Culture minister tours Saudi pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka    Al Ahli edges Al Ain 2-1, bolsters perfect start in AFC Champions League Elite    Saud Abdulhamid makes history as first Saudi player in Serie A    Saudi Cabinet to hold special budget session on Tuesday    King Salman orders extension of Citizen's Account Program and additional support for a full year    Al-Falih: 1,238 foreign investors obtain premium residency in Saudi Arabia    Irish PM apologizes for walking away from care worker    Several dead as Storm Bert wreaks havoc across Britain    Most decorated Australian Olympian McKeon retires    Adele doesn't know when she'll perform again after tearful Vegas goodbye    'Pregnant' for 15 months: Inside the 'miracle' pregnancy scam    Ukraine losing ground in Russia's Kursk region, says military source    Hezbollah fires rocket barrages into Israel after deadly Beirut strikes    Al Ittihad claims top spot in Saudi Pro League after victory over Al Fateh    Do cigarettes belong in a museum?    Saudi Arabia joins international partnership initiative to boost hydrogen economy    Riyadh Emir inaugurates International Conference on Conjoined Twins in Riyadh    Saudi Arabia to host 28th Annual World Investment Conference in Riyadh    Saudi Arabia allows licensed flour milling companies to export flour    Katy Perry v Katie Perry: Singer wins right to use name in Australia    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Spain finally enters the fray with a swagger
By Nick Mulvenney
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 16 - 06 - 2010

Spain will enter the World Cup fray with a swagger despite question marks over the fitness of Fernando Torres and Andres Iniesta when they face Switzerland in their opening Group H match Wednesday.
Their squad is so stuffed full of talent that anything but a comfortable win for the European champions will be considered something of a shock when the last two teams in the tournament finally get their campaigns underway.
Having broken their major tournament hoodoo at Euro 2008, Spain's consistent defense, startlingly talented midfield and corps of lethal strikers have made them the favorite of many to carry off football's biggest prize in South Africa.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque will probably not risk Torres, who is recovering from knee surgery, and play David Villa as a lone striker in front of a five-man midfield.
Andres Iniesta looks likely to win his race to recover from a thigh strain and take his place in that midfield but with quality like Cesc Fabregas or Villa's Valencia teammate Juan Mata on standby, Del Bosque may not be unduly worried.
In their opening match at the Moses Mabhida stadium (1400 GMT) they meet a workmanlike Swiss team which has had a poor run-up to the tournament and will be without their leading goalscorer and captain Alex Frei.
The Swiss will also be missing midfielder Valon Behrami because of a thigh injury while Frei's ankle injury means Eren Derdiyok will partner Blaise Nkufo up front if coach Ottmar Hitzfeld sticks with his favored 4-4-2 formation.
“They are a very compact team. At the last World Cup they went home without a win but they had a very good qualifying campaign this time,” Del Bosque told Spanish television. “They have been playing together for many years and in my opinion have many qualities.”
Switzerland did indeed recover from an early loss to Luxembourg in its qualifying campaign but it suffered three successive defeats in friendlies in the buildup to the World Cup and has never beaten the Spanish.
Spain had a 100 percent record in qualifying as it continued a run of form that has seen it lose just once in the last three years - to the United States at the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa.
Talented Spain squads have flattered to deceive at previous World Cups but the 2010 vintage looks like having more than enough zip to get past the Swiss and ultimately out of a group that also features Chile and Honduras.


Clic here to read the story from its source.