Spain need a leader
That leadership that Croatia seemed to fall back on was conspicuously missing on the opposing side. Sergio Ramos’ decision to take the rather fortunate penalty that they did get seemed to convey a very confused mindset. The miss was alright in comparison to how Ramos, usually known for his vocal complaining to the refs, failed to take up the issue of the Croatian keeper being off his line before the kick was taken. If not for his keeping, leadership was something Casillas was able to provide for a long time to this Spanish side; Carles Puyol was a strong figure before him.
Spain’s issues in central defence continue – Ramos and Gerard Pique are at the moment better centre forwards than central defenders. Their ability to get caught out to quick forwards and concede cheap fouls hangs like a guillotine when Spain can’t get the goals at the other end.
After Spain’s big win against Turkey, many were quick to conclude that La Roja had found their form, yet it was largely in part to a very poor Turkey side. The space and time that was afforded to them in that match was not forthcoming here. And Croatia’s work rate and superior attacking strength tipped the balance in their favour. It is very evident that this Spain side still lacks a few pieces to restore it to the all-conquering machine that it once was. In the forward areas especially. David Villa and Fernando Torres, weaving in and out from wide positions was a key component of why Iniesta and Xavi were able to wield the kind of influence that they did.
Alvaro Morata is young and growing, but he is unable to drag the defenders out of position like those before him could. And while Aritz Aduriz is certainly good, that pairing of Morata and him still doesn’t pose the same danger as some of the past forward lines. Iniesta remains the one true game changer in this team; man-of-the-match in both games prior here, he is still the most important player in this Spain team. Croatia did an excellent job of containing him to dissolve his influence.
Can Spain rebound against Italy?
While the UEFA Euro 2016 has definitely not gone as horribly wrong as the World Cup went two years ago in Brazil, it would be premature to conclude that the recovery process is complete. While they remain amongst the better teams in the continent, there are a few grey areas that remain. The mood in the Spanish camp was expectantly downbeat after the defeat, one that seemed to ground them after the short-lived high of the Turkey victory. Del Bosque said after the game, “The players were sat in silence. They don't enjoy losing. We had the game under control, I'm not going to defend our performance excessively. We played quite well but just one slip of concentration at the end; I don't have any complaints about the players.”
It’s easy to put it down to one slip, but Spain just weren’t there in the second half. Was it one too many games for a starting eleven that went unchanged for all three games? Perhaps. Italy await in the round of 16 now thanks to his team’s slip-up and they will need to find some answers quickly.
”We didn't hold on to the ball as well as we should have [before the winning goal] and weren't ready for the counterattack. We know the quality [Ivan] Periši has but that's it. We're still in the competition, we are not on the path we wanted to be but we have to rise to the situation”, added Del Bosque.
After a reversal of fortunes against Croatia in a rematch from the last tournament, the defending champions now move to another rematch, against Italy, the team they beat in the final and drew against in the group stage. Antonio Conte has shown so far that he has the tactical nous, if not the best players, to rely on to get the job done. Spain have some of the best in the world in what they do, but not in the way they used to. Croatia sent them a strong message with this win about the soft underbelly of the Spanish side. Whether Del Bosque got that message and will look to address it in the upcoming game(s) is going to make for very interesting viewing indeed.
