SPAIN BRAND OF FOOTBALL IS BORING

Before the Euro2012 final match, there were heated arguments on television and online whether Spain is a boring team. My son and I engaged in the same discussion, he with those who don’t agree and I with those who agree. Spain is indeed a boring team. How can a team hit around the ball in the centre of the pitch. They are reputed to have made more than 200 passes in the centre of the pitch in one match before they actually ventured into the opponent’s 18-yard box. Spain argues that opponents who park buses (putting more than 8 men behind the ball) make them play boring football. I beg to differ. Let’s look at Spain’s argument. What do they want their opponent’s to do? Attack them and leave their back door open so that they can get access easily? Teams that ‘park buses’ start from a position that they wont be able to outplay Spain and they use the most effective tool available to them – PARK A BUS. To try and play an attacking or open game against Spain is to commit suicide as Italy found out the hard way. You also can't allow them to score first, to do so means you have to go out and try and score which leaves you open at the back thereby putting you just where they want you to be. So you park the bus and pray that you hit them on the break, this strategy worked so effectively for Chelsea against Barcelona. Did Chelsea force Barcelona to play boring football? That’s not Chelsea’s problem, Chelsea had a strategy to win the match and they did. If Barca wanted to entertain their fans, it’s up to them to come up with a system/strategy that does exactly that. Spain and Barca cannot blame their boring brand of football on their opponent’s successful strategy.

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