It’s over and out for World Cup champs
Defending champ’s ouster in group round throws into question team’s tactics, player choice
Spain’s reign over the soccer world ends in humiliating fashion as the defending World Cup champs fall 2-0 to Chile.
RIO DE JANEIRO — With its superstars aging and its loyal coach slow to blend in young talent, Spain was bound to see the end of its reign as the superpower of world soccer.
The Spanish weren’t favored to repeat as World Cup champions. But few expected the collapse that ended Wednesday with a 2-0 loss Chile, knocking Spain from contention and ending the run of the greatest team of the century.
Chile’s pace and skill produced a dominating win similar to so many Spanish victories over the past six years. Spain was outplayed, outrun and outfought.
The 5-1 beating by the Netherlands on Friday was shocking and foretold where coach Vicente del Bosque’s team was heading: home.
“If you think about everything accomplished and you told me we would be eliminated in group stage, I wouldn’t believe you,” del Bosque said. “We have no excuses. It’s a sad day for all of the players.
“We thought we were in good shape. It was tough to even choose the 11 players that would line up, but the reality was quite different. The second half against Holland and the first half against Chile were like a weight crashing down on us.”
Six members of Spain’s squad played at least 100 national team games while winning the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championship.
“Success is not eternal,” Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli said. “This generation could not continue
with that success, and you can understand it. It’s very special the fact we were able to play today against the World Cup champions the way we did and eliminate them with courage, intensity and attack.”
Del Bosque acknowledged his players were “too slow, timid from the start.”
Chile twice came close to scoring in the first 90 seconds and led in the 20th minute when Eduardo Vargas finished a slick move of incisive passing that was Spanish in its execution.
The second followed in the 43th when Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas punched a free kick to the feet of Charles Aranguiz, who fired a rising shot right back past the veteran captain.
Casillas, 33, came to the World Cup after a second straight season as secondchoice goalkeeper at Real Madrid and a glaring error in its Champions League final win last month.
Spain came to Brazil with a similar — but older — team compared to the 2010 squad. It added Brazilian-born striker Di- ego Costa, but he failed to score and was substituted in both matches.
Spain’s “tiki-taka” style of play — keeping the ball for long stretches with short passes and shooting only with a clear opening — had not been working as well in recent years.
Spain became the third straight European defending World Cup champion to flop in the group stage. France in 2002 and Italy four years ago also failed to advance or win a match.
Spain can at least end that streak in a consolation game Monday against Australia.
Xabi Alonso, another Spanish vet, will likely not start against Australia. He was replaced by Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke after an agonizing first half.
Alonso gave away the ball to Alexis Sanchez to start the move down Chile’s right wing by Arturo Vidal and Aranguiz, leading to Vargas’ score. Trailing behind the play, Alonso put his hands to his head in exasperation.
Other Spanish players were also guilty of wayward passing and woeful finishing.