History Shows a Slow Start Is How Spain Like It Best at Euros

What really is the sign of champions? There seems to be some disconnect in consensus. Some think it’s a thumping display of superiority, dominating from start to finish and running up a score more befitting of a cricket match. Others believe it is the recording of victory when it was not truly deserved. 

Those who hail Spain as Euro 2016 winners-in-waiting after their 1-0 win over Czech Republic see it a different way. They view their perseverance—only finding the breakthrough three minutes from time after pressing and probing for the entire contest—as demonstration of their title credentials.

The best sides always find a way through, and that’s what La Furia Roja did in their opening fixture.

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Spain have a tendency to start slowly at major tournaments. Even when they won the World Cup in 2010, they started their campaign with a surprise defeat to Switzerland in the group stage.

In Brazil four years ago, they were thumped 5-1 by the Netherlands in their opening game. Of course, in that instance they failed to recover and tripped over the first hurdle, but it underlined how sluggishly they so frequently start.

Perhaps the perfect precedent for Vicente del Bosque’s men this summer is provided by their trajectory at the UEFA European Championship four years ago. In Poland and Ukraine, Spain kicked off with a rather insipid 1-1 draw against Italy. By the time they met the Azzurri just a few weeks later in the final, they had found their stride, emphatically winning 4-0. 

The hope, from a Spanish perspective, must be that they can follow a similar route this time around. Del Bosque has faced scrutiny over a number of his decisions for the game against Czech Republic, but he still boasts one of the strongest squads in the competition. He is not without solutions to the problems his team suffered from in their opening match.

One such problem concerns the mindset of goalkeeper David De Gea, whose competition has been marred by allegations of scandal, per Sid Lowe and Giles Tremlett of the Guardian. Del Bosque stood by his goalkeeper for the clash with Czech Republic, with the Manchester United man generally dealing with what was thrown his way.

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But in major tournaments like this, one mistake can be catastrophic, so Del Bosque must evaluate the mentality of De Gea before handing him the No. 1 jersey again. After all, in Iker Casillas he has a deputy with proven pedigree and major tournament experience aplenty. He could make the switch without much risk.

“That Iker doesn't play is painful for me,” Del Bosque told Spanish television channel Be Mad TV (h/t Reuters) after his side’s win over Czech Republic.

“He is a player that we have to respect because he has been here for 14 years. I tried to approach things as normally as possible. I had a talk with him because I felt he deserved it. He has more than 160 caps [167]. We always try to make the best choice and the difference [between them] is minimal."

Del Bosque added: “I liked how Iker acted on the bench. I saw he was very serene and relaxed. It's good to see the substitutes living the game and feeling the success as if they were on the pitch. He can help us a lot.”

Now Spain face Turkey in Nice, where their place in the last 16 can effectively be secured with a victory. Another three points, taking them to six from six, would almost certainly be enough to send them into the latter rounds, meaning Del Bosque could experiment in their final group game against Croatia.

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Perhaps it will take until then for Spain to finally find a satisfactory solution up front. While they have been able to count on legends like David Villa and Fernando Torres at previous major tournaments, Del Bosque is without a truly exceptional No. 9 to lead his front line at Euro 2016.

Alvaro Morata was handed the starting spot for the opening game against Czech Republic, but he failed to make any real impression. It was as if the Juventus front man was trying too much, moving too often and subsequently neglecting his role as the attacking focal point for his side. The benefit of playing as a striker for Spain is that not much needs to be done in terms of movement. There are others to do that for you.

And so Del Bosque might opt to start Aritz Aduriz against Turkey. The Athletic Club Bilbao veteran was brought on as a second-half substitute, with Spain improving with him on the pitch. The 35-year-old provided an apex at the head of their front line, giving La Furia Roja something to play off as they searched for a breakthrough.

But Aduriz’s success in such a system might have been merely the product of circumstance. At that time, with the two teams still tied and Spain starting to run dry on ideas, Del Bosque instructed his side to go more direct more often, playing into the Athletic striker’s own style of play. That won’t be the case from the start against Turkey.

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It’s for this reason that Del Bosque might be tempted to use Cesc Fabregas as something of a false nine. The Chelsea man performed this role at Barcelona and it could work again for Spain, linking up the midfield and attack in the way Morata failed to against Czech Republic. 

But with the field at this summer’s European Championship apparently weak, Spain might not need to truly solve such problems to win the competition. Above average might be good enough to lift the trophy at the Stade de France on July 10, with no team stamping their authority on the tournament so far. 

Having won three from four of the last major tournaments, it’s natural that Spain should strive for excellence, but even if they don’t find it Del Bosque could still deliver.

La Furia Roja have been here before, and that should provide a source of assurance.