Spains Final 23 man Squad

gimmick

Stolen from redout in the Barca thread

la Selección 23 man World Cup squad

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), José Manuel Reina (Liverpool), Víctor Valdés (Barcelona).

Defenders: Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Gerard Piqué (Barcelona), Raúl Albiol (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Álvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Carlos Marchena (Valencia).

Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Xavi Hernández (Barcelona), Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona), Jesús Navas (Sevilla), Cesc Fábregas (Arsenal), Javi Martínez (Athletic).

Forwards: David Silva (Valencia), Juan Manuel Mata (Valencia), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), David Villa (Barcelona), Pedro Rodríguez (Barcelona), Fernando Llorente (Athletic).

JPA

It's alright.

What a squad it is when you go through the names.

They'll be there or thereabouts.

Hope not though.

Ush1

Great to see the Pornstar in there and Pedro!

Pepe LeFrits

Who are the starting midfielders if everyone is fit? Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta & ?

gimmick

That is one motherfúcking strong squad.

Deligthed justice has been done and Valdes is included. Pedro certainly deserves his place on the plane. Also happy to see Negredo left out. Seems to be a very poor attitude.

gimmick

Ush1 wrote: »

Great to see the Pornstar in there

Been meaning to ask for a long time. Why is Valdes called that??

JPA

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Who are the starting midfielders if everyone is fit? Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta & ?

Silva is a starter anyway. Is Alonso a certain starter?

KombuchaMshroom

Whats the story with Torres fitness?
Think he would be a good shout for a bit of money on top scorer, but only if he is fit from the start.

Pepe LeFrits

JPA wrote: »

Silva is a starter anyway. Is Alonso a certain starter?

I dunno, Senna ain't in there though and I'd assume Alonso would get the holding role over Busquets...

JPA

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

I dunno, Senna ain't in there though and I'd assume Alonso would get the holding role over Busquets...

You'd think so although Alonso is not much of a holding midfielder more of a passer and with Xavi in the team...
Anyway I'll wait for someone who actually knows.

Fuzzy_Dunlop

Pardon my ignorance but what kind of role does Javi Martinez play in midfield? Would he be more defensive minded akin to Busquets?

gimmick

Yes, he is. I would almost expect him to start as DMF as well.

_blank_

Do they play 4-3-3

Six forwards is a lot.

redout

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Who are the starting midfielders if everyone is fit? Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta & ?

If you are referring to regulars then Xavi, Iniesta and Silva.

Ramos, Puyol, Pique and Casillas.

Arbeloa has played LB on occasion.

Torres and Villa always play up front when fit.

I reckon this starting 11 though different opposition will dictate.

---

Casillas

---

Puyol

---

Pique

---

Ramos

---

Capdevila

---

Alonso

---

Xavi

---

Iniesta

Silva

---

Torres

---

Villa

Skud

442 - with silva and ineista were on the wings for the euros. not sure lately but think that silva and mata could be considered wingers rather than forwards in that team

Lukker-

Is Senna injured or just playing bad? He was one of Spain's top performers in the euros

event

Des wrote: »

Do they play 4-3-3

Six forwards is a lot.

mata and silva play on the wing really, they wouldnt be out and out strikers

SlickRic

it's just not fair.

they should lend someone like New Zealand their bench.

tdv123

redout wrote: »

If you are referring to regulars then Xavi, Iniesta and Silva.

Ramos, Puyol, Pique and Casillas.

Arbeloa has played LB on occasion.

Torres and Villa always play up front when fit.

I reckon this starting 11 though different opposition will dictate.

---

Casillas

---

Puyol

---

Pique

---

Ramos

---

Capdevila

---

Alonso

---

Xavi

---

Iniesta

Silva

---

Torres

---

Villa

Actually wouldnt mind seeing Navas in there ahead of Silva.

Degag

gimmick wrote: »

Been meaning to ask for a long time. Why is Valdes called that??

I thought it was Ramos who was called that?

Reganio 2

Lukker- wrote: »

Is Senna injured or just playing bad? He was one of Spain's top performers in the euros

Injured.

He is a major loss for them that will go fairly unnoticed by a lot. But if they have to play Biscuits at any point they are going to struggle, don't rate him at all.

mike65

SlickRic wrote: »

it's just not fair.

they should lend someone like New Zealand England their bench.

CorkMan

---

Casillas

Ramos

---

Puyol

---

Marchena

---

Capdevila

---

Xavi

---

Fabregas

---

Iniesta

---

Silva

---

Torres

---

Villa



I would think Silva and Villa could take chances going out wide with Iniesta playing into the hole sometimes. This team is as good as almost any world cup winning team of all time.

jdooley28

CorkMan wrote: »

---

Casillas

Ramos

---

Puyol

---

Marchena

---

Capdevila

---

Xavi

---

Fabregas

---

Iniesta

---

Silva

---

Torres

---

Villa



I would think Silva and Villa could take chances going out wide with Iniesta playing into the hole sometimes. This team is as good as almost any world cup winning team of all time.

I'd sat thats spot on with a toss up between marchana & pique

Le King

gimmick wrote: »

Been meaning to ask for a long time. Why is Valdes called that??

Because he looks like a Pornstar.

bUILDERtHEbOB

If Silva starts regularly for my sanity I hope he lives up to his ability.

I don't think I could bare hours of 'Silva is a nothing player Bill' for a whole month.

~Rebel~

redout wrote: »

If you are referring to regulars then Xavi, Iniesta and Silva.

Ramos, Puyol, Pique and Casillas.

Arbeloa has played LB on occasion.

Torres and Villa always play up front when fit.

I reckon this starting 11 though different opposition will dictate.

---

Casillas

---

Puyol

---

Pique

---

Ramos

---

Capdevila

---

Alonso

---

Xavi

---

Iniesta

Silva

---

Torres

---

Villa

Thats exactly the team and formation i expect as well, with potential changes in defence. Could see Albiol and Pique battling for that CB slot, both have played a similar amount for the national team and neither seems to have gotten the definate nod for starter. Looking more like Pique at the moment though alright i think.

~Rebel~

Incidentally, I wonder how Navas will cope out there, doesn't he suffer from an insane level of homesickness? Like, even on away games for short periods of time? South Africa for 6 weeks might be a bit of a struggle for him...

mormank

Wow what a squad. Just look at their keepers for example. I would harbour a guess that they will have the strongest 3rd choice keeper going to south africa. And they just have world class players in every position and world class cover in most also.

On paper for me it's hard not to see spain at least in the finals but do we think that they will baulk again on the biggest stage of them all or has their euro's success made them ready to go ahead and finally win the world cup for Spain??

Peyton Manning

redout wrote: »

If you are referring to regulars then Xavi, Iniesta and Silva.

Ramos, Puyol, Pique and Casillas.

Arbeloa has played LB on occasion.

Torres and Villa always play up front when fit.

I reckon this starting 11 though different opposition will dictate.

---

Casillas

---

Puyol

---

Pique

---

Ramos

---

Capdevila

---

Alonso

---

Xavi

---

Iniesta

Silva

---

Torres

---

Villa

Jaysus, if they play that against Chile, it will be the highest scoring match the WC has ever seen!

redout

redout wrote: »

If you are referring to regulars then Xavi, Iniesta and Silva.

Ramos, Puyol, Pique and Casillas.

Arbeloa has played LB on occasion.

Torres and Villa always play up front when fit.

I reckon this starting 11 though different opposition will dictate.

---

Casillas

---

Puyol

---

Pique

---

Ramos

---

Capdevila

---

Alonso

---

Xavi

---

Iniesta

Silva

---

Torres

---

Villa

---

Valdes

Marchena

---

Albiol

---

Arbeloa

---

Busquets----Javi Martínez

---

Fabregas

Navas

---

Mata

---

Pedro

---

Llorente

Not a bad second string :pac:

LoL, thats nearly better than most teams starting eleven.

PHB

Alonso as a holding midfielder would be silly. Defense is not his strength, and you don't really need anyone past Xavi. If you ask me, Fabregas is better in defence than Alonso.

redout

PHB wrote: »

Alonso as a holding midfielder would be silly. Defense is not his strength, and you don't really need anyone past Xavi. If you ask me, Fabregas is better in defence than Alonso.

He is not so much a defensive midfielder but more a deep lying midfielder. Certainly not as advanced as Xavi nor as defence minded as Busquets.

jesus_thats_gre

mormank wrote: »

Wow what a squad. Just look at their keepers for example. I would harbour a guess that they will have the strongest 3rd choice keeper going to south africa. And they just have world class players in every position and world class cover in most also.

On paper for me it's hard not to see spain at least in the finals but do we think that they will baulk again on the biggest stage of them all or has their euro's success made them ready to go ahead and finally win the world cup for Spain??

I think that there is a glaring weakness in the team, i.e the lack of a pacey, strong player that is capable of reading and breaking up the oppositions play.

If they had someone like this, they would have a near perfect team. I just worry about what will happen when they come up against an extremely well organised and hard working team that has the quality up top to take their chances in front of goal when they come.

Irrespective of that however, they are rightly one of the favourites and I hope they win it.

jesus_thats_gre

PHB wrote: »

Alonso as a holding midfielder would be silly. Defense is not his strength, and you don't really need anyone past Xavi. If you ask me, Fabregas is better in defence than Alonso.

You can get an idea of what I think of both of them defensively from my previous post but I would take Alonso in that position every single time. I am not sure what you have seen from Fabregas to suggest otherwise.

Johner

KombuchaMshroom wrote: »

Whats the story with Torres fitness?
Think he would be a good shout for a bit of money on top scorer, but only if he is fit from the start.

I'd go for Villa.

mormank

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

I think that there is a glaring weakness in the team, i.e the lack of a pacey, strong player that is capable of reading and breaking up the oppositions play.

If they had someone like this, they would have a near perfect team. I just worry about what will happen when they come up against an extremely well organised and hard working team that has the quality up top to take their chances in front of goal when they come.

Irrespective of that however, they are rightly one of the favourites and I hope they win it.

True and this is where they will miss senna imo. However Alonso made a great partner for Gerrard back in the days before masch and when Gerrard was a center midfielder and I'm sure he could do the same with Xavi

jesus_thats_gre

I don't know if Alonso and Gerrard were ever "great" together when they played alongside each other in the centre of midfield.

They obviously limit the exposure to their defence by maintaining possession but like Arsenal and Barca, they will be quite exposed when they come up against teams that can can stop them playing but can also maintain possession.

Torres and Villa could just lead them to outscoring everyone, regardless of how many they concede.

Warper

I think Spain are going to miss Senna bigtime, Alonso is not enough defensively to cover the back 4. Busquets will have to play to provide cover.

kinaldo

This has to be the most decorated squad going to South Africa by far:

The manager has won 2 CLs and 2 Ligas.

Most of the Barca players have 2 CL medals.

Xavi also has 5 liga medals.

Casillas has 2 CL medals and 4 liga medals.

Xabi Alonso also has CL winners and runners up medals.

Most of them have a European Championship medal too.

Torres has also scored the winning goal in a major international final while Villa has won the Golden Boot.

These guys are not ''bottlers''. If they don't win the World Cup it will be down to lack of fitness / fatigue.