World Cup 2010 Performance Give Barcelona Hope
The World Cup campaign for the Spanish is going as expected, as they would be facing the Netherlands in the final showdown. Although, the Spanish only edged past their opponents in the close matches, they managed to controlled the pace of the game and were always in total control of the game.
With the exception of the Swiss, the Spanish outplayed their opposing teams in every single match, despite emerging victorious with a narrow lead. The real quality was shown against the Germans, who scored the most goals in the tournament, as the Spanish outplayed the favourites in every aspect of the game.
Right now, Barcelona must be the happiest club in the World after a flawless display from the Spanish, because most of the players, who have shown quality for the Spanish, are from Barcelona. In the Semi-Final match against Germany, seven of the starting players on the Spanish side were from Barcelona, a record on its own. These players included David Villa, who has recently been included in the Barca squad, Pedro, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Carlos Puyol, Iniesta and Gerard Pique. Not only did these players perform for Spain throughout the World Cup, they also influenced the victories for the Spanish side.
The most important player for the Spanish was David Villa, who is the top scorer of the current FIFA World Cup in South Africa. When the Spanish lost against the Swiss in the World Cup opener, David Villa stepped-up his play to make sure that the Spanish made it through to the next round.
In the second match against Honduras, Villa gave a Man of the Match performance by scoring twice. And in the last group match against Chile, Villa again scored the first goal, hence providing another Man of the Match Performance. He also assisted Andreas Iniesta for the second goal of the match.
Villa continued his great form against Portugal by giving another Man of the Match performance, and once again scoring the only goal of the match. The fifth goal from Villa came in the match against Paraguay, thus setting him as the probable choice for the ultimate award, 'The Golden Ball'. His performances are great news for his new club, Barcelona, who would be hoping for the continuation of this form throughout the next season.
Another good performer for the Spanish during the World Cup is Barcelona’s attacking midfielder, Andreas Iniesta. He has been showing top form throughout the tournament, scoring twice and playing the role of a real attacker. He has been troubling the defence of the opponents on a number of occasions, as he is often seen making forward runs with the ball, demolishing anything that comes in his way.
He was the best performer on the Spanish attack in the match against Paraguay, as he showed class and quality. He remained injured for the major part of the season, so his return to form is a blessing for Barcelona.
There is no doubt that Xavi is one of the best players in the World right now, and he proved this in the World Cup. He has been controlling the midfield throughout the Spanish matches in the World Cup, along with his Barcelona teammates, Iniesta and Sergio Busquets. Busquets has been showing his strength while playing the role of a defensive midfielder, while Xavi has been the anchorman on the attacking side of the midfield. This trio left the Spanish opponents confused and distressed, as the team dominated ball possession for a major part of their matches.
Barcelona stars have also left their mark on the defensive side, as they have kept the best defensive record throughout the tournament. Carlos Puyol and the youngster Gerard Pique have been outplaying the attacks of their opponents, as they overcame them with strength and valor. Puyol, however, has gone a step further by scoring the winner against the Germans in the Semi-Final.
When the six were not enough, Vicente Del Bosque introduced another Barca youngster against the Germans, i.e. Pedro. Pedro did not disappoint his team or his club, by showing a brilliant performance and becoming the Man of the Match. The team did not even feel the absence of Fernando Torres, as Pedro showed excellent coordination alongside the rest of the Barcelona teammates.
Pep Guardiola, Barcelona’s coach, would be very happy with the performance of his players in the World Cup, and would be waiting for the next season. The World Cup has shown that Barcelona already has an edge over their fiercest rivals, Real Madrid, whose star players have largely disappointed throughout the tournament.
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