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  • WCQ Preview: Spain - Armenia

    WCQ PREVIEW: SPAIN - ARMENIA

    Goal.com
    http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo. aspx?ContenutoId=856817
    Sept 10 2008
    Switzerland

    What: World Cup 2010 Qualifier, Group 5
    Who: Spain vs Armenia
    When: Wednesday, September 10, 2008, 22:00 CET
    Where: Carlos Belmonte, Albacete

    The feel good factor surrounding the Spain team was saved on Saturday
    evening by a stunning goal from David Villa and victory over Armenia
    will see talk about not only qualifying for the World Cup but also
    winning it will grow.

    Vicente del Bosque took over in the summer from Luis Aragones and
    can only better his predecessor by winning the tournament in South
    Africa in two years time although even the most staunch Spanish fans
    will know that will be a huge task.

    Bosnia-Herzegovina were expected to travel to Murcia and defend in
    numbers, but they came out and took Spain on at times and that meant
    that there was slightly more space at the other end.

    That did not change things much though and there were periods when
    the home side looked distinctly like they had done under Aragones in
    the qualifiers for Euro 2008 when a lack of movement or imagination
    meant that goals were always at a premium.

    Without Fernando Torres taking defenders away or making his trademark
    forward runs into the area, David Villa looked decidedly isolated,
    especially in the first half when Spain broke through very rarely.

    Diego Capel was named in the starting line-up as the new coach
    attempted to show that he was willing to choose his own players
    and not just re-employ the exact same squad that won the European
    Championships.

    More Of The Same

    While the Sevilla wideman will certainly be a regular in years to come,
    his lack of international experience shone through and highlighted
    Spain's inability to think of any other tactic than to look to the
    flanks to send over crosses.

    Sergio Ramos was not at his best on the right, meaning that Capel had
    the onus placed on him and his headless runs went against la Furia
    Roja's system of pass and move as he looked to take one defenders
    too often.

    Every team that comes up against another side that is determined not
    to let them score can open themselves up to criticism because the
    talent on the attacking side means that they are supposed to overcome
    the defence.

    But that cannot always happen and against Bosnia-Herzegovina it was
    only thanks to one moment of vision from Cesc Fabregas that ensured
    that Spain were able to prove that negative tactics should not be
    encouraged.

    Against Armenia, the Spanish can expect to face an even more defensive
    outfit but one that may not be as accomplished at keeping out such
    an array of attacking talent.

    Del Bosque has to make changes and give a more composed player a run
    out on the left and leave Capel to gain the experience he needs by
    coming off the bench to open teams up when they are flagging and not
    from the start.

    RECENT FORM

    Spain

    06/09/08 1-0 WCQ Bosnia-Herzegovina 20/08/08 3-0 Fr Denmark 29/06/08
    1-0 EC Germany 26/06/08 3-0 EC Russia 22/06/08 0-0 EC Italy 18/06/08
    2-1 EC Greece

    Armenia

    06/09/08 0-2 WCQ Turkey 26/03/08 1-0 Fr Kazakhstan 30/01/08 0-2 Fr
    Iceland 04/02/08 2-1 Fr Belarus 02/02/08 1-0 Fr Malta 21/11/08 0-1
    ECQ Kazakhstan

    TEAM NEWS

    Spain

    According to all the reports, Del Bosque is set to name Xabi Alonso,
    Santi Cazorla and Dani Guiza as he changes to to two up front, which
    should prove to be much more effective than Villa on his own.

    Probable Starting XI: Iker Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Puyol, Albiol,
    Capdevila; Iniesta, Senna o Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Cazorla; Guiza, Villa.

    Armenia

    Danish coach Jan Poulsen is set to name a very defensive line up that
    will feature a 5-4-1 formation. The main absentee is Arzumanyan and
    so Arakeyan is set to step into replace him at the back.

    Probable Starting XI: Berezovsky; Hovsepyan, Arakeyan, Tateosyan,
    Arakelyan, Lazarian; Pachajyan, Voskanyan, Karamyan, Mkhitaryan;
    Manucharyan.

    PREDICTION

    Bosnia held Spain at bay by playing on the break quite successfully,
    but Armenia are not as good and should allow their hosts more
    chances. Del Bosque will have learnt lessons from the game at the
    weekend and is set to try and put things right.

    Spain 3 - 0 Armenia

    Lucas Brown, Goal.comThe feel good factor surrounding the Spain team
    was saved on Saturday evening by a stunning goal from David Villa and
    victory over Armenia will see talk about not only qualifying for the
    World Cup but also winning it will grow.

    Vicente del Bosque took over in the summer from Luis Aragones and
    can only better his predecessor by winning the tournament in South
    Africa in two years time although even the most staunch Spanish fans
    will know that will be a huge task.

    Bosnia-Herzegovina were expected to travel to Murcia and defend in
    numbers, but they came out and took Spain on at times and that meant
    that there was slightly more space at the other end.

    That did not change thing smuch though and there were periods when
    the home side looked distinctly like they had done under Aragones in
    the qualifiers for Euro 2008 when a lack of movement or imagination
    meant that goals were always at a premium.

    Without Fernando Torres taking defenders away or making his trademark
    forward runs into the area, David Villa looked decidedly isolated,
    especially in the first half when Spain broke through very rarely.

    Diego Capel was named in the starting line-up as the new coach
    attempted to show that he was willing to choose his own players and not
    just reemply the exact same squad that won the European Championships.

    While the Sevilla wideman will certainly be a regular in years to come,
    his lack of international experience shone through and highlighted
    Spain's inability to think of any other tactic than to look to the
    flanks to send over crosses.

    Sergio Ramos was not at his best on the right, meaning that Capel had
    the onus placed on him and his headless runs went against la Furia
    Roja's system of pass and move as he looked to take one defenders
    too often.

    Every team that comes up against another side that is determined not
    to let them score can open themselves up to criticism because the
    talent on the attacking side means that they are supposed to overcome
    the defence.

    But that cannot always happen and against Bosnia-Herzegovina it was
    only thanks to one moment of vision from Cesc Fabregas that ensured
    that Spain were able to prove that negative tactics should not be
    encouraged.

    Against Armenia, the Spanish can expect to face an even more defensive
    outfit but one that may not be as accomplished at keeping out such
    an array of attacking talent.

    Del Bosque has to make changes and give a more composed player a run
    out on the left and leave Capel to gain the experience he needs by
    coming off the bench to open teams up when they are flagging and not
    from the start.

    RECENT FORM

    Spain

    06/09/08 1-0 WCQ Bosnia-Herzegovina 20/08/08 3-0 Fr Denmark 29/06/08
    1-0 EC Germany 26/06/08 3-0 EC Russia 22/06/08 0-0 EC Italy 18/06/08
    2-1 EC Greece

    Armenia

    06/09/08 0-2 WCQ Turkey 26/03/08 1-0 Fr Kazakhstan 30/01/08 0-2 Fr
    Iceland 04/02/08 2-1 Fr Belarus 02/02/08 1-0 Fr Malta 21/11/08 0-1
    ECQ Kazakhstan

    TEAM NEWS

    Spain

    According to all the reports, Del Bosque is set to name Xabi Alonso,
    Santi Cazorla and Dani Guiza as he changes to to two up front, which
    should prove to be much more effective than Villa on his own.

    Probable Starting XI: Iker Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Puyol, Albiol,
    Capdevila; Iniesta, Senna o Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Cazorla; Guiza, Villa.

    Armenia

    Danish coach Jan Poulsen is set to name a very defensive line up that
    will feature a 5-4-1 formation. The main absentee is Arzumanyan and
    so Arakeyan is set to step into replace him at the back.

    Probable Starting XI: Berezovsky; Hovsepyan, Arakeyan, Tateosyan,
    Arakelyan, Lazarian; Pachajyan, Voskanyan, Karamyan, Mkhitaryan;
    Manucharyan.

    PREDICTION

    Bosnia held Spain at bay by playing on the break quite successfully,
    but Armenia are not as good and should allow their hosts more
    chances. Del Bosque will have learnt lessons from the game at the
    weekend and is set to try and put things right.

    Spain 3 - 0 Armenia
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