3-1.

To no one’s surprise, Germany stood in the way of Spain achieving its first international soccer trophy in 44 years (Spain beat the USSR in the 1964 European Cup).

After a rocky start, the Spaniards settled down and in the 32nd minute, midfield genius Xavi Hernández unleashed a brilliant deep pass to Fernando Torres, who outraced the German defender, Lahm, leaped over the diving goalie, Lehmann, and flipped the ball just inside the far post of the German net.

It was to be the only goal of the match, securing international glory for Spain after so many years of heartbreak!

Spain’s La Roja – Humble Champions

Since that pivotal moment, Spain has stood atop of the soccer world after winning the 2010 FIFA World Cup with an extra time 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final. Midfielder Andrés Iniesta, off a diagonal pass from substitute Cesc Fábregas (that name again!) in the 116th minute, blasted the winner past the Dutch goalie, Maarten Stekelenberg, and the Spaniards held on to lift the World Cup for the first time!

Since winning the World Cup Spain have lost only a couple of international friendlies, but have won all their 2012 European Cup qualifying matches heading into Summer 2011, putting them ahead of everyone in their qualifying group. An unprecedented third consecutive major international championship is not out of the question for this immensely talented and unified team.

The talent coming up from las canteras keeps replenishing La Roja. In 2011, Spain became the first nation to win the UEFA European championship in two different age groups the same year, the UNder-21 and Under-19 teams accomplished this just a couple of weeks apart. This is truly the Champions Age of Spanish soccer.

But they have not let their success get to their heads. They saw the loss to the USA in the 2009 Confederations Cup semifinals as a blunt reminder that in international soccer, an organized and well coached team can quickly demolish the dreams of a superior team if they do not come ready to play their best. And the shocking 1-0 loss to the Swiss in the opening match of World Cup 2010 had to be overcome, and was overcome, with enormous suffering and sacrifice.

Offense Is the Best Defense in Spanish Fútbol

In the final six matches, all victories by the minimal margin of one goal, Spain scored only eight goals, but their ball possession prowess and their suffocating defense led by their inspirational center back, Carles Puyol, allowed only one goal (that coming in their 2-1 defeat of Chile). La Roja played under unimaginable pressure, knowing they had to win every match after their opening loss to the Swiss. That pressure, added to the pressure of being pre-tournament co-favorites with Brazil, makes the Spaniards’ accomplishment all the more remarkable.

Spain are the first nation to lose their first match in the World Cup tournament and to come back to win the greatest team trophy in the world, the FIFA World Cup. Amazingly, they are also the first European nation to win the World Cup outside Europe, and only the third European nation to possess both UEFA European Cup (2008) and FIFA World Cup concurrently (West Germany and France are the others).

Coach – Manager Vicente del Bosque, has kept Luis Aragonés’ (his predecesor’s) emphasis on ball control and quick passing (known as the tiqui-taca style of play), team unity, and humility in tact, while adding a few younger dynamic players to his squad, such as Pedro (Barcelona), Navas (Sevilla), and Busquets (Barcelona).

Spain have tasted success and they are hungry for more. A wealth of young talent in La Cantera (the youth leagues) has Spain thinking tears are a thing of the past. The old wounds are healed. Spain is ready to take its place among the greats for many years to come, and to win its share of soccer glory!

Spain Soccer Team 23-Man Roster 2010 World Cup

Player	Position	Club Team
Iker Casillas	Goalie	Real Madrid
Pepe Reina	Goalie	Liverpool
Victor Valdés	Goalie	Barcelona
Joan Capdevila	Defense	Villarreal
Carles Puyol	Defense	Barcelona
Carlos Marchena	Defense	Valencia
Sergio Ramos	Defense	Real Madrid
Alvaro Arbeloa	Defense	Real Madrid
Gerard Piqué	Defense	Barcelona
Raul Albiol	Defense	Real Madrid
Sergio Busquets	Midfielder	Barcelona
Xabi Alonso	Midfielder	Real Madrid
Javi Martínez	Midfielder	Athletic
Cesc Fábregas	Midfielder	Arsenal
David Silva	Midfielder	Manchester City
Andrés Iniesta	Midfielder	Barcelona
Xavi Hernández	Midfielder	Barcelona
Jesús Navas	Midfielder	Sevilla
Fernando Torres	Forward	Chelsea
Juan Mata	Forward	Valencia
Fernando Llorente	Forward	Athletic
David Villa	Forward	Barcelona
Pedro Rodríguez	Forward	Barcelona

Vicente del Bosque, Current Coach

Luis Aragonés, Former Coach (led Spain to first European Cup Championship since 1964)

For a more detailed look at the Spain Soccer Team that won the 2010 South Africa World Cup, click one of the links below:

Tiqui Taca – the Ultimate Spain Soccer Weapon

Spain Goalies – An Embarrassment of Riches

Spain Fullbacks Defend and Attack Equally Well

Spain Midfielders May Be Best in the World

Spain Forwards Have Been Unstoppable

Spain Coaches Vicente del Bosque and Luis Aragonés

Things are looking up for the Spanish National Soccer Team. The style of play and the new confidence instilled in these players by a growing number of successes and by two wonderful coaches has filtered down to the youth levels throughout the country. The Spain Under 21 team completed a brilliant tournament in Denmark defeating Switzerland to win the 2011 UEFA Under 21 European Championship, and in the process secure Spain a place in the 2012 London Olympics!