David Villa became the talisman for the Spanish national football team, scoring five of Spain's six goals in the tournament.  Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta controlled the midfield with their incisive passing and ball possession.  Fernando Torres could not get into stride as he struggled for form from his April knee surgery and was eventually benched in favor of Pedro Rodríguez against Germany.  The Cesc Fàbregas saga between Arsenal and Barcelona continued to rage as Fàbregas insisted on returning to the club of his youth while committing to Arsenal as their captain at the same time.  Telecinco sports journalist Sara Carbonero somehow "distracted" boyfriend Iker Casillas before the Switzerland game and directly led to Spain's only loss of this World Cup.

All these stories followed La Furia Roja throughout this World Cup, but the under-reported story with this team is the effectiveness of the back four, in particular the leader of the defense, Carles Puyol.

Spain has conceded only one goal in their six games, and in that goal, they allowed against Switzerland, it took a disorganized scramble and a fortuitous bounce for Gelson Fernandes to tap the ball into the open net.

For those who put any stock into the Castrol Index rankings, the top four ranked players in this World Cup are the four Spanish defenders, with Sergio Ramos slightly edging Carles Puyol for the top spot.

Save for Ramos, who tends to relish the limelight, especially off the pitch with his party boy reputation, these Spanish defenders love that the vast majority of the attention falls upon their other teammates.  With championship teams that are known for their offensive flair, they can only operate to their fullest extent if their defenders are solid enough for them to throw men forward.

Although the Three R's (Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo) headlined Brazil as they won their fifth World Cup title in 2002, the work rate of Lúcio, Roque Júnior, and Edmílson gave Cafu and Roberto Carlos the freedom to become de facto wingers and the three R's to dazzle the world with their Samba flair.

The legendary 1989-90 Real Madrid team netted a staggering La Liga record 107 goals, with Hugo Sánchez scoring a record 38 goals in one season.  Real Madrid ran away with the league, winning by nine points (Note: in those years, wins accounted for two points instead of the current three points, so using the current point system, Real were fifteen points better than second-place Valencia) not only due to the brilliance of Sánchez up front and Emilio Butragueño and Míchel creating behind him but with the three central defenders that commanded the back line: first-year defender and eventual Real legend Fernando Hierro, elegant sweeper Manuel Sanchís, and gritty Oscar Ruggeri.

The 2008-09 FC Barcelona team that won all six tournaments they entered included a trio of forwards that propelled their team into the most feared club in Europe: Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, and Samuel Eto'o.  With Xavi and Andrés Iniesta providing perfection for the front three to finish those patented Barça moves, they forced teams to defend with nine and ten men for the full ninety minutes.

While this team kept possession of the ball as well as any team that ever graced the pitch, there were times when they would turn the ball over in midfield, and the opposing counter-attack would sail into full-flight.  Dani Alves, Gerard Piqué, and Éric Abidal closed the ball down as quickly as schoolchildren running to beat the class bell, but Carles Puyol was their leader.  In the 2009 Champions League final against Manchester United, when the Red Devils scrambled and threw more men into attack to pull themselves back into the match, Puyol appeared everywhere, as he cut down potential attacks from Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes, Dimitar Berbatov, etc. as well as flying forward on more than one occasion to augment the attack.

Although Iker Casillas has been the captain of the Spanish national team since Euro 2008, Carles Puyol continues to lead the back line with his tenacity and braveheart defending.  Vital blocks on potential shots on target from Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Mario Gómez, organizing the defensive four, and his ever-running engine proved significant in keeping the Germans out, but the goal he scored will be the moment that most will remember from this semifinal that sent Spain into further uncharted territory: a FIFA World Cup Final.

Earlier in the match, Andrés Iniesta whipped in a high-velocity cross into the six-yard box for Puyol, and he could not keep his diving header underneath the crossbar as it flew over it for a goal kick.  That opportunity was arguably Spain's best scoring chance before Puyol redeemed himself in the 73rd minute, and the manner in which he scored Spain's lone goal is reminiscent of a central defender's dream goal: a flying header from a corner kick.

With Spain's lack of height, Xavi usually decides to execute a short corner routine, and Germany caught on to this tactic and sent an extra man around the corner flag.  Xavi, however, sent a bending ball from the corner into a dangerous area, where Puyol had a running head start to the penalty spot, and with his flowing curly locks, he powered his jumping header past a helpless Manuel Neuer as Spain's patience paid off in an unusual fashion.  The extra man sent to mark Iniesta for the short corner combined with Germany's zonal marking gave Puyol the opportunity to have an unmolested attempt at the header.

While many expected this Spanish team to dazzle with their midfield maestros and their creativity, David Villa has been the only player to finish consistently.  Because of this, Spain has scored more than one goal only twice in six matches, and the team had to be vigilant in defense in case of a well-timed counter-attack from the opposition.  With the sputtering in front of goal, Spain had to find different ways to score as well as maintain focus in the back when their teammates played keep-ball for minutes at a time.

This Spanish team, although constituted mainly from the Euro 2008 winning side, will not reach those same scoring heights as that team because national teams have had two more years to prepare for these unique set of characters, and Spain manager Vicente del Bosque is intent on playing this possession game set forth by previous manager Luis Aragonés.

The Dutch will likely provide a different test not encountered by Spain this World Cup because of their hardened midfielders Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong.  If Germany could be blamed for having too much respect for Spain, the Netherlands will not fall into that same trap because van Bommel and de Jong will have no problem flying into tackles and pressuring high up the pitch to prevent Spain's hypnotic ball possession.

Sunday's final will be highly tactical, especially if the match remains goalless for the first hour.  Regardless of how the Dutch and Spanish attack each other, the job remains the same for the Spanish defense: quickly retrieve the ball when Spain loses possession.  Spain will find it difficult to score on the Netherlands, and if Spain concedes the opening goal, the Netherlands will surely defend for their lives with all ten outfield players.  While David Villa and Xavi have been the two best players for Spain in this World Cup, Vicente del Bosque will rely on his star defenders to stave away the potent Dutch attack, and it will be they who decide the winner on Sunday.

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When Spain fell to the hands of Switzerland in the opening match of World Cup 2010, the vultures suddenly appeared from the sky and circled around their "dying" carcass.  No team has ever won the World Cup after losing its first match.  The ghosts from yesteryear are rising from the dead and haunting this current team about their ancestors' past failures.  Previous entrenador Luis Aragonés ranted about Vicente del Bosque and indirectly undermined most of what Vicente del Bosque has done with this team.  Although Spain has only made it to the quarterfinals after defeating 1-0 over Portugal in Cape Town yesterday, La Furia Roja's form suggests that rising to the occasion will not be the same problem as it has in previous international competitions.

Spain's only injury concern before their match against Portugal was Xabi Alonso's sprained ankle he suffered against Chile, but del Bosque slotted him in the center of midfield after passing a late fitness test.  Del Bosque saw no reason to change his starting eleven, but if he had any reservations about one of his players, it would have been Fernando Torres because of his erratic play in the group stage.

99% of the time, Torres would be an automatic starter, but still recovering from knee surgery in April, his lack of match sharpness became painfully obvious in his starts against Honduras and Chile when his first touch disappeared on him on numerous occasions, and his finishing would have the usual Nike T90 ball well off target, much less the unpredictable Adidas Jabulani ball.

After a strong first few minutes where he made threatening runs into the penalty area and curled a shot from the left side of the penalty box that forced a diving save from Eduardo at his far right post, Torres' contributions were minimal.  Fernando Llorente came in for Torres in the 58th minute, and after Llorente lit a second spark for the Spaniards after the hour mark, del Bosque might need to reconsider who plays alongside David Villa in the quarterfinals against Paraguay.

As for the other twenty-one players on the pitch, the eleven from Spain exhibited no sliver of the tentative attitude they displayed in the first twenty minutes against Chile, as they pinned Portugal's eleven into their own half and peppered Eduardo's goal with shot after shot, especially working the left wing.  Portugal has used three different right backs in their four games (Paulo Ferreira, Miguel, and new Valencia signing Ricardo Costa), so the scouting report must have emphasized attacking this vulnerability.

Portugal manager Carlos Queiroz would not have worried about Spain's possession or his team's ability to organize themselves defensively because of their strong defensive record, one goal allowed in their last eleven competitive international matches to be more specific.  Whether he tried to build his players' confidence or he was delusional, he described the match against Brazil and his ultra-conservative gameplan as a "football feast" where Portugal attacked and Brazil defended.  Using that same blueprint against Spain, Queiroz would have felt that Spain was falling right into his strategy.

And fall they did as Spain's possession became ponderous, and Portugal felt more assured to throw some men forward in the counter-attack.  Tiago popped an effort from twenty-five yards that Iker Casillas needed a second handle to slap away from an on-charging Hugo Almeida, Cristiano Ronaldo struck a dipping free kick from over forty yards that Casillas somewhat fumbled, and Almeida botched a header from a precise Raul Meireles cross that could have easily given Portugal that precious first goal.  Spain did what they wanted, but Portugal did what they wanted better than Spain.

After the halftime break, the status quo reigned for the first fifteen minutes of the second half as Spain could not penetrate the defense, and Portugal remained dangerous on the counter.  The match changed when Torres came out in the 58th minute and in stepped Fernando Llorente, the Athletic Bilbao target man making his first appearance in this World Cup.  He immediately made an instant impact with his first touch when his diving header from de facto right winger Sergio Ramos' cross forced a brilliant point-blank save from Eduardo.

Then the combination of FC Barcelona midfielders Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernández with future Barcelona forward David Villa occurred with such Catalunyan flair that a picture diagram is necessary to complement the authorial description.

A one-two with Fernando Llorente gave Iniesta the space to dribble around the "D" to find Xavi coming back into an onside location.  In no position to go towards goal, the indomitable Xavi used all the resources of his spatial-temporal reasoning to visualize David Villa's diagonal run from the left corner of the penalty area and back flick Iniesta's pass first-time into space, where Villa shot with his left foot to the left near post.  Eduardo did extremely well to cover that area of goal and saved it with his feet; however, the rebound tracked directly back to Villa, and with his feathery touch, he lifted the ball over the sprawled Eduardo, kissing the underside of the crossbar and into goal.

When Spain forced Portugal to chase the game after Villa's goal, A Selecção looked incapable of forming a cohesive attacking move.  Carles Puyol and Joan Capdevila blocked their only two truly legitimate chances, and the double substitution of Pedro Mendes and Liédson for Simão Sabrosa and Pepe proved to do little for Portugal as Spain controlled the rest of the match.  The only footnotes worth noting after Villa's goal were Xabi Alonso's yellow card, the first booking for Spain in the World Cup, David Villa's stellar play, and Ricardo Costa's red card after he supposedly elbowed Joan Capdevila, although replays showed little contact and Capdevila's "writhing of pain" as he covered his face in apparent anguish.

Spain deserved to reach the quarterfinals, and with a gritty Paraguay side that will likely employ similar tactics as Portugal, the Spaniards should feel self-assured about performing well against Paraguay.  David Villa looks to be the favorite in both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards, Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta control the midfield and keep possession for this Spain team, and the underrated back four closes down the ball very quickly when their opponents reach their own third.

For those who believe in numerology, Spain's quarterfinal appearance marks the fourth time in the last seven World Cups where they have reached this stage of the tournament (every other World Cup since 1986), and each time, they failed to progress to the semifinals.  So what is different about this team compared to those other Spanish teams that have flattered to deceive?

Silverware.

Capturing the 2008 European Championships cannot be overstated as a confidence building measure for a country that always produced talent but never fused them into a unified national team.  The regionalism manifested in Spain has hindered the team in the past, as the chemistry never fit a team with such potential.  Some tend to overrate unity and chemistry and propose that talent overcomes whatever problems occur in-house, but numerous examples such as Greece in Euro 2004, South Korea in World Cup 2002, and New Zealand in this year's World Cup show that twenty-three players playing for one cause can be as powerful as a team littered with world-class players.

Vicente del Bosque will mull over the Fernando Torres question during these two rest days while the players train to see if he finds any slice of form to suggest that Torres is improving enough to warrant a start against Paraguay on Saturday.  It takes a brave man to replace Torres with Fernando Llorente in the starting eleven, but for the betterment of the team, del Bosque must make this move to ensure Spain's optimal lineup against Paraguay.

While Spain will likely defeat Paraguay whether Torres or Llorente starts, del Bosque should incorporate Llorente from the start to develop a rhythm with the other outfield players as a potential semifinal between either Argentina or Germany looms.  Spain is peaking at the perfect time, and flying under the radar with Brazil and Argentina garnering most of the headlines, this is exactly the position that Spain wants and desires at this stage of the tournament.

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With an unfathomable yet realistic possibility of an unceremonious exit from FIFA World Cup 2010, the Spanish national football team tussled with a Chilean side that has been one of the most impressive teams in this tournament thus far.  Marcelo Bielsa, Chile's manager, insisted on a positive approach with an indirect emphasis on flair that is usually reserved for their South American rivals Argentina and Brazil.

While Bielsa transformed an underachieving and underwhelming Chilean national team into a legitimate force in international football, he still has the lingering stain of Argentina's 2002 World Cup disaster when, as Argentina manager, he failed to send La Albiceleste through the group stage for the first time since the 1970 World Cup when Argentina failed to qualify for that tournament.  He stated his intention in the preceding press conference that his team would go out to win the match despite only needing a draw to ensure a place in the Round of 16, and through the first two matches, there was no reason not to take his word.

For Vicente del Bosque, his team improved dramatically as they notched a 2-0 victory against an overmatched Honduras team that looked grateful just to participate in this World Cup, but the building theme that the Spanish wanted to quash was the lack of finishing at those vital moments in the penalty area.  Of the 63% of the possession Spain had against Switzerland, 34% of that 63% was in the Swiss final third, but they could not break through an obstinate Swiss defense.  In the first two matches, Spain accumulated a staggering forty-six shots but only mustered eight shots on goal in each match.

Understandably, Fernando Torres has shown some rust because he is still recovering from knee surgery in April that cost him the rest of the Premier League season for Liverpool, but the chances he has wasted are uncharacteristic of his normally lethal nature up front.  Torres, however, only shares the responsibility for these squandered opportunities, as his fitter and healthier teammates have also missed their chances.

Vicente del Bosque did not feel compelled to make significant changes to his starting eleven despite ruing their uncomfortable position in the group, the only alteration being Andrés Iniesta returning to the lineup after sustaining a hip injury against Switzerland in favor of Jesús Navas, who continually worked the right flank and wore down Honduran left back Emilio Izaguirre.

For Marcelo Bielsa, his three modifications were not due to choice as Carlos Carmona and former Villarreal midfielder Matías Fernández were suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards, and Real Zaragoza striker Humberto "Chupete" Suazo simply could not continue as he has played a total of ninety minute in the past three months after fighting through chronic shoulder, thigh, and hamstring injuries.  In their stead came Marco Estrada, Jorge Valdivia, and former Real Sociedad and Real Betis playmaker Mark González.

True to Bielsa's word, Chile came out with a forward-thinking approach, and the South American rang the first warning bells when Jean Beausejour cut back a pass toward Mark González in the penalty area, but the ball was slightly behind González, and he could not fire a decent shot on Iker Casillas' goal.

If Chile seemed to roll on as they have in this tournament, Spain could not adjust out of first gear.  Their normal passing brilliance had yet to shine, a sign of the palpable nervousness they displayed in the opening twenty minutes.  A moment of brilliance (or a moment of madness for the Chilean point of view), however, settled the growing jitters for the Spanish, and from that moment, Spain controlled the pace of the game as is their normal mode of play.

In the 24th minute, Xabi Alonso sent a long, hopeful ball down the left flank to a streaking Fernando Torres, and Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo sprinted to the left touch line to diffuse the potential threat, but Bravo kept it in play only for David Villa to latch on to it first-time from the left sideline forty yards into the open net.  Many questioned Bravo's kamikaze effort, but in the direction that Bravo ran, he could have easily kicked it straight out of play for a throw-in.  Bravo's mistake was in hooking his clearance back into play as he kicked it into the path of David Villa.  With the Chilean defense closing in, Villa could not afford to take a touch to settle the ball if he wanted a shot at the open net, and his technical magnificence shined as he whipped a curling shot with his "weaker" left foot and bounced once and into the net.

Chile's discipline frittered away throughout the match, including Marco Estrada's sending off and crucial yellow cards for the two starting central defenders Gary Medel and Waldo Ponce, which will force all three players to miss their Round of 16 match against Brazil due to suspension.  Ponce, in particular, could have easily seen red after he impetuously kicked Fernando Torres' leg as Torres was about to throw the ball into play.

When Andrés Iniesta passed the ball into the lower right corner of the goal in the 37th minute to give Spain the 2-0 lead, Chile's existence in this tournament fell into peril for the first time, as a Switzerland win against Honduras in the other simultaneous match would now mean a Swiss advancement.

Second half substitute Rodrigo Millar made sure that this scenario would not occur, as another patient Chilean buildup led to Millar's shot at the D toward the right near post.  The ball deflected off Gerard Piqué in the opposite direction, and Iker Casillas could not recover in time to readjust to the ricochet.

A 2-1 result favored both Spain and Chile, and for the rest of the match, both teams went into cruise mode, especially in the last fifteen minutes, when Spain knocked the ball around in the midfield and in their own third, and Chile more than obliged by not pressuring the ball whatsoever.  As the mechanics of the tournament work, one cannot blame either team for their performance in the final half-hour, but for the fans at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, they had no sympathy as whistles of derision could be heard over the ubiquitous vuvuzela.

Spain won their group in a fashion that surprised many, but as Álvaro Arbeloa explained in the press conference before the Chile match, their Euro 2008 triumph did not wholly consist of the sparkling possession football that is synonymous with La Furia Roja. According to Arbeloa, Spain played a brilliant semifinal and final, but the quarterfinal penalty shootout against Italy and the last minute win against Sweden in the group stage showed that people tend to idealize the past

Spain is following that path in this tournament, as they are slowly raising their level as their journey in South Africa continues, and against a compact and defensive Portugal in the Round of 16, Spain must continue to be patient and develop a more ruthless attitude at goal because quality chances will be at a premium.  The Iberian derby will reach fever pitch on Tuesday evening, and if Portugal decides to open up their play, this match could be one of the most riveting occasions of FIFA World Cup 2010.

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The rumors, for once, came to fruition, as FC Barcelona will pay a transfer fee of €40 million to Valencia for Spanish international striker David Villa.  This tango (or the sardana for a more local, Catalunyan flair) danced by the two clubs since the previous offseason will finally end as outgoing Barça president Joan Laporta landed the player he coveted for two years.

Surely, Barcelona signed Villa to be a starting forward, and his most effective position in that front line would be as the center forward of the three-pronged attack.  With Lionel Messi and Pedro Rodríguez on either side of Villa, the Barcelona attacking machine will continue to operate as efficiently and dangerously as ever.

What does this mean for Zlatan Ibrahimovic?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was supposed to be the answer in the center of Barcelona's attack.  In order to lure the Swedish hitman from Inter Milan, the Catalunyans spent a net total of €69 million (€46 million in cash, the transfer of Samuel Eto'o from Barça to Inter, valued at €20 million, and another €3 million to compensate for Alyaksandr Hleb refusing the transfer to Inter).

Ibrahimovic had the qualities that Eto'o supposedly lacked: the ability to hold the ball up for his teammates, the acumen to visualize the perfect pass before the action occurs, and the size to better compete for headers and ward off physical challenges.  Even though Eto'o scored thirty goals and led the Pichichi race for top goalscorer most of the 2008-09 La Liga season until Diego Forlán surpassed him late in the season, the Barcelona staff felt they needed more from the center forward role than a pure poacher in the box, at which Eto'o was one of the best in the world.

Through the first few months of the season, Ibrahimovic made an immediate impact with the team, scoring in the first match of the season against Sporting Gijón, providing the only goal in El Clásico against Real Madrid in November after coming back from a hamstring injury, and netting twelve goals in his first nineteen matches in all competitions.

As the season wore on, however, his efficacy in front of goal dwindled considerably.  The match against Real Zaragoza in March clearly showed how his confidence had dropped, when he fluffed three chances that Ibrahimovic would score on his worst days.  He did score in that match but only because of a late penalty that Messi gave to him so that he could regain his confidence.

Aside from the first leg in the quarterfinals of the Champions League against Arsenal where he scored twice at the Emirates Stadium, he was noticeably absent both on and off the pitch in Barcelona's most important matches.  Pep Guardiola lost so much faith in Ibrahimovic at the climax of the campaign that in both legs of the Champions League semifinal against his former team Inter Milan, Guardiola substituted him in both matches at the hour mark because of his ineffectiveness.  In La Liga, where Real Madrid kept the title race within three points until the final matchday, Guardiola favored Bojan Krkic over Ibrahimovic as the center forward.

Cumulatively, Ibrahimovic had twenty-one goals and ten assists in forty-one matches in all competitions, and while these are solid numbers for a player making his debut season in a new league and country, solid was not the expectation that the Blaugrana set for him.  Replacing a Barça legend in Samuel Eto'o would always become an arduous task, and the Barça boardroom sent a message to Ibrahimovic that he did not fulfill what they envisaged for him with the signing of David Villa.

As any good agent should do, Zlatan Ibrahimovic's agent, Mino Raiola, tried to quell any sort of talk that the arrival of David Villa spelled the end for Ibrahimovic at the Camp Nou.  In an interview with Calciomercato.it, Raiola reiterated his client's standing with FC Barcelona:

"The club already said they were happy with Zlatan.  Villa's arrival has nothing to do with Ibra, and it does not put his stay in danger seeing that Villa can play well on the wings.  He has a contract until 2014, and he is happy at Barcelona."

As optimistic as that sounds, it could mean trouble for Pedro, Bojan, Jeffrén Suárez, and others in La Masia if Barcelona plans to keep both Ibrahimovic and Villa, but with Pedro breaking through with an outstanding season and Bojan filling Ibrahimovic's shoes at the end of the season, it is highly doubtful that Barcelona, and specifically Pep Guardiola, would stunt the development of their own academy products in favor of Ibrahimovic.

One year for any player should not become the absolute barometer for what that player will do in the future.  There is an endless amount of cases where players struggled in their first season only to recover and perform to their highest capabilities.  In this day of immediate gratification and astronomical transfer fees, however, instantaneous results matter, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic has not given Barcelona what they wanted.  If Barcelona did not make a move for Villa and Ibrahimovic was given a clean slate to go into his second season with Barcelona, a betting man would put his money on a highly successful season.

Barcelona is not a betting man and wanted reassurances with the signing of David Villa.  When Barcelona sells Ibrahimovic, they will not nearly receive the value that they paid for Ibra, but they will listen to any offers that come their way.

The last opinion that Barcelona would want of themselves is that they are acting like Real Madrid in buying top talent for exorbitant prices, so a rotation that would bench Villa and Ibrahimovic for certain matches would only further this growing perception that Barcelona is turning into their eternal rivals.

Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, and now Barcelona.  Four of the preeminent teams in European football, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic could not establish a permanent home in any of those clubs.  If a club can solve the enigma that is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he would become the most feared striker in the world.  If.

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In the last few years, the top six teams have distanced themselves from the rest of La Liga.  Real Madrid and FC Barcelona represent the top two, and Villarreal, Atlético Madrid, Sevilla, and Valencia compete for the next four places.  Atlético Madrid continues their bumbling start into the Christmas break, and Villarreal picked themselves up from a shocking beginning, but a Champions League spot may be a bridge too far.

This season, the hierarchy seemed to be melding together as Sevilla and Valencia kept up with the two paragons of Spanish football.  Valencia forced a 0-0 draw with Barcelona, but many would proclaim that Los Che outplayed the Blaugrana.  Sevilla handed Real Madrid its only non-Clásico loss when Sevilla mauled Los Blancos 2-1 at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.

Heading into Round 12 on November 28, these four teams were separated by a mere four point: Barcelona on 28 points, Real Madrid on 27 points, Sevilla on 25 points, and Valencia on 24 points.  Real Madrid and Barcelona were going to rumble in El Clásico, and the would-be contenders had a chance to stamp themselves legitimately in the title race.  As La Liga takes a brief hiatus until the beginning of 2010, there is a ten-point gap from first to fourth.

For Valencia, playing on the pitch became a sanctuary from all of the rumors and backroom strife within the club.  Change of ownership, lack of funds, and not-so-subtle transfer innuendo of their top players could have easily broken the tightest of clubs.  When they defeated Sevilla 2-0 in the opening game of the season in a hotly contested encounter, the signs of greatness showed in their play.  David Villa and David Silva, who supposedly had little chances of staying at Valencia, actually started for Valencia, achievements in themselves.  Juan Mata and Pablo Hernández were coming into their own, as these young starlets rampaged down the flanks against a resolute Sevilla defense.

Their home form, however, has not continued since the Sevilla match, and they have lost points that will be difficult to recover over the course of the season.  An overall record of 2-4-1, including inexcusable draws against Sporting Gijón, Atlético Madrid, and Mallorca, has held Valencia from fulfilling their unlimited potential.  Those three matches came against solid teams, but late equalizing goals and lack of finishing contributed to a loss of six points that they let slip away.

Valencia's recent results have been a microcosm for the whole of their season.  As mentioned previously, their draw against Mallorca occurred because of an 84th minute penalty unnecessarily committed by Bruno Saltor and an abundance of goal-scoring opportunities abandoned by Valencia that would have made Borja Valero's penalty goal a footnote in a Valencia win.

They went into the cathedral of San Mamés and pulled out a win against a strong Athletic Bilbao team who had held Barcelona to a draw and thrashed Almería 1-4 in the previous two weeks.  Fortune favored Valencia as David López hit the post on another late conceded penalty, but their confidence away from home is unquestioned, and their 6-1-1 record away from the Mestalla distinguishes them as the best road team in La Liga.

Valencia's clash against Real Madrid at home was a statement game to prove to the Spanish Old Firm that Valencia was not only window dressing but serious challengers to the throne.  In the first half of that match, they executed their tactics to perfection, and Real Madrid was on their heels.  To be fair, Real was without their two galácticos Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká, but even if they were on the pitch, Valencia still would have had the upper hand.  A common theme throughout the season, Valencia missed multiple chances to open the scoring tally.  The epic nature of the second half showed the best of these two teams, as Valencia counter-punched every Real advancement, but the Ezequiel Garay header to give Real Madrid their third different lead eventually broke Valencia's spirit, and Valencia failed to win at home for the fifth time in seven matches.

The tête-à-tête between Deportivo La Coruña and Valencia was a drab draw that saw Depor passively sit back in their own third of the field, as they dared Valencia to bring men forward and break through their organized defense.  Valencia took the bait, owning a clear majority of the possession, but it was Depor who created the best opportunities at goal, including a couple of swift counter-attacks that sent Adrián free and a looping header by Juan Carlos Valerón that hit the crossbar.  Earning a point at the Riazor is no small accomplishment, but they fell another two points behind Real and Barça.

Sevilla has been much more stable than Valencia, and after a third place finish last season, high expectations filtered from the dressing room and the media, as they proclaimed Sevilla as the team that could repeat the feat of Villarreal when they dislodged Barcelona from the top two in the 2007-08 season.  After they lost their opener at Valencia, they went 8-1-1, including a thriller over Real Madrid at home.  Standing three points behind Barcelona with a chance to get within one point after twelve matches, the situation could not have been more ideal.  Facing a Málaga side that struggled in the relegation zone all season, pencil in three points for Sevilla.

Sevilla played as though winning was a foregone conclusion.  Málaga did not stick to the script, as two first half goals stunned the Sevillistas inside the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.  Luís Fabiano single-handedly brought Sevilla from the abyss with a brace in the second half to salvage a draw, but they missed a chance against a relegation favorite to inch closer to the top spot.

A similarly underwhelming performance against Real Valladolid the next week put themselves further away with a hint of never regaining it back.  Even though Valladolid scored the opener, they were limited to ten men a few minutes later when Borja Fernández received a straight red card for a vicious tackle on Diego Perotti.  When Fabiano scored a penalty late in the first half to equalize, it was not a matter of if, but by how many would Sevilla score in the second half.  Frustration boiled over as Sevilla spoiled their well-executed openings, and another draw at home against a lower tier side began to irritate a normally loyal fan base.  The whistles rained down, and the players knew that a win at El Molinón against a stubborn Sporting Gijón was paramount to abate the criticism.

They secured the three points at Sporting with a hard-fought 0-1 result, where there was little space to maneuver and physical play by both teams.  The egg that Sevilla laid against Getafe, however, to end the calendar year had symptoms similar to Valencia: a poor performance at home, numerous opportunities spurned, an overwhelming majority of possession, and a plucky opponent who has an unending desire and spirit.  Getafe's Roberto Soldado certainly made a name for himself with two goals and ten goals overall, third in the Pichichi race behind David Villa and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.  There are rumors percolating of a £10 million offer by Sam Allardyce and Blackburn Rovers for Soldado's services.

Five points out of twelve against teams they should defeat has Sevilla nine points behind Barcelona and seven points behind Real Madrid.  Maybe the players started to believe in their own superiority as portrayed in the Spanish tabloids and media, but whatever the reasons, they have been humbled as they head into the holiday break, so that might refocus them as they start the new year.

Barcelona is on 39 points and Real Madrid is on 37 points, but the schism between these two and the next two looks to be a trend rather than a blip on the radar.  Sevilla is on 30 points, and Valencia is on 29 points.  There are twenty-three matches remaining, and both these teams have the capability of slashing this rift.  On any single match day, they can defeat anyone in Europe.  It may be presumptuous to declare Sevilla and Valencia as pretenders for La Liga, but until they show their mettle on the pitch for a string of games, a top-two finish for either of these teams appears unlikely.

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Based on their records coming into this fixture, the Valencia - Atlético Madrid Saturday fixture did not look to be an appetizing match, but knowing each team's penchant to go forward, their stature in Spanish football, and their performances over the past few years, this game was the one to watch, and they did not disappoint.

From the opening moments, the predictable and customary caginess that occurs in a big match was absent as both teams looked to score immediately.  Sergio Agüero obliged with a 7th minute goal whose build-up was more impressive than the actual finish.  Making a run on the perimeter of the penalty area, Jurado took two defenders with him and audaciously back-heeled a pass to Diego Forlán inside the box.  In plenty of space, Forlán squared a ball to Agüero who finished the attack with aplomb, and it was 0-1 to the visitors.

As is typical with this Atlético squad, a one-goal lead was not safe by any means, and Los Che responded with opportunity after opportunity without any tangible result to show for them.  Atlético almost made Valencia pay for their lack of finishing in the 20th minute when Agüero intercepted a pass from Alexis at the midfield line and stormed toward the Valencia goal.  Outpacing Alexis, Agüero was one on one with Valencia keeper Miguel Angel Moyà, but Agüero took the ball too close to Moyà, and he closed the angle just enough to have his shot roll by the right far post.

In a span of two minutes, Valencia showed why Atlético accumulated only two points from their first four matches.  In the 25th minute, Éver Banega lofted a ball over the Atlético defense onto Pablo Hernández's run into the penalty area.  Atlético captain Antonio López was able to contest Pablo in the box, but Pablo's touches bamboozled López, and Pablo was able to get by him and score from three yards out for the 1-1 equalizer.  Two minutes later, Valencia would take the one-goal advantage when David Silva sprung David Villa open with a cutting ball through the heart of the Atlético defense.  Taking a couple of dribbles into the left side of the box, Villa executed a clinical finish that explained why the big European clubs clamor for his services.  As he was about to take the shot, he opened his body as if he were to go for the right far post.  Atlético keeper Roberto, who is deputizing for Sergio Asenjo because of his involvement for the Spanish national team in the U-20 World Cup in Egypt, saw Villa's body actions and leaned toward that direction.  At the moment of impact, Villa closed his foot, lifted the ball to the near post, and slotted it past Roberto; Roberto thought he did everything correctly, but the brilliance of Villa made Roberto's efforts seem feckless.  The Atlético Madrid defense was supposed to be improved from last year's forgettable fifty-seven goal tally, but thirteen goals in five matches does not bode well for an Atlético side looking to keep their Champions League spot for next year.

Throughout the rest of the match, there was always a feeling of inevitability that Valencia would concede as Atlético pressed for the second goal.  With a man advantage for 65+ minutes against Sporting Gijón last Sunday, Valencia had complete control, but a 86th minute goal by Grégory ruined their 100% record and made David Villa publicly criticize manager Unai Emery's tactics concerning their play when it was 11 vs. 10.  Both teams equally fought for the next goal, with Villa hitting the post from an outrageous jumping back-heel in the 53rd minute and a trio of clear-cut goal-scoring prospects missed by Forlán, Cléber Santana, and Maxi Rodríguez.

In the latter stages of the match, Valencia continued to play a no holds barred style as they looked to salt the game away with a third goal rather than sit on the 2-1 advantage.  While this strategy was commendable for its ambition rather than its cynicism, it left them with holes in the back from time to time, and Atlético capitalized in the second minute of stoppage time when Maxi scored to gain a valuable point and a 2-2 draw.  Antonio López crossed from the left flank, and Alexis' header failed to clear the ball towards the midfield.  Instead, it flicked on to a wide-open Maxi, who was free on the right post to take the shot first time and beat Moyà.  Valencia left back Jérémy Mathieu, who had a solid game before the second goal, was equally culpable as he fell asleep and gave Maxi the space when the ball arrived at his feet.

Usually the match of the week on paper does not fulfill its promise as such, but Valencia's 2-2 draw with Atlético Madrid on Saturday night at the Mestalla proved its worth.  With Los Colchoneros in the relegation zone because of earning two points out of the first twelve, Valencia knew to be wary of Atlético not only because of their attacking prowess but also of the wounded animal theory.  In short, an animal is most dangerous when it is hurt because it will fight back with all its might just to survive.  Atlético needed to embrace this attitude and that they certainly did; however, Valencia had the one-goal advantage into stoppage time and looked to win the three points.  Another last stage goal concession by Valencia leaves them seven points behind Real Madrid and Barcelona, and with no signs of either club slowing down, the four points needlessly dropped against Sporting Gijón and Atlético Madrid should prove lethal in Valencia's attempt to win La Liga for the first time since 2004 and possibly a Champions League spot.

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As has been well documented over the past few seasons, Valencia CF have seen better days.  A dismal 10th place finish in 2008 was followed by a respectable, but still disappointing 6th place finish in 2009.  On the field, a love hate relationship with David Villa, spats with Quique Sánchez Flores,  the epic flop of one Ronald Koeman and a resignation by former club president Juan Soler have turned Valencia into a real life telenovela, minus the beautiful Spanish debutantes.

With all of the trials and tribulations Valencia have faced on the pitch, their woes lie in the absolute Mount Everest of debt the club has racked up.  In June 2008 the club was in the hole to the tune of EUR 502 million and was forced to stop construction on the New Mestalla in February, thanks to the bust of real-estate and construction markets in Spain.  The club also fell behind on payments to David Villa and David Silva, Valencia's biggest stars.  The debt has forced the club to consider selling it's new stadium for EUR 300 million to help repay it's creditors.

To avoid administration, Valencia was forced to raise some serious capital, and turned to their loyal fans for support.  According to VCF Chairman Tarsilo Piles, Valencia raised EUR 18 million by selling shares of the club to fans for EUR 48.05 a piece.  Piles said  "The interest of the foundation is to democratize the club so that we do not end up in the same situation as before and also so no one has a large enough piece to control the entire club."

Valencia's Assets

The largest assets to a majority of football clubs lie with it's players and Valencia is no different.  David Villa has been rumored to come with a EUR 60 million price tag, but recent reports say Villa will stay put in Valencia after the club looked absolutly ridiculous this off-season with a footballing version of 'He Loves Me'  (we want him, we want him not, we wan't him...).

Reports in May placed David Silva at around EUR 45 million when he was rumored to be heading to Anfield to reunite with former Valencia skipper, Rafa Benitez.  At the same time, reports had Valencia offering a staggering GBP 135 million blockbuster deal to Manchester City for the duo.  Yes, that was to Man City and it could have been for GPB 300 million the way the papers report it, but you get the idea.

The club could also look to offload highly touted Ever Banega, who never materialized at Valencia and was off on loan at Atletico Madrid until the start of this season.  He was out of place his entire stay at the club.   Valencia paid EUR 18 million for Banega back in 2008 and he quickly gained notoriety for his exploits in the homemade porno industry, or as Banega himself titled, Banega, Always Big (I'll leave the intrepretation to you). Banega was set to go to Stuttgart for GBP 7.5 million, but a rough patch between Unai Emery and VP Fernando Gomez has seemed to derail the train for now.

A New Hope

Reports say Valencia have been approved for a new loan backed by the Generalitat, Valencia’s regional government, from Bancaja for 74 million euros that will be repaid from the proceeds of a further share sale.  With the new influx of money, the club will rely heavily on season ticket holders to come through and renew.  Valencia have always had a strong socio base and last season more than 9,000 renewed their season tickets even before the 2009 season came to a close.

Valencia will also need to cash in on their appearance in the newly formed Europa League.  An impressive finish in the Europa League would leave the club with an influx of cash they can use to repay some of the club's outstanding debt, and restructure for the future.  Below is the rubric for $$ for the UEFA Europa League in 2009/2010.  If Valencia rack up some wins and move on, they can have a significant amount of money into the club, as well as the increase in gate revenue for the Europa League matches at home and any shared gate during away matches.

UEFA Europa League 2009/2010:
1st qualifying round: 90.000 €
2nd qualifying round: 90.000 €
3rd qualifying round: 90.000 €
Playoffs: 90.000 €
Group stage: 1.000.000 €
Group match victory: 140.000 €
Group match draw: 70.000 €
1st knock out round: 200.000 €
2nd knock out round: 300.000 €
Quarter-finals: 400.000 €
Semi-finals: 700.000 €
Final: 2.000.000 €
Winning the final: 1.000.000 €

What do you think of the club's future?  Will ticket sales and selling shares keep the club's head above water, or are they just avoiding the inevitable? Is there anyway else for the club to raise the necessary funds to avoid administration?

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Continuing the La Liga preview, part three will discuss the final six teams in alphabetical order: Tenerife, Valencia, Valladolid, Villarreal, Xerez, and Zaragoza.

Tenerife

Will the tandem of Juan Francisco Martinez, commonly known as Nino, and Alejandro Alfaro translate their scoring prowess from the Segunda División to La Liga?  After seven seasons in the Segunda División, Tenerife secured promotion in their penultimate match 0-1 over Girona.  With an average start of 6-2-6, equaling twenty points from the first four months of the campaign, they went an impressive 18-7-3 in the final twenty-eight matches, narrowly missing the league title by one point.

Nino and Alfaro led the second best attack in Liga Adelante with a combined forty-nine of the seventy-nine goals Tenerife scored, with Nino winning the Pichichi with twenty-nine goals.  Also in favor of Tenerife was the relative constancy of the starting eleven.  Captain Manolo Martinez had the fewest starts of the outfield ten with thirty-one, so manager José Luis Oltra could rely on his players to be available every match day.  Starting goalkeeper Sergio Aragoneses put in a solid first half of the season, only conceding sixteen goals in nineteen matches; however, a bout of acute pancreatitis struck him in the middle of the season, causing him to miss the remainder of the campaign.  Luis García deputized for the rest of the season.

Reinforcements were necessary in case anyone within the first eleven sustained an injury.  Midfielder Román Martínez arrived on loan from Espanyol, Cameroon striker Serge N'Gal moved on a free transfer from Gimnàstic de Tarragona, and Aitor Nuñez left Atlético Madrid to sign with Tenerife.  Despite these summer transactions, the fate of Tenerife falls on the two front men Nino and Alejandro Alfaro.  If they can combine to score half the goals they netted last year, Tenerife should be a favorite to stay in La Liga.

Valencia

Will the recent financial stabilization free Valencia CF to focus only on football?  Valencia quickly came out of the gates with six wins out of their first seven matches and hovered around the top four throughout the first half of the season.  As news filtered from the club about its massive debt and financial crisis, a dip in form coincided and saw Valencia drop to eighth by Round 27.  The players were not being paid, and rumors started to spread about key Valencia players, such as David Villa and David Silva, being sold in the summer transfer window to balance its financial books.   After Valencia secured a loan that would help pay the players' wages for the rest of the season, the team magically reawakened from their slumber, contending for the last Champions League spot until the final couple of games of the season.

Again, the economic issues surrounding Valencia surfaced in the summer when Vicente Soriano promised a new beginning for the club.  Having become majority owner of the club, Soriano teamed with the investment company Inversiones Dalport to clear the team's debt; however, Dalport could not back up their claims, and Valencia was in deeper trouble.  Valencia eventually secured a loan from the Spanish bank Bancaja for €74 million and reinstalled Manuel Llorente as president of the club, ousting the grandstanding Soriano.

Back to the actual football on the pitch, Valencia kept most of the core of the team, with Raúl Albiol being the only significant player to leave.  David Silva will be much fitter after a frustrating last season due to chronic ankle problems, and the Three Brothers, Juan Mata on the right, Silva on the left, and David Villa in the middle, should terrorize opposing defenses with their speed and versatility.  With Albiol joining Real Madrid, Alexis and Maduro look to be the central defensive pair with Carlos Marchena in front of them as the defensive midfielder.  Emiliano Moretti returned to Serie A with Genoa, so Valencia picked up Jérémy Mathieu on a free transfer to replace Moretti at left back.  Valencia also delved into the transfer market with the signing of former Mallorca goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moyà.  Even if Cesar receives the starting position, it will only be for one year, and Moyà is for the future anyway.  If the Valencia boardroom sorts itself out and gives the team the backing it deserves, Los Che should be fighting for a Champions League spot this year.

Valladolid

Was the eleven match winless streak to end the last campaign a sign of events to come in the upcoming season?  Ever since they returned to La Liga in the 2007/2008 season, they narrowly escaped relegation both seasons.  They cruised at mid-table throughout the majority of last season and then inexplicably fell off the map to avoid relegation by a single point.

Because of this alarming drop in form, Valladolid made many changes in the summer to whip a new, fresh attitude within the team.  Unfortunately, some of these modifications were due to economics.  Sergio Asenjo was their homegrown talent and future starlet, but Atlético Madrid offered €5.5 million, and Valladolid could not afford to let the deal fall through.  Pedro León, the creative force, leading assist man, and speedy winger on the right flank, transferred to Getafe for €4 million.  Henok Goitom, top goal scorer for Valladolid, went to Almería for €2.2 million.

Even though Valladolid now had a transfer kitty with which to work, they had to be judicious in their signings.  A €3 million purchase of Alberto Bueno from Real Madrid looks to be a solid signing, as he tries to prove to his youth team that he was worth keeping.  Bueno will likely play second striker to newly signed Manucho from Manchester United.  Manucho talks a big game, recently guaranteeing thirty to forty goals for Valladolid, but his paltry strike rate in Europe debunks his statement.  The most intriguing transfers for Valladolid are three young and promising players who have not delivered with their reputations as of yet: 22-year-old right back Antonio Barragán from Deportivo La Coruña, 25-year-old attacking midfielder Héctor Font from Osasuna, and 21-year-old central midfielder Pelé from FC Porto.

With the team currently constructed, Pucela is not as appalling as the team that did not win any of their last eleven matches, but they will likely be fighting relegation the entire year.  If they stay up this year, with another year's experience for all of Valladolid's young players, they will be a much more cohesive and threatening team in two years.

Villarreal

Can Ernesto Valverde build on the success that Manuel Pellegrini constructed at Villarreal?  Only a decade ago, Villarreal was a regional team toiling in the lower divisions of Spanish football.  When Pellegrini arrived from River Plate in 2004, Villarreal transformed from a lower table team to La Liga and Champions League threats.  Their accomplishments in the past five years led to higher expectations, and their fifth place finish was disappointing compared to previous seasons.

The back four for Villarreal became a little suspect throughout the year, especially in the central defense, where the opposition at times overmatched Diego Godín and Gonzalo Rodríguez.  They conceded fifty-four goals, only the eighth best defense in La Liga.  To compete with Godín and Gonzalo for the two starting center back positions, Villarreal bought Racing Santander product Iván Marcano for €6 million.  What also hurt Villarreal's defense was the matches Marco Senna missed due to injury.  Hamstring problems forced him out of some matches, including the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against Arsenal when the tie was poised 1-1.  A rock in front of the back four, Senna's ability and leadership are vital in Villarreal's chances to reclaim a Champions League place.

Nihat Kahveci and Matías Fernández are the two most notables to leave the club, each garnering a €4.5 million transfer fee; however, they did not feature heavily last season, so their departures were inevitable.  Villarreal added pieces to an already strong squad, including the loan returns of Jonathan Pereira and Damián Escudero, 20-year-old Paraguayan midfielder Hernán Pérez for €2 million, and the most expensive transfer in Villarreal's history, striker Nilmar from Brazilian club Internacional, for €11 million.  With Giuseppe Rossi and Joseba Llorente combining for twenty-seven goals last season, the addition of Nilmar will only strengthen an already fearsome attack.  Ernesto Valverde has the talent available to him, and if he commands the respect and discipline of the players, Villarreal will virtually guarantee themselves a Champions League spot.

Xerez

Do Xerez have enough players to compete in their maiden season in La Liga?  Even before Xerez played a single match in La Liga, they were almost relegated back to Liga Adelante.  Real Betis petitioned to the LFP to investigate alleged improprieties concerning a capital increase in 2002.  The LFP ruled in favor of Xerez; therefore, Xerez finally had full playing privileges to play in La Liga.

The Xerez heads of state were also in a state of flux.  Former Xerez president Joaquín Bilbao resigned from the position in March due to his involvement in a drive-by shooting at a brothel.  Esteban Vigo, the manager who led Xerez to the Liga Adelante title and subsequent promotion into La Liga, left by mutual consent to manage another Segunda División side, Herculés.  José Ángel Ziganda now leads the team, hoping to inspire a team sure to be relegation favorites.

While Antoñito, Mario Bermejo, and Momo were the forwards who coalesced into a forty-three goal strike force, the performances of the players loaned to Los Xerecistas are the source of a stay in La Liga for another season.  Aythami from Deportivo La Coruña and David Prieto from Sevilla will be the stopgaps in central defense, Víctor Sánchez from Barcelona will provide cover in front of the back four, and Renan from Valencia will protect the defense in goal.  If any of these players goes down with an injury, Xerez will find it hard to provide cover.  As inspiring a story as Xerez is, it will likely end in relegation heartbreak.

Zaragoza

Can Zaragoza somewhat erase the embarrassment of relegation and become the mid-table team that they always were?  After the 2006/2007 season, where they finished sixth and earned a UEFA Cup place, they suffered a shocking next season that saw them relegated on the final match day.  In the last forty-two years, Zaragoza was in the Segunda División for only four seasons, and each time Los Blanquillos were relegated, they achieved promotion in the following season.  Last season was no exception as they finished second in Liga Adelante.

Zaragoza only had one departure of any note from last year's team, defensive midfielder Alberto Zapater who left for Genoa for €4.5 million.  Replacing him will be the physical Peter Luccin, who was on loan at Racing Santander last year.  Leading the attack is Liga Adelante's second leading scorer Ewerthon, who scored an impressive twenty-eight goals in thirty-six appearances.  Supporting Ewerthon will be Javier Arizmendi and €5.5 million signing from Getafe, Ikechukwu Uche.  On the wings, Zaragoza was active in the transfer market, adding well-traveled Englishman Jermaine Pennant and former Bayer Leverkusen star Marko Babic.  In defense, Javier Paredes will compete with 21-year-old Serbian international Ivan Obradovic, who signed for Zaragoza from FK Partizan for an undisclosed fee.

With these new players and the guidance of manager Marcelino García, who led Recreativo Huelva to promotion and a subsequent eighth place finish the next season, Racing Santander to sixth place and a UEFA Cup position, and now Zaragoza to advancement in his first year, Zaragoza should be comfortable in mid-table.

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Amid all the rumors of David Villa potentially playing for numerous wealthy teams across Europe, Villa expressed this past week that he never sees himself leaving the Mestalla. According to his words to the Spanish press, “I was told I should leave Valencia for the good of the club, soon after that everything changed and from that moment on I never saw myself leaving.”

In addition, he said on the Valencia club website, “My situation depends on the decision of the club. They have decided that I am to stay and I am happy about the goals I have for the start of this season.”

These statements are not quite the passionate remarks of a player who would openly pledge his allegiance for the rest of his career to one team. He insists that he is happy to stay with Valencia, but his comments reek of corporate speak. Because Valencia found themselves in dire financial straits, selling David Villa, their most valuable asset, would make the most business sense. With the infusion of money from now majority shareholder Vicente Soriano and his consortium, Valencia does not need to sell Villa; moreover, keeping a transcendent player now makes more business and team sense because his play on the pitch will likely lead to team success, and Soriano will take advantage of his popularity in jerseys and other paraphernalia sales. Valencia is not in the position that Manchester United is in where they could afford to sell their best player and still be a top European team. If Valencia sells David Villa, even if he demands a €45 million or higher, Valencia does not have quite the cachet of a Manchester United or a Real Madrid or a Barcelona, and attracting a top transfer target will be tough.

Valencia jerked him around for the past six months and yet he says he wants to stay. Could it be that David Villa merely wants to show his gratitude to the team and its fans that spring boarded his career from a promising forward to an international superstar? It very well could be. He has not been known to demand transfers or create distractions within the team. Despite these credentials, supporters anger over players burning them by saying they will stay forever and then leaving six months later. Kaká, Gareth Barry, and others are some examples of these “loyal” players. For the David Villa’s and the Kaká’s of the world, they have to walk a fine line when these circumstances arrive. If they do not swear their loyalty to their teams, the media will wildly speculate on their future whereabouts. If they make the pledge and then transfer to another club, the supporters and the press vilify them as liars and moneygrubbers. There are very few players like Ryan Giggs, Paolo Maldini, and Raúl left in football, so the idea that David Villa is one of these unique players is unlikely in this cynical world. Now that Vicente Soriano returned and renewed a sense of direction to Valencia, he should do all he can to keep David Villa so that loyalty is not a question.

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Well here we are, the last group to get underway and we see the first Euro hat-trick in eight years courtesy of David Villa. His inclusion in the squad until now had been mostly as a sub, but after today I think Luis Aragones will have a hard time justifying not having him in from the start partnering with Torres. Spain for the most part performed as many predicted. They passed well, created chances, and for spells during the game looked extremely dangerous. However all was not perfect for them. They looked shaky at the back when pressed and had a tendency to give away the ball at odd times. Ramos was guilty of this a few times but luckily they were never punished, and he played solid the majority of the game.

As for Russia they were much tamer than I expected. Don't get me wrong they had their chances and even hit the post twice, but they never seemed like the team most expected to show up. Lets just chalk this one up to first match jitters. As it stands they are currently at the bottom of the group and need a win to stay in contention. The only positive that can be taken away from this is that the team did not roll over and had brief spells in the second half that showed they are willing to fight. Now weather this is because Guus Hiddink encouraged them or threatened them we may never know.

From a neutral point of view I must confess that this was one of the better games played so far and the only one where both teams scored, which is good to see. Both teams displayed moments of brilliance and slick passing that was very easy on the eyes and hopefully there will be more games like this so we can all enjoy a great tournament.

On a side note I suggest reading the first person account of Netherlands v Italy by our very own Gaffer, you can find that here.

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