Why Spain need to bring back Iker Casillas if they want to beat Italy
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Updated 27/06/2016 at 14:50 GMT
Pete Jenson argues the case for a switch in personnel for Spain's last-16 match that might have seemed unthinkable a few months ago.
David De Gea and Iker Casillas, Spain's two goalies
Image credit: AFP
Picture the scene: Stade de France on Monday night and Vicente del Bosque wants to make a substitution in extra time. Nothing strange about that except there are only three minutes left and the change is in goal where Iker Casillas will come on for David De Gea.
This could be the Spain boss copying Louis van Gaal, who brought on Tim Krul for Jasper Cillessen in the 2014 World Cup to successfully win a shoot-out against Costa Rica. But from his beaten-up old black and white Adidas boots to his football convictions Del Bosque does not follow fashions - and after Van Gaal's United misadventure, no one is following him anymore.
No, this has more to do with what happened in 2008, when Spain beat Italy and kick-started their own golden era of success.
Spain had not beaten Italy in a competitive match for eighty years and they were even worse at penalty shoot-outs than England who had dumped them out on spot-kicks in 1996.
But Casillas saved from Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Di Natale, and when Cesc Fabregas scored Spain's next penalty the scores were 4-2. Spain went through to the quarter-finals.
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Iker Casillas saves against Italy
Image credit: Imago
They feared no one after that; won the tournament; the next World Cup and then the 2012 Euros to make it three straight trophy wins.
That 4-0 win over Italy in the final in 2012 was one of those rare shows of footballing perfection.
If the definition of total football is that every outfield player is capable of playing in any part of the pitch that he finds himself in, in any position, then total football came home on July 1, 2012. That much was evident when David Silva popped up in the centre-forward position to score the first goal and when left-back Jordi Alba did likewise for the 2-0.
It's true that Italy were poor - conceding as early as the 14th minute, robbed of the injured Giorgio Chiellini after just 21 minutes, and down to 10 men having made all three substitutions before they lost Thiago Motta to injury in the second half. But they had been beaten by a champion in his prime.
Four years on Spain fear, and Italy hope, that the Spanish are not the force they once were.
"This is not like facing the Spain team that thrashed us in 2012," said former Italy keeper and national team coach Dino Zoff.
It is still a Spain squad full of title winners. Vicente Del Bosque's players have 249 trophies between them while the Italians have just 113.
But the passes do not fizz quite as quickly between the red shirts and there are players in this squad who would have been out of place four years ago. A little diesel has been poured into the four star tank.
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Spain's Gerard Pique celebrates after scoring their first goal
Image credit: Reuters
"We kept on looking to get into their area and we did not worry too much about defending" complained Del Bosque of his team's inability to hold on to a lead against Croatia in the last group game. 'Holding on' was never on the agenda before.
He put on midfielder Bruno and centre-forward Aritz Aduriz in the second half. The hope was that Bruno would help Spain keep possession and that the ball would stick to Aduriz in attack but the plan failed.
"We played without a striker four years ago with Cesc Fabregas as the furthest forward," said Del Bosque this week. It's an option that is open to him again this time with Koke drafted into midfield at the expense of an out-an-out number nine but can Spain play that way without Xavi Hernandez?
No one was more important for Spain in Ukraine than Xavi. The great man had already began his gentle descent by the time the finals had started and with a couple of below par performances some were even beginning to think the unthinkable - that he might have to be left out. But he produced one his best ever performances in the final.
"I don't like it all," he told El Mundo Deportivo last week when asked about drawing Italy in the next round. "It's a major stumbling block on our path to the final."
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Xavi, Spain - what they'd give for him back and in his prime
Image credit: PA Sport
Italy do not have the sprinkles of talent they had four years ago. There is no Andrea Pirlo, no Claudio Marchisio and no Marco Verratti. But they look steelier than ever and could certainly make it difficult for Spain.
In other words, it's a match that could well go to penalties.
If it does, Iker will flash a glance or two Del Bosque's way. He is not what he was eight years ago but he has always had what the Spanish call 'a flower up his backside'.
In other words he is a lucky sportsman; a brilliant one, but a lucky one too. And Spain might need some of that brilliant luck to get past Italy this time.
Pete Jenson
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