SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Spain must stick to their style to beat Germany, says coach Vicente del Bosque

Record ID: 452853

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Spain must stick to their style to beat Germany, says coach Vicente del Bosque
  • Date: 5th July 2010
  • Summary: POTCHEFSTROOM, SOUTH AFRICA (JULY 4, 2010) (REUTERS) SPAIN COACH VICENTE DEL BOSQUE ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE DEL BOSQUE AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPAIN COACH VICENTE DEL BOSQUE, SAYING: "They have recently put into effect a change to their federation, to a football that was going to waste and they started to work on it from the bottom, the team manager Mr. Bierhoff and his trainer, and I believe they have managed to renew the German team since the European Cup until now and they are testing things out in this World Cup. They have made some very important changes and respecting one of the players of the past and they have put together a good team. I believe that in this…. Although Germany have always been good in all the championships, I think they have advanced since last year." PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPAIN COACH VICENTE DEL BOSQUE, SAYING: "Well I believe that it is not time to talk about the key Germany. I believe that we need to be, or try to be faithful to our style and this competitive spirit that we have shown in this tournament. I might ask for more regularity but I think we have done things quite well up until now." NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPAIN COACH VICENTE DEL BOSQUE, TALKING ABOUT TORRES, SAYING: "He continues to be an important player for us and one that the other squad members are used to. All strikers go through good and bad runs but he brings his work rate and his personality to the team and he is still our forward. You should not necessarily take my words to mean that he is definitely going to be starting (the Germany match) but we have full confidence in him." PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPAIN COACH VICENTE DEL BOSQUE, SAYING: "Regarding Iker, I believe that he provides this line of security and of maturity he transmits this to the whole team. He is a leader as captain and a leader during the game, not only off the pitch but also on the pitch, which is where he needs to be (a leader)." END OF NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 20th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA29FIZXOWKRUKHKSIMV35Y7O88
  • Story Text: Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said on Sunday (July 4) that his team must remain faithful to their fast-flowing, attacking style when they face Germany in the World Cup semi-final.
    The European champions beat the Germans 1-0 in the final at Euro 2008, but del Bosque said the German team has evolved since that tournament.
    "I believe they have managed to renew the German team since the European Cup until now and they are testing things out in this World Cup. They have made some very important changes and … and they have put together a good team. I believe that in this …. Although Germany have always been good in all the championships, I think they have advanced since last year," said del Bosque.
    Spain have faced teams deploying mostly defensive tactics in South Africa and have kept alive their hopes of a first World Cup triumph thanks to the creative flair of players like Xavi, Andres Iniesta and the prolific David Villa.
    Germany's young team, meanwhile, have demolished international giants England and Argentina with a similar blend of quick passing, movement off the ball and devastating counter-attacking, raising the prospect of a much more open match in Durban on Wednesday (July 7).
    "I believe that we need to be, or try to be faithful to our style in this competitive spirit that we have shown in this tournament. I might ask for more regularity but I think we have done things quite well up until now," del Bosque told reporters at Spain's training ground in Potchefstroom, South Africa.
    Germany coach Joachim Loew has selected the youngest World Cup squad since 1934 and has managed to build a side out of exciting new talent like Thomas Mueller and Mesut Ozil and old hands Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski.
    Spain, by contrast, are little changed from the team that lifted the European champions trophy in Vienna two years ago.
    The 59-year-old Del Bosque said he did not think the German players would be motivated by a desire to revenge the Euro 2008 defeat, in which striker Fernando Torres, who has yet to find the net in South Africa, scored the only goal. Asked whether Torres, who returned from knee surgery shortly before the World Cup, would be in the starting 11 to face Germany, Del Bosque said he believed he would.
    "He continues to be an important player for us and one that the other squad members are used to," he added. "All strikers go through good and bad runs but he brings his work rate and his personality to the team and he is still our forward. You should not necessarily take my words to mean that he is definitely going to be starting (the Germany match) but we have full confidence in him."
    Spain face German in Durban on Wednesday (July 7).
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register