Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque announced his roster for the Confederations Cup on Monday. The team enters the tournament as a major contender to win the prize. Spain also held a similar status back in 2009 but was stunned by the United States in the semifinals and had to settle for a third place finish. Here is how Spain's roster shakes up and the expectations for the team in this tournament.
Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Victor Valdes (Barcelona), Pepe Reina (Liverpool).
Casillas has been on a major hiatus thanks to a hand injury and a continuous benching from former Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho. He may not be in shape and could see some time on the bench to start the tournament. However, Casillas is more likely to get the start in the tournament as he is unquestionably Spain's top keeper. If he struggles, Valdes and Reina provide suitable options for Del Bosque.
Defenders: Ignacio Monreal (Arsenal), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid).
Many of these players made major contributions in the Euro 2012 and will likely get a chance to continue proving themselves in the Confederations Cup. Ramos, Arbeloa, Alba, and Pique are probably the top options for Del Bosque, but the other three could see time if any one of the four struggle.
Midfielders: Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Arsenal), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona), Javi Garcia (Manchester City) Benat Etxebarria (Real Betis).
Spain's midfield has always been its greatest strength and Del Bosque's call-ups include most of the players that succeeded at the World Cup in 2010 and the Euro Cup 2012. Busquets, Iniesta, Alonso, and Hernandez will likely get the starts, but Cazorla could get some time. The surprising exclusion from this group is rising star Isco.
Forwards: Juan Mata (Chelsea), David Silva (Manchester City), Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona), Pedro Rodriguez (Barcelona), Jesus Navas (Sevilla), David Villa (Barcelona), Fernando Torres (Chelsea), Roberto Soldado (Valencia).
Mata usually plays midfield, but he has not looked great in his few performances under Del Bosque's system. He may get a shot to prove himself in the false nine position. Fabregas, Pedro, and Silva have succeeded in this capacity before and will probably be the first options for Del Bosque. The manager has decided to bring in an arsenal of forwards, including Soldado, Torres and Villa; none of these players have been particularly consistent and could spend a great deal of time on the bench if they fail to impress. Jesus Navas will likely be a replacement off the bench for either Pedro or Silva.
Del Bosque did note that three players would be dropped from the list next Sunday once the Spanish league comes to an end.
Group Standing
Spain drew an "easy" group. Tahiti, Nigeria, and Uruguay are surely not in the same league as Italy, Brazil, Mexico and Japan and should not give Spain many problems. The speed of Nigeria could disrupt Spain's tiki-taka and Uruguay could surprise with peak performances from top players, however, Spain is unlikely to lose a game in this group and should finish in first place. Anything less would be a huge surprise.
Prediction: Spain wins Group B.
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