World Cup 2010 Game Previews – 6/16/2010

Written by Aaron on June 15, 2010 – 11:37 pm -

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Switzerland Spain Group H – Game 2

Spain vs. Switzerland

ESPN – 10:00 AM ET

Spain:

I think more than any other team, Spain is getting the most votes for predicted World Cup Champion. And I don’t think we’re picking any differently on playahatin. Spain Is what you’d consider stacked – Outside of Brazil, I don’t think any team has so much talent. Yeah, The United States beat them in the Confederations Cup, but I think that was the “waking up of a sleeping giant” game that Spain needed. You have to consider that Spain, has lost only once in 49 games. They won the 2008 European championship and finished with a 10-0-0 record in World Cup qualifying. Their only defeat since 2006 was the 2-0 loss to the United States at last summer’s Confederations Cup, ending Spain’s record 35-game unbeaten streak. That my friends is pretty damn impressive! Spain plays fast, composed possession soccer laced with superstars at every position. Another run of good form could see Spain make their first appearance in a World Championship surprisingly.

More after the jump…

Spain’s key players:

David Villa: The new addition to super club, Barcelona is a goal scoring machine and a midfield dynamo! He is so much fun to watch and so creative with the ball at his feet. His free kicks are some of the best in the world, and he is a very engaging defender in the midfield. David Villa basically does it all aside from dawning the different colored jersey and the big gloves of the goal keeper. Villa has notched 38 goals in his 58 games with Spain, as well as over 200 goals in his club career. 107 of them with his most recent club, Valencia in Spain over a five year period. Watch out for Villa to win the Golden Boot as the tournaments top scorer. He pumped in 3 goals in the 2006 World Cup as a new arrival on the world soccer scene.

Fernando Torres: The 26 year old super-striker who plays his club soccer at English powerhouse, Liverpool is considered by many as the top striker in the world. His nickname, El Nino perfectly tells you how he plays. He is fast, aggressive and truly gifted running with the ball. Torres has netted 136 goals in his short 6 year club career as well as 24 goals for Spain. Torres also scored 3 goals in the 2006 World Cup, and he looks to carry the team all the way to the top in 2010.

Switzerland:

Coming off a great performance in the 2006 World Cup Switzerland should be primed and confident to make a deep run once again. The only problem is that the injury bug has bit them hard. Injuries have taken away the Swiss’ all-time leading goal-scorer, Alexander Frei and a truly great midfielder in Valon Behrami. The Swiss tend to play a defensive style of game and had great success with it throughout qualifying for the World Cup. They rattled off a 6-1-3 record while only conceding 8 goals and recording 4 shutouts. While the defense is solid, the goal scoring may be hard to come by. Especially without Frei and Behrami.

Switzerland’s key players:

Blaise Nkufo: This is a guy that all of us in the USA will get to know very well after the World Cup. Nkufo will be joining the Seattle Sounders of the MLS for the rest of his professional career. Nkufo has only appeared for his national team 29 times, but has notched 7 goals as a replacement for injured star striker, Alexander Frei. At 35 years old, the towering, physical striker may have a hard time with such old legs. He just finished his club season with Dutch side, F.C. Twente – Nkufo has tallied over 200 goals in his club career and 116 of them in the last 6 years with Twente.

Tranquillo Barnetta: You may remember the young winger from the 2006 World Cup, where Barnetta, 21 years old at the time scored a beauty of a goal against Togo in group play and created several great goals from the wing for his teammates. Barnetta was in the running for the tournaments “Best Young Player” award, but finished second in the running. He plays his club football at Bayer Leverkusen in Germany and is truly a great player to watch play the wing. Watch for him to make his name heard in this tournament.

Predictions:

Aaron York: (Spain 2 – Switzerland 1) I think this will be a tight game and Spain will use it to get their wheels spinning. But these will most likely be the teams to advance from the group. The Swiss defense and counter attack against Spain’s all out track meet.

Taylor Fugate: (Spain 5 – Switzerland 2) The highest scoring game of the tournament.

Playa Hatin’