SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Spain's reserve goalkeeper Pepe Reina says Germany are strongest team at World Cup

Record ID: 1532806

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Spain's reserve goalkeeper Pepe Reina says Germany are strongest team at World Cup
  • Date: 6th July 2010
  • Summary: POTCHEFSTROOM, SOUTH AFRICA (JULY 5, 2010) (REUTERS) SPAIN PLAYERS ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAMAN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPAIN RESERVE GOALKEEPER PEPE REINA, SAYING: "Perhaps Germany have been the best and most complete team up until now in the World Cup, it's a team that has been transformed since the end of 2008. They have brought young faces to the team and they are fresh and it's going to very complicated to beat them but we have faith in ourselves and we know that in the World Cup there is not any easy opponent and as I said, maybe Germany is the strongest rival right now." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPAIN RESERVE GOALKEEPER PEPE REINA, SAYING: "I don't think we are that different, we are a team that deals more with combinations but they are more direct and the difference is that they have started (their games) scoring first, except when they played Serbia and this makes them play comfortably and much more relaxed. This is why you have seen what you have seen. Playing against them is very dangerous and above all we have to try to make sure they don't get ahead of us because they are a difficult team once they are ahead." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPAIN MIDFIELDER JESUS NAVAS, SAYING: "They are strong and complicated opponents, up front they are very fast and they play well in counter-attack. I think we are confident, we are controlling the ball well, and in this way we are going to create danger." REINA AND NAVAS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPAIN RESERVE GOALKEEPER PEPE REINA, TALKING ABOUT STRIKER FERNANDO TORRES, SAYING: "He is a mature person, he has been through both easy and difficult times, he knows perfectly well football and that the media are like this. He needs to be relaxed, he has the confidence firstly of the coach, then of his team mates, and above all his confidence in himself is the most important. In the European Championships, his moment came and we hope that he will repeat this same story and that Torres will be important for us once again." END OF NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 20th July 2010 23:20
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVAEPQ1JOMJ59CPERISFHBYXPPI4
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Germany have been the most impressive team at the World Cup thanks to the successful blooding of new talent, Spanish reserve goalkeeper Pepe Reina said on Monday (July 5).
    The European heavyweights meet in the last four in Durban on Wednesday (July 7) in an eagerly-awaited repeat of the Euro 2008 final which Spain won 1-0 with a goal from Fernando Torres.
    Coach Vicente del Bosque's side is little changed, while his German counterpart Joachim Loew has selected the youngest squad since 1934, creating a devastating blend of exciting new talent and experienced campaigners.
    "Perhaps Germany have been the best and most complete team up until now in the World Cup, it's a team that has been transformed since the end of 2008. They have brought young faces to the team and they are fresh and it's going to very complicated to beat them but we have faith in ourselves and we know that in the World Cup there is not any easy opponent. As I said, maybe Germany is the strongest rival right now," Reina said at a news conference at Spain's training base in Potchefstroom.
    Spain, who are bidding for a first World Cup triumph, have struggled at times in South Africa against defensive-minded opponents who try to prevent them from asserting their customary dominance of possession.
    However, Germany have been deploying similar tactics to the Spanish based around rapid passing, movement off the ball and devastating counter-attacking, raising the prospect of an open, free-flowing game.
    "I don't think we are that different, maybe we play the ball around more and they are more direct. The difference is that they have started (their games) scoring first, except when they played Serbia, and this makes them play comfortably and much more relaxed. This is why you have seen what you have seen. Playing against them is very dangerous and above all we have to try to make sure they don't get ahead of us because they are a difficult team once they are ahead," said Reina.
    After a shock 1-0 defeat to Switzerland in their opening Group H match, Spain's progress to the last four has been relatively smooth, although the poor form of Torres, who plays with Reina at Liverpool, has been a major concern.
    Torres returned from knee surgery shortly before the tournament and has yet to find the net in five matches, while his strike partner David Villa is the leading scorer with five.
    "He is a mature person, he has been through both easy and difficult times, he knows perfectly well football and that the media are like this. He needs to be relaxed, he has the confidence firstly of the coach, then of his team mates, and above all his confidence in himself is the most important," said Reina, when asked if the team was concerned about Torres' form.
    "In the European Championships, his moment came and we hope that he will repeat this same story and that Torres will be important for us once again," Reina added.
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