※ [本文轉錄自 LFP 看板] http://www.uefa.com/magazine/news/Kind=4/newsid=425955.html Calling all conquistadors Friday, 2 June 2006 by Graham Hunter from Barcelona The process of constructing a credible argument for Spain's chances as dark horses at the impending FIFA World Cup is almost as tricky as the actual process of constructing the team itself. To some extent there is no one more suited to that job than Luis Aragones: calling him impervious to criticism would be wrong, but to suggest he is thick-skinned and a little idiosyncratic is as much of an understatement as saying that Diego Maradona has lived a little and Ronaldinho may have a future in football. Thankless task Spain's inability to punch their true footballing weight for the 42 years since they last won a tournament is so dramatic, so repetitive and so depressing for those who adore the Primera Division that it has become a pretty thankless task to manage the national team. Who better than the 'Wise man of Hortaleza' to deflect all the pressure and negative energy from his predominantly youthful squad? Unbeaten run Take the fact that Aragones is now unbeaten in 19 matches since taking charge, and that of all the 32 sides who have qualified for Germany only the Netherlands have a better 'pound for pound' defensive record. When El Seleccion's chances this summer are analysed there is barely an acknowledgement of those useful nuggets of information. That said, the nervy and toothless nature of their 0-0 draw with Russia as they prepare for kick-off against Ukraine in Group H on 14 June underlined the fact that, subtracting their goal-fests against San Marino in qualifying, Spain only scored eight in as many matches. Not tournament-winning goal-power. Raul debate As has been the case for some time the debate surrounds Real Madrid CF's Raul Gonzalez. Most national coaches would sell their soul for a player with such leadership qualities, such a scoring record and a trophy list as prestigious as his. No one has more UEFA Champions League goals and he is also his country's all-time top scorer. Yet since Raul was decoupled from Fernando Morientes at both club and international level his goal average of 30 in each of the previous five seasons has dried to a trickle of around 14 for the last three. More startling is the fact that, injury notwithstanding, Raul has managed just seven club goals in 32 matches this season and only four in two calendar years for Spain - one of which was against San Marino plus a couple in friendlies. Crucial win If those statistics applied to anyone else they would be happy to be dropped and relieved not to be left at home altogether. The nagging fact, however, is that the last time Raul scored twice in one match for Spain it was in a crucial 2-1 win over Group H rivals Ukraine back in September 2003. So is Aragones daring enough to drop Raul, use him as an impact player and unite Fernando Torres, David Villa and Luis Garcia up front in a 4-3-3 formation? Villa, with 27 club goals this season, looks like the perfect tournament striker and Torres's view of his potential partner lends credence to the argument that Spain may yet punch their weight. "David and I have spent four years playing together at our age-group levels for Spain and I understand perfectly how he likes to work," explains the Club Atletico de Madrid forward. Great hope Above all Torres, who has been the great hope of Spanish football for two or three seasons even though he is only 22, has needed a partner who complemented him at international level. He recently admitted: "Until this qualifying campaign I felt like a bit of a villain because it seemed that the whole country was criticising me when I was truly trying my hardest. But I have to admit that I wasn't playing particularly well for Spain - I needed goals." 'Miracle goals' Torres's situation was a metaphor for the national predicament. If Spain could be relied upon to score just slightly more reliably at crucial moments then they would be short-priced for at least the last eight, and probably beyond. In Liverpool’s Luis Garcia they posses another who fits the Torres profile. Scorer of a hat-trick to eliminate Slovakia from the play-offs, he admits ruefully: "My Liverpool team-mate Steve Gerrard regularly teases me that I fluff all the easy chances and then only score 'miracle' goals. He's right. Too often I put a simple one into the clouds and then connect with some improbable volley which hits the top corner." 'Massive potential' Yet Garcia is like a number of Spain's younger players including Xabi Alonso, Torres, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Xavi Hernandez, Jose Antonio Reyes and Iker Casillas, who are all in their early twenties and yet have played in, or won, a UEFA Champions League final, a world youth final or a UEFA European Championship final. Casillas argues: "Spain has this massive potential in our squad because we younger players are used to reaching and winning semi-finals and finals for both our club and country." For Aragones to unleash that potential it will nonetheless need confidence, some well-timed goals and the crucial element of a lucky break here and there. -- ██████████████████ --

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