World chumps
Our analyst tells GARY LIM that del Bosque should put his faith in veteran Villa, not Torres and Costa, to save their World Cup hopes
GROUP B
SPAIN 1
(Xabi Alonso 27-pen)
HOLLAND 5
(Robin van Persie 44, 72, Arjen Robben 53, 80, Stefan de Vrij 64)
What went wrong for Spain?
HAMANN: Spain simply came up against a very good Holland side.
In the second half, Spain were second best in all departments. It was all Holland after the break.
The Dutch were quicker, sharper and more alert.
With Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie absolutely on top of their games, the Spanish defence couldn't cope with their pace and trickery.
Do you think the Diego Costa experiment has gone terribly wrong for the defending champions?
I certainly think so. Spain's defence is usually very tight during big tournaments, but I suspect the balance of their team has been disrupted by Costa's presence.
They didn't look the same team.
With Costa, they have to play with a proper No. 9, which they haven't done for years.
The way Costa played in this game, he won't get the nod in their next match.
For Atletico Madrid, he plays for a counter-attacking team, and he has done so well for them.
But Spain are a possession team, so it's a totally different system.
I'm not sure even Fernando Torres these days can thrive in the Spanish side. The man they should turn to is David Villa.
Of course, Spain have other options.
For example, they have Cesc Fabregas who can function as a "false No. 9", and they can also turn to Pedro Rodriguez.
But if they want to play with a No. 9, Villa is the best fit. I expected him to start against Holland.
He had a bad injury a couple of years ago, but he has come back strongly and played well for Atletico Madrid last season.
Were you surprised by Holland's performance?
I was stunned by their display because like many, I wasn't sure if they have enough quality to go far.
But they kept it simple, and with Nigel de Jong in midfield, they were solid in the centre.
The young team played cohesively, worked hard and van Persie and Robben made all the difference.
That's all it takes in modern football.
What's so special about Holland's two star men?
The Spanish defenders were absolutely terrified of Robben.
There were instances during the game that Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique just didn't know which way to go. Pace is very important in football these days.
Spain's problems became worse after Holland took the lead.
Because Spain had to keep a high line as they searched for the winner, they left themselves open to counter-attacks.
Van Persie's finishing was world class. That header he scored, he could have brought down the ball first but he didn't have to. That is how good he is.
Do you think Holland's 5-3-2 formation played a big part in their win?
It is very important to stop Spain from playing and they did that.
They sat back, defended well and had the speed to punish the opponents on the break. Everything they did worked.
The penalty decision which Spain got didn't even look like a foul to me.
Do you think Holland, with their history of self-destructing, can really go all the way this time?
Holland coach Louis van Gaal will never allow the players to fight among themselves.
He's a disciplinarian, and he has them under control.
Their confidence is soaring now.
It's one thing to win your opening game, but quite another to beat the defending champions 5-1.
The players who lost the World Cup final four years ago will be extremely motivated to win it. Robben, van Persie and Wesley Sneijder will know that this is probably their last chance.
Holland will definitely go through to the last 16, then bigger tests will come.
But they won't get a better boost than this.
Dietmar Hamann has played for Bayern Munich, Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester City. He won the Bundesliga in 1994 and 1997, and the treble of the FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup with Liverpool in 2001, besides the Champions League in 2005. He has 59 international caps for Germany and played in the 2002 World Cup final.
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