Sunday, June 5, 2011

How Spain Rated Against The United States

Pepe Reina- Often short of opportunities to perform with the national team, I though Pepe Reina did well under absolutely no pressure, in a game which he was able to enjoy from the comfort of his penalty box.

Rating: 8

Sergio Ramos- As always, Ramos was solid in defense and lively further up the field. Knowing Ramos though, he will have been disappointed not to have found the score sheet, the defender came close to finding the net when his shot flew wide during the first few minutes.

Rating: 8


Gerard Pique- Without his normal partner, Pique continued to look like one of the best defenders on the planet with a commanding display that decimated the hopes of Agudelo and Altidore. Certainly, I hope aspiring central defender Tim Ream took note of Pique's performance, Ream plays a similar style, but has much to learn from men like Gerard Pique.

Rating: 9

Raul Albiol- The replacement for Carlos Puyol, Albiol put in a good shift alongside Pique. To be honest, neither were really called upon to produce any high intensity defending, but I thought that Albiol (like Pique) did a good job distributing the ball from the back.

Rating: 8

Alvaro Arbeloa- As always, Real Madrid right back Arbeloa put in a steady shift, not wowing the Foxborough crowd by any means, but still producing a more than commendable performance.

Rating: 8

Sergio Busquets- This man is the future of Spain's holding midfield position. Terrific against Manchester United last weekend, Busquets once again put on an absolute clinic. The ideal conduit, a link between defense and the attacking midfield, Busquets helped maintain fluidity, and created the space for David Silva to weave his magic.

Rating: 9

David Villa- One of his more quiet games, but Villa still did manage to produce a moment of magic; it was his dummy which led to Santi Cazorla's opener. As Spain's top scorer of all time, Villa will have been disappointed to end the game scoreless, though he did only play forty-five minutes.

Rating: 7

Xabi Alonso- Despite his side's domination of the game, I felt that Alonso was unable to really make a mark on the fixture. Three or four times he sprayed long passes directly out of bounds, atypical of any Spanish player, let alone Xabi Alonso. Next season could be a difficult one for the World Cup winner, if he continues to sloppily lose possession, then his spot in the Real Madird line-up could be usurped by the incoming Nuri Sahin.

Rating: 6

Santiago Cazorla- The scorer of Spain's first and third goals, the diminutive Cazorla was impressive all afternoon. His finish for goal number one was splendid, and his runs to the edge of box were reminiscent of Frank Lampard in his pomp. I often think that for all their terrific passing Xavi and Iniesta don't find the net enough, maybe Cazorla could prove to be a consistent provider of goals from midfield.

Rating: 9

David Silva- My man of the match, the Manchester City creator was simply irresistible at the top of midfield. Silva's statistical contribution to the game may have been just two assists, but his overall performance was simply remarkable. His movement in the attack sliced the United States to bits, and his incisive dribbling had Bradley's back four stumbling around like a bunch of blind gorillas.

Rating: 10

Alvaro Negredo- Negredo is a player who I've been a really big fan of for quite a while. His performances at Sevilla are consistently excellent, and I think that he and Llorente could give Torres a run for his money in terms of that starting berth alongside David Villa. On Saturday, Negredo was only allowed forty-five minutes, but nevertheless he was highly impressive. A delicate chip was denied by the bar, before he doubled Spain's lead having been released by Xabi Alonso.

Rating: 8

Subs


Iker Casillas: 7
Joan Capdevilla: 7
Bruno Soriano: 7
Andres Iniesta: 8
Borja Valero: 8.5
Fernando Torres: 7

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