[r4ndom]

(Original post by ithinkimcool)
Every team goes through eras where there players reach their peak and at the moment of time most of spain's top players are reaching the top at which they can perform, in world cup 2014 many of there top players will be 30-35 and reaching the end of there career such as xavi, alonso, arbeloa, iniesta, puyol and torres. this compares to germany who have the youngest team age average and are going through a transitional period, but in 2014/2016 their players will be reaching there peak age. In the last 4 years france, portugal and italy have lost many of their great players of the likes of figo, henry, zidane etc. these teams are going through a transitional period too, waiting for their younger players to be greats.

Spain is a great team, i think there midfield is the greatest ever seen but i think their defense is weak against other teams. once there first phase of pressing is broken the defense is easily broken. As shown when chelsea played barcelona. In a few years teams will learn how to play against this type of football. like real madrid using a defensive midfield to break up play and counter attack football.

Barcelona's defense IS NOT Spain's defense.

[ithinkimcool]

It happened spain many times when played croatia. one pass exposed there defense 3-2, but croatia couldn't capitalize on it.

[-Matty-]

Yeah their defence is shocking. Conceded one in the whole tournament and none in the knockout stages of the wc/euros since 2006

[robocop1andahalf]

(Original post by Jack93o)
Spain are a good side, but their achievements needs to be put into context. This international footballing era is actually quite weak compared to yesteryears. Think about it, look at how piss poor everybody else has been in the time they've dominated:

- A fractured french squad who have been mediocre since Zidane's retirement
- A 2008 ageing German squad and work-in-progress baby German squads of 2010 and 2012
- A one-man Italian team who rely totally on Pirlo
- A one-man Portugese team in Ronaldo. Portugal are indefinitely worse than in 2004 for example when they had a much stronger team collectively with Figo, Deco, etc
- A post-golden generation England squad. Nowadays we let the likes of Jordan Henderson represent us
- Dutch team full of individual stars but with the worse management around.
- Probably the weakest Brazilian squad (from around 2006-now) in history.
- Again, one of the worst Argentinia team to exist. Full of superstars who perform well only at club level. Even a baby German squad thumped these mugs 4-0 at the last WC

Its no wonder they've been able to win everything, theres no-one really to challenge them. Attaching tags like 'greatest of all time' to this Spanish side is way over the top. Nevermind the great Brazil of 1970, I'm willing to bet that the French team from 1998-2000 would take apart this Spanish squad. Just look at how an over-the-hill Zidane schooled this Spanish squad just two years before their successful period began in the 2006 world cup: (Note that 8 of the 11 Spanish players who played in that match have each been a major part from 2008 onwards, so its not like that 2006 team was totally different)

Many can argue that the mid-90s or early 2000s was a weaker period for international football.

Yes, an "over-the-hill" Zidane tore this Spanish squad apart in 2006 but that was when they were young, inexperienced and not ready yet. That year was merely when the foundations were set for this present Spain team.

Germany, Italy and Holland (regardless of being a flop in the Euros this year) have plenty of talent and TBH this "work-in-progress" German squad goes back to 2006 really.
And as for Brazil having their weakest squad in international history, that was what everyone agreed just before that freak show World Cup of ten years ago kicked off - that they won.