SPAIN 1 - 0 SOUTH KOREA: Jesus Navas saves Spains blushes (Highlights)

Spain struggled for the second time in a week as 'La Roja' scraped past South Korea courtesy of a scorching goal from young Jesus Navas six minutes from time. Perhaps it's the pressure that comes with being named World Cup favourites by the bookies, but having seen the comments left by various Spanish fans across Marca and the forums, many believe the blame lies elsewhere. One thing is for sure, right now there is something lacking. Many are questioning Vicente del Bosques tactics, playing with a 4-1-4-1 formation which has served to clog up the middle of the park, stemming that natural flow of the ball so characterisitic of Spain in Euro 2008. Today they were slow, predictable and lacking that penache they had in Austria two summers ago. Leaving Marcos Senna at home could be Del Bosques biggest error as Spain coach. The unsung hero who lets Xavi, Silva and co get on with their job of terrorising defenses won't be around in South Africa. And there's no ready made replacement. Sergio Busquets simply doesnt cut it at international level in my view, and Javi Martinez has only just made the leap from club football.  

With Victor Valdes making his long-awaited debut in the second half (strangely ten years to the day since Iker Casillas made his debut), the shining lights in a drab showing were the two young guns Pedro and Jesus Navas. The Sevilla winger a constant threat down the right, and with only Cesc Fabregas' effort which smacked the crossbar to show for their efforts with 84 minutes on the clock, up stepped Navas to thump a cracking effort into the top right corner of Woon-Jaes goal. As the rest of Spain rejoiced, Florentino Perez was cursing his bad luck. That'll be another €10million euros he'll have to fork out for Sevillas electric winger.

So, another friendly win and another lacklustre outing. There's certainly no reason to panic (todays team was a second-string XI remember), but Spain will be expecting more against Poland in Murcia next week.

SEVILLA COPA DEL REY WINNERS 2010: Cup final to savour!

Sevilla 2 - 0 Atletico Madrid
(1-0) 5' Capel, (2-0) 91' Jesus Navas

All the talk before the final was about who wanted it the most. Who was dreaming more about winning the final. Even now I think it's impossible to say. Diego Capel and Jesus Navas scored the goals that ensured the Copa del Rey would be travelling down to Sevilla. Atletico Madrid were cruelly denied the chance to lift their second trophy in a week but the players and fans can take pride in the part they played in what was a memorable cup final. 50,000 Atleti fans made the trip up to the Camp Nou and their vocal support was nothing short of relentless. Win or lose, they were there to rejoice in a historic week for the red and white half of Madrid. Those who watched will never forget those cries of 'ATLETI' when the final whistle was blown. Who's to know if it was the emptyness of defeat or the display of affection from their adoring supporters that provoked tears from many of the Atleti squad. They certainly had nothing to be ashamed of. Both in victory and defeat, this Atletico team will come back bigger and stronger next season.

However well Atletico played, they came across a Sevilla team on a mission. A mission that started on 28th August 2007; the fateful day unfortunate Antonio Puerta left his team a man down. Ever since, his old teammates have strived to lift a trophy in his honour. If it wasn't to be against AC Milan in the European Supercup just three days after, they were not going to be denied tonight. How apt it should be that the man wearing his old number 16 shirt, Diego Capel, should set them on their way after only 5 minutes on the clock. Andres Palop, the man who singlehandedly kept out a rampant Barcelona in the earlier rounds, was equal to everything Atleti fired his way. Didier Zokora was everywhere. I've never seen a man run so much in 90 minutes. Atletico Madrid had the possession and the chances, but Sevilla had a little helping hand from above. In added time Jesus Navas sped away from Dominguez, rounded De Gea and netted to seal the win, sending the 35,000 Sevillanos into raptures. The celebrations yielded a number of 'sombrero' hats, immortilizing the peculiar dress sense of their hugely unlikeable president Jose Maria Del Nido. Palop raised the oversized trophy and their mission was complete. A cup final to remember.

Real Madrid running scared of Sevilla?

Perhaps I'm reading more into this than there is, but I don't find it a coincidence that Real Madrid have decided now is the right time to express their interest in Jesus Navas. The fact that they are interested shouldn't really come as much of a surprise, after all the speed demon is having a fantastic season with seven assists to his name as he reeks havoc down right wings up and down La Liga every weekend. But to suddenly expose this interest with an important home match against his team Sevilla on the horizon? Unsettling a vital cog in the Sevillano machine? They really don't need to get involved in that sort of business. Not with a team that is doing all its talking on the pitch; 17 goals in their last four league encounters.

Besides, would an out and out winger like Navas even fit in with Real Madrids masterplan? A 4-4-2 diamond inherently lacks pace on the flanks in midfield and requires the full-backs to provide the width and crosses, as Sergio Ramos and Marcelo have done so admirably. Would Navas be as effective at the head of that diamond? Unlikely. So unless Pelligrini seriously harbours plans to switch things around next year, this could just be another attempt to unsettle a team that could well dent their championship hopes if they get anything from tonights match in the Bernabeu. And let us not forget who scored the opener against Real Madrid in this seasons reverse fixture, whilst giving poor Marcelo a night to forget. I'll let the photo above do the talking.

Jesus Navas earns call-up: Spain v Argentina 14.11.09

Today Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque named his squad for the two friendlies against Argentina and Austria. The first tie is a mouthwatering prospect against Maradona's Argentina side, fresh from scraping into the 2010 World Cup after defeating Uruguay in their final group stage clash, with the match honouring the 100 year anniversary of the Spanish Football Federation. Del Bosque's boys will then travel down to Vienna (Ernst Happel Stadium), where Spain will have more than fond memories of that historic Euro 2008 victory over Germany.

Novelties in the Spain squad have been hard to come by since that win (must be the hardest squad in world football to break into), but todays announcement saw the introduction of  'speedy-gonzalez' Jesus Navas into the 'La Roja' set-up. People have been clamouring for Navas' inclusion for some time, but as a result of anxiety attacks and chronic homesickness, Sevilla have been holding him back in an attempt to cure the problem. Recently he made it clear he felt he had overcome these unfortunate obstacles and was ready for a call-up, and good old Vicente hasnt let him down. The boy who used to find youth matches so easy he dribbled around the puddles, has his chance to transfer his red-hot league form into international football.

More information on Jesus Navas HERE  (Courtesy of Wikipedia)


Spain Squad to face Argentina (14 Nov) and Austria (18Nov):

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina(Liverpool) and Diego López (Villarreal).

Defenders: Raúl Albiol (Real Madrid), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Andoni Iraola (Athletic), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Gerard Piqué (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona) and Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).

Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Cesc Fábregas (Arsenal), Xavi Hernández (Barcelona) and Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona).

Forwards: Dani Güiza (Fenerbahce), Pablo Hernández (Valencia), Juan Manuel Mata (Valencia), Jesús Navas (Sevilla), David Silva (Valencia), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla) and David Villa (Valencia)

Navas sends Sevilla through; Snow joke for Barca

Sevilla became the first Spanish side to make it through to the knockout stages with a 1-1 draw against a spirited Stuttgart side. The first half saw the Sevillanos take the game by the scruff of the neck, and they were rewarded in the 13th minute with a marvellously worked goal. The ball shifted from Romaric to Fabiano, who cushioned a delightful reverse pass into the path of onrushing speed-demon Jesus Navas, who feinted to shoot before slotting neatly under Jens Lehmann.

The second half saw Stuttgart work their way back into the game, helped by a couple of injuries to Sevilla, Kone limping off with a rib injury and Duscher, a substitute himself, suffering thigh damage. The latter left Sevilla with ten men, having already used all their subs, and the pressure eventually told. Stuttgart had sent a few warning shots in the way of Javi Varas, before Kuzmanovic finally boomed one into the top corner from outside the box. The Germans could have gone on to snatch the three points, with Russian hitman Pogrebnyak hitting the bar with a header and Javi Varas making a couple of spectacular stops which will only enhance his growing reputation, but Sevilla held on to qualify with two games to spare from what was initially viewed as a tough group to call. Can they be considered a dark horse to win it?

Rubin Kazan's superstitious manager Kurban Berdyev made it four points from a possible six with a deserved 0-0 draw against the reigning European champions. He may be bonkers but he's a tactical messiah, and the rosemary beads worked their magic once more. Barcelona could have gone infront as early as the 2nd minute when Zlatan Ibrahimovic swept a shot against the upright, but that's as close as it would get for 'Los Blaugranas' as they were frozen out by a hard-working Kazan outfit. Leo Messi was a disappointment once more, and voices are beginning to creep out the woodwork in criticism of the once untouchable Argentine. Guardiola has some work to do to rebuild confidence stripped away by Maradona's Argentine set-up.

But in concentrating on Messi's unfortunate plight, I am undermining the performance of an impermeable Rubin defence. As sturdy as the Kremlin wall, Rubins defenders closed ranks once Ibrahimovic had broke through. As predicted, the Russians broke out on the counter as the game wore on, and they could have snatched it were it not for a splendid stop late-on from Victor Valdes. Barcelona are now third in Group F, behind Kazan and Inter, who left it late to see off Kiev to move to the top of the group. Which means 'Los Cule' are now obliged to beat Mourinho's Inter Milan at home in three weeks time, or they could be pulling out their scarves and hats again for Kiev with one foot out the Champions League, an extraordinary scenario that no-one could have predicted. Guardiola said post-match that if they cant get six points from the next two games they don't deserve to go through. He's not wrong.

Sevilla 1 - 1 Stuttgart
Rubin Kazan 0 - 0 Barcelona