Spain settled for a 1-1 draw with France as Olivier Giroud's last second score recompensed a successful performance for France. The crucial game left both squads with seven points atop group I in the World Cup Qualifiers with another five matches left to play.
But the match did more than just establish parity between the top two teams in Group I. It established the weaknesses in Spain's system and created a serious of questions regarding the World's greatest team.
Spain had a 1-0 lead after half-time and could have led by more had Cesc Fabregas not blown the penalty shot. They dominated the first half with crisp passing and their trademark patience that forces other teams into mistakes. But the second half was a different matter all together. Spain was sloppy with their passing and rather than being content to control the pace of the game and slow it down, they were consistently forcing passing into the heavily marked French area and often times giving the ball away. It was a performance that was highly uncharacteristic of that what has made Spain such a potent squad.
Vicente Del Bosque's stubborn decision to play with a false nine was painful in this match. Cesc Fabregas is an extremely talented player, but he has been wildly inconsistent for his club team Barcelona and was being thrown into an unnatural position. While he played a remarkable game against Belarus, France was a superior team and was able to make him invisible throughout the game. Even when he had a chance to play hero, he failed as Hugo Lloris stopped his penalty attempt.
David Silva is another anomaly. Silva is extremely talented, but he has the tendency to force the play to risky results. He got injured in this one (which was brutal), but even against Belarus on Friday, he was often made unwise decisions with the ball. And who can forget the frustrating play of Silva throughout the Euro 2012 where he was brilliant one game and the complete opposite the next? Someone like Juan Mata or Jesus Navas may be a better alternative to Silva.
More important of all was why Del Bosque did not attempt to expand France's defense with a striker. A false nine formation does not force the French defense back as much and the effectiveness of the system depends highly on the competency of the player at the false position. It worked in the euro, but teams have likely anticipated how the system works and France nullified it more and more as the game wore on. Del Bosque has pointed out the unfortunate injuries, but the team has enough depth to more than make up for it.
The way France played harkens back to a match Spain played against Portugal back in the Euro 2012. Like the other Iberians, France was not impassive on the ball. They pressured Spain into making the unsafe plays and created almost three times more chances than the Spaniards did. France should have won the match with this tactic, but a legal goal was ruled out and Spain got away with one point. But France was far and away the superior squad, and they were missing a great deal of players.
The match certainly gives France a prime opportunity back at home on March 26 when such players as Samir Nasri will be back in the fold. Who knows how it plays with France's current chemistry, but in front of their home fans and with the confidence of knowing how to force Spain off their game, this could be a major game for the French and the start of Spain's downfall.
People could point to evolution in the Spanish side, but Del Bosque has been inflexible with some of his choices. The Juan Mata exclusion from the squad was sorely missed in this match and his lack of use of the young and skilled player at the height of his powers seems unwise from one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport. His persistence in playing a false nine made his squad too predictable for the French and ultimately caused his downfall in this match. Del Bosque will eventually start a different side, but why he has not chosen to ease such players as Mata into the fold remains baffling.
More importantly, the best teams in the world may finally have to find a way to stop the Spanish and while the Iberians may try to adapt, but it could be too late.
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