What: 2010 FIFA World Cup
Who: Spain vs Switzerland (Group H)
When: Wednesday 16th June, 2010, at 15:00 UK Time
Where: Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa
The Next Level
From underdogs before the start of Euro 2008, all the way to being favorites to lift the 2010 World Cup; The Spanish national team is finally starting to shine after years of underachievement and disappointment.
Led by the megastars of Barcelona and Real Madrid – they constitute 13 of the 23-man squad – the Red Fury have a great group of players that are capable of shutting down some of the world’s elite sides. With a top-class player in every position and a bench that is more than capable of filling in upon requirement, it will certainly be hard for any side to brush-off the European champions.
The major topic around the Spanish camp has been the fitness of Barcelona dynamo Andres Iniesta. After a superb showing in the thrashing of Poland, the La Masia youth product had to be withdrawn early on due to injury. Should he win the fitness race, he would constitute a major boost for Spain’s attack.
Pull-off a Surprise?
It’s definitely not easy, but beating Spain is far from being impossible. The United States managed to shock the Euro 2008 champions during the last Confederations Cup, and there shouldn’t be any reason why their Alpine opponents Switzerland can’t do the same.
The co-hosts of the last European Championships certainly have a well assembled squad that can progress to the next stages of this summer’s competition. Led by the likes of Hakan Yakin and Alexander Frei, head coach Ottmar Hitzfeld certainly has the ability to guide his team past the group stages.
While the Swiss certainly must show Spain respect, there is no reason for them to fear La Roja. While Spain might just be one of the toughest teams around, their defence remains one of their weakest departments, something that their opponents would do well to dwell on.
Recent form
Spain:
Spain 3-2 Saudi Arabia (29/05; Friendly)
Spain 1-0 South Korea (03/06; Friendly)
Spain 6-0 Poland (08/06; Friendly)
Switzerland:
Switzerland 1-3 Uruguay (03/03; Friendly)
Switzerland 0-1 Costa Rica (01/06; Friendly)
Switzerland 1-1 Italy (05/06; Friendly)
Players to watch
Spain – David Villa: The new Barcelona striker is the bookies’ favorite to land the tournament’s golden boot award for top scorer. The potential absence of Fernando Torres will even give him more freedom to express himself in the box, just in front of the Spanish midfield fleet.
Switzerland – Alexander Frei: The 30-year-old forward almost always grabs headlines for his country on the international stage. Switzerland’s top goalscorer is lethal whenever given freedom to roam, and any lackluster Spanish defending could have dire consequences.
Match prediction
Should one judge the outcome of this match via Spain’s demolition of Poland, then it is a foregone conclusion. Switzerland do have what it takes to trouble the Spaniards, but in all fairness, with the way Vicente del Bosque’s team have been playing lately, it is difficult to see his players dropping any points. This should be a clear win for Spain.
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