Top Stories

No Raul or Bojan on Spain Euro squad

Fernando_torres_ap

Just how deep is the Spanish national team. Well, Spain’s squad for the 2008 European Championships was just announced and the list of players who failed to make the cut includes Raul and Bojan Krkic.

Yes, wow.

That can happen on a squad that boasts the forward tandem of Fernando Torres and David Villa, as well as star playmaker Cesc Fabregas. Nevermind the goalkeeping tandem of Casillas and Reina. Though it should be noted that Bojan Krkic essentially begged out of the Euros because of concerns about fatigue (hey, what do you know, maybe teenage forwards with a lot of club and country responsibilities really do get tired.)

I personally would have found a place for Raul but I can see how there might be concerns about a very influential older player like Raul being a worry for a coach like Aragones, who is trying to lead a young and impressionable team.

Here is the full Spain roster:

SPAIN European Championship Roster

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool), Andres Palop (Sevilla)

Defenders: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Raul Albiol (Valencia), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Fernando Navarro (Real Mallorca), Alvaro Arbeloa (Liverpool), Juanito (Real Betis)

Midfielders: Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Xavi (Barcelona), David Silva (Valencia), Santi Cazorla (Villarreal), Xabi Alonso (Liverpool), Ruben de la Red (Getafe), Marcos Senna (Villarreal)

Forwards: David Villa (Valencia), Daniel Guiza (Real Mallorca), Sergio Garcia (Real Zaragoza), Fernando Torres (Liverpool)

What do you think of this group? Can it win Euro? Will it shred the United States in the upcoming friendly? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. What matters now is spain won! And whatever decisions made before have now resulted into winning the Euro 2008. Cheers!

    Reply
  2. Joe in ND, Sergio Ramos cannot be excluded from that list, perhaps the best forward minded-defender in the world, also, speaking of Arteta, I think Guti should be at least considered for a spot on la seleccion, great passer, all around smart player, and has really come into his own in the last few years

    Reply
  3. leaving Raul off is positively dumb. Every time there are rumors he and Aragones have made up, things like this happen.

    I’m pretty shocked Capel didn’t make the squad.

    Oh and comparing Bojan’s situation to Altidore’s is a bit of a stretch at best. Bojan has played an entire La Liga season, with Champs league and domestic cups play along with national team duty. I’m willing to be he’s played nearly twice as much as Altidore.

    Beyond that, I wouldn’t be shocked if Aragones wanted to leave him off and asked him to cook up a story about wanting to sit. Because if he does want to sit for one of the biggest tournaments out there, he never deserves to pull on the Spanish shirt again.

    Reply
  4. Spain will probably underachieve again…but how I don’t know. If ever a team called for a 4-4-2 lineup, this is it.

    Older defenders, depth but not extreme excellence at midfield (Cesc excepted) and two DOMINANT strikers.

    I am deeply worried that the US will get embarrassed in this game. With any luck, we’ll surprise the in-transition English so we won’t look like a$$ when Spain spanks us.

    Cheers,

    Reply
  5. Look Raul is waiting for post Euros when Del Bosque becomes the coach and he can return.

    That said, he did create alot of usurping and havoc along with Cañizares and Salgado during the WC.

    I don’t get why everyone hates Xabi Alonso. The guy is a great central mid and quality passer of the ball. Xavi and Iniesta will probably start along with Cesc. They understand the passing game of Spain.

    OK I understand Bojan, but no Ximo (Joaquin) nor Diego Capel worries me. Spain always relies on it’s wing play along with one striker upfront. It should be interesting.

    I can’t believe that the old guys Marchena, Albiol, Juanito etc were called up in defense. They should have went for up and coming IE Amorebieta and Aitor Ocio, but Aragones is stuck in his ways.

    I hope that Spain can get over their mental wall and finally win the Euros. It has been a loooong time. Que Viva España!

    Reply
  6. Although I’m disappointed that Raul isn’t on the squad, it’s going to be fine. Spain has amazing young players and they just need to not come out short when it most counts. My number team for Euro2008! (I can’t believe Seerdorf doesn’t want to be in Euro2008. Still cheering for Netherlands though.)

    Reply
  7. Leaving Raul off the roster is a good move. The man is overated in international play and does nothing in international games while wearing he Spanish jersey.

    Reply
  8. I think it will be a tough game for spain against us if we field our top team. Cesc, is great (and will make m. bradley look like she-ite), but outside of ramos and torres, none of these guys are really stud athletes. They might have the ball a long time (like barca does against getefe), but we can counter them. Barca was better when they had guilly and pre-knee-injury eto making runs on through balls. This season was just a bunch of guys wainting for a ball played to feet. They didn’t have the runners this year, and spain didn’t choose the players with those qualities for this tournament. Without it, baraca looked stylish, but never threatening. Because spain didn’t pick guys like cappell, who are willing to run and get to the end line (and who make space for the other guys), they’re going to be equally ineffectual relative to what they might be with that key ingredient. I expect spain to look like this season’s barca or early season aresnal – all short pass no shot (or goals). Suck ’em in and counter. I believe we can win. USA!

    Reply
  9. I think it will be a tough game for spain against us if we field our top team. Cesc, is great (and will make m. bradley look like she-ite), but outside of ramos and torres, none of these guys are really stud athletes. They might have the ball a long time (like barca does against getefe), but we can counter them. Barca was better when they had guilly and pre-knee-injury eto making runs on through balls. This season was just a bunch of guys wainting for a ball played to feet. They didn’t have the runners this year, and spain didn’t choose the players with those qualities for this tournament. Without it, baraca looked stylish, but never threatening. Because spain didn’t pick guys like cappell, who are willing to run and get to the end line (and who make space for the other guys), they’re going to be equally ineffectual relative to what they might be with that key ingredient. I expect spain to look like this season’s barca or early season aresnal – all short pass no shot (or goals). Suck ’em in and counter. I believe we can win. USA!

    Reply
  10. I’ll be in Spain for this game, and am flying up to Santander for the game,before heading home…would’ve prefered Wembley for my Euro trip, but hey….the northern coast of spain, some vino tinto and some futbol…I’m ready.

    Reply
  11. to me, it’s real shame that raul was left off the squad. he was 3rd in the league in scoring and is a spanish soccer icon. why sergio garcia instead of him?

    Reply
  12. Oh, and as much as I don’t want to see it, expect them to blow out the US in their friendly… just to raise expectations a little bit more and make the inevitable crash out of Euro ’08 more bitter.

    Reply
  13. The Spanish have such a long and storied history of putting together teams of excellent players who can easily make the quarters and semis of international tournaments. I pick this side to do the same, and in keeping with the rich tradition of Iberian football (yes I include Portugal – see WC 2002), to fail in making it any further.

    Reply
  14. Spain don’t always score as many goals as they should, but I see them dominating possession against us by a margin of 65-35 or so. Their midfield is certainly lacking a for sure defensive presence (Senna can play that role, but he runs hot and cold), but otherwise I think they probably have the best midfield in the world and no one maintains possession like Spain.

    I wonder how they will line up, though. I expect that Villa and Torres will play together, but I’m not sure if they will add another forward and go with a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, because past Silva and Iniesta, who plays wide at times for Barca, they do not seem to have great width. Garcia from Zaragoza has played really well as of late, and he can play there, as can Cazorla, but it will be interesting to see what Aragones’s preferred line-up is. Probably would not have hurt to bring Joaquin or either of Capel and Navas from Sevilla. Ramos will certainl be an attacking threat, however, coming out of the back.

    Still, this sqaud is good enough to beat anybody on its day, and beat them well, and if Spain can overcome their number one enemy…themselves, they could have a great tournament. Vamos Espana (but not on June 4).

    Reply
  15. i dont see spain winning this again, even with the allstar team they have. i think they will really be weak in the midfield – cesc and xavi play too similar, neither one is a good defensive midfielder of gattuso or roy keane or patrick viera or essien abilities. xabi plays that position for liverpool, but he sucks and has been demolished by mascherano. if spain does decide to play cesc, xavi, and xabi, then they’ll solve that problem, but they’ll end up leaving a lone forward and will be screwed there again. its unfortunate because they have so much talent but are missing that key defensive midfielder position.

    Reply
  16. It is nice to see Arbeloa get rewarded for his hard work in Merseyside. Liverpool’s fullbacks were pretty weak for the majority of the year, with the exception of Arbeloa and occasionally Fabio Aurelio. Arbeloa’s ability to play across the back line and in midfield probably sealed it for him.

    As for Arteta/Alonso, Alonso still would have made the squad if Arteta wasn’t injured. Alonso is a classic Spanish holding midfielder who can play in an attacking role as well. He didn’t have a great season at Liverpool but it wasn’t a bad one either.

    If Arteta made the squad Alonso still would have made it as well.

    Interesting to note: Every player on the squad plays their football in Spain except for the foursome from Liverpool. Liverpool also contributes the most players, with a few other clubs sending three.

    Reply
  17. Tripper,

    Thats exactly why I make the Xabi Alonso comparison. The guy sucks. He’s good at whining and scoring goals from midfield when the keeper exposes himself, BFD.

    So that argument is crap, to me.

    Reply
  18. The fact that Arteta has never caught on with any La Liga first teams kills him when it comes to a national team call-up.

    Also, many in the Spanish camp still think English football is crap so Arteta’s play is discounted to an extent.

    Reply
  19. Arteta may still be dealing with an abdominal strain he suffered a month ago. But I agree, the man is too talented to be left off his national squad.

    Another thought, if the MLS can find a way to lure Raul to the Seattle, that would be phenomenal.

    Reply
  20. Spain, on paper, is one of the best teams in the world.

    Aragones, on paper, is one of the WORST coaches in the world.

    If I were the Spanish FA, and thank god I am not (those racists), I would have fired Aragones a long time ago, and for the Euros I would have installed Raul as player-coach. What could go wrong?

    Oh no, they might do worse at a major tournament than they have in the past, even though that would be pretty hard.

    IMO, how far Spain goes will rely on how far Torres, Cesc, Puyol, and Casillas can take them. If those players play poorly, they can just forget about winning.

    As for the friendly. I think it will be competitive, I don’t think that Spain will play their best team the whole time, and I am looking forward to seeing the Liverpool contingent out there, because Arbeloa and Reina will surely get time in the USA friendly, and of course Alonso and Torres will be in the mix throughout the tournament.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to VictorM Cancel reply