Australia 0-3 Spain: Five talking points

Spain might have been eliminated from the World Cup as a result of their first two fixtures, but they still had a job to do when they played Australia. And credit to them, they gave a completely professional performance, and defeated Australia 3-0.Here are a few thoughts from the game, in no particular order.[Stats courtesy Opta]

#1 Australia start aggressively, but this time Spain did not wilt

For the first time in 3 games, Australia were outplayed over 90 minutes, and for the first time since the start of the tourney, Spain have outplayed anybody.

Over the 2 previous games, Spain had recorded 63.3% possession, the 2nd highest for any team, while Australia had roughly 2/3rds that figure – 42.1%, the 26th highest. Spain were always going to see more of the ball, but Australia could have sat back and tried to take their chances. They instead tried to do a Chile and press high from the start – a strategy that worked for about a quarter of an hour.

It wasn’t all high-tempo stuff, and Australia often stitched up some nice moves; Matthew Spiranovic attempted and completed 23 passes in the first half alone. But without the suspended Tim Cahill, Australia lacked sharpness up front, and after a nervy start Spain took control of proceedings.

#2 A tale of two strikers

In a nutshell, this game demonstrated the importance of two 30-somethings, one of whom wasn’t even on the pitch. David Villa and Tim Cahill have probably made their last bows at the World Cup, and few players have been as crucial to their sides’ success. In three World Cups, Cahill has scored 5 of Australia’s 11 goals, and without him, they were never going to equalize once Villa opened Spain’s tally.

It was a beautiful goal by El Guaje, a backheel that left everyone stunned for its audacity and accuracy. At their peak Spain were famed for their teamwork and Barcelona-esque ‘Total Football’, but that style got results only because of two great finishers, Villa and Fernando Torres.

With this goal, Villa has scored 7 of Spain’s last 11 World Cup goals – a staggering 77%. It’s a shame that this great striker will be plying his trade in Australia next season, far away from the Champions League.

#3 And a few other misfiring ones

Its well-known thatdel Bosque lovespacking his side with playmakers, but his under-utilization of Pedro this tournament has been baffling. The Barca forward has been Spains best striker since Euro 2012, scoring 12 goals for his country.But hesstarted once at this World Cup in midfield.

Instead, del Bosque hastried to shoehorn Diego Costa into a side that plainly does not suit his playing style. It could be a reward for the striker choosing Spain over his native Brazil and understandable,given that hes had a terrificseason -but his arrival has done nothing for Spain. In 2matches he logged a grand total of zero shots on target.

The same stat appliedto Torres. El Nino finally shot (and scored) against Australia,after 123 fruitless minutes on the pitch, but you couldnt help being cynical. This was every bit the new, marginalTorres: scoringpointless goalswhen it matteredleast.

#4 Bad pitch

The Curitiba turf was poor, and it showed at regular intervals, with tackles often upending a fair bit of grass and mud along with the target.

This probably slowed the ball down as well, resulting in several aerial passes, although it probably affected the Aussies more: Xabi Alonso and Koke were both quite comfortable with long diagonals.

#5 The road ahead

Australia are unlucky to head home without a point. They’ve played some great football over the last few days, and it’s always sad to see a plucky side depart this early.

On the other hand, there is scope for optimism – they are still troubled by European teams (1 win in 8 World Cup encounters), but they were stellar against the Netherlands, and this goal will be remembered for a long, long time (As will the corner flag celebrations).

It may seem exaggerated to call this a transition, but the presence of Koke and Juanfran in Vicente del Bosque’s teamsheet could be the start of something new. Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia may no longer supply the next generation of world-beating Spaniards, but Atletico Madrid have something similar to offer.

Their players can hustle, work hard and are technically sound – and, as has been proved, they can win games, which is the first step towards ascendancy. In coming days, del Bosque may not be considered the right man to chart that course, which means this game could signal both the end of an era and the beginning of the next.