How do you say ‘Golden Generation’ in Spanish?
If ever a team deserves that cliched label, one cannot ignore Spain’s current crop. At the risk of throwing numbers around too liberally, since a 2-0 loss to Sweden in Stockholm in October 2006, they have notched up 16 wins and 2 draws in 18 competitive starts. During that run, they have notched up 39 goals and conceded 6. In 2008 alone, they have won 13 out of all 14 matches played, including friendlies against opposition such as France, Italy and Denmark.
Along the way, they also handled the small matter of winning their first major title in 44 years after winning the European Championships in Vienna.
The wealth of talent throughout their ranks is nothing short of Brazilian. Cesc Fabregas would sail into the first-eleven of any international side—Brazil and Argentina included—but he is forced to understudy Xavi and Iniesta in the national set-up. The strength of their collective performances for both club and country are consistently exceptional, such is the understanding they have forged. If they possessed any more chemistry they would explode.
In the final third of the pitch, the Spanish Armada boast of more options than the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Vicente Del Bosque must feel like a child with too many PlayStation games to choose from when he selects his squad, but any manager in the world must feel slightly overwhelmed when he sees Silva, Carzola, Riera, Capel, Joaquin, Navas, De la Red and Krkic and realizes he must omit half of them. David Villa and Fernando Torres would induce certain Sheiks into mortgaging their oil wells had they any shot of procuring their services.
Perhaps the true beauty of this Spanish side is that there are no stars. Stop sniggering: There are eleven world-class footballers on the pitch. But when everyone is a star, no one is a star. This is unique. France was inspired by Zidane, Brazil counted on Ronaldo’s goals. Although the Italian Class of ’06 somewhat exemplified this, they were still reliant on Cannavaro’s superb defensive marshaling. An optimum equity exists in the current Spanish side. No player dominates the team, no individual is larger than life. The team as a result is durable and balanced. Balance breeds consistency. Consistency breeds success.
That Spain are so wonderfully synchronized is significant. There is ambiguity with regard to nationality in Spain as there exists a rich variety of ethnic groups fiercely loyal to their heritage. Indeed, the current Zapatero government promotes the concept of Spain as a ‘Nation of Nations’. What partisan loyalty players might have to either their ancestry or indeed their clubs (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, all disparate autonomous communities) however, completely evaporate when they don the Red, Blue and Gold. Spain have eleven supremely talented players fighting for one cause and Capello is undoubtedly trying to instill a similar team ethos into England.
If anything, Spain are enjoying a golden sporting age. Rafa Nadal, Fernando Alonso, Sergio Garcia and Pau Gasol are young, Spanish and already internationally renowned. Surely there must be a Spanish adaptation of ‘Let The Good Times Roll’?
