By Peter Hall, Special to Sportsnet
PARIS—Overconfidence at a crucial time could cost Spain manager Vicente del Bosque a shot at winning Euro 2016 his way.
Getting to the top of your profession is one thing; staying there is a completely different challenge altogether. After inheriting the tiki-taka revolution that to a Euro 2008 victory, del Bosque built upon the success of his predecessor Luis Aragones, and guided Spain to two more consecutive tournament successes, at the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.
Yet, the overriding sense of pride a coach takes in guiding his team to glory is that it’s his doing; the system, formation, training ground set pieces—the lot.
Euro 2016 is likely del Bosque’s last chance at achieving such. This is his Spain, who aren’t just pass, pass, pass anymore. But one easily avoidable late strike in Bordeaux could have ruined that very opportunity.
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“We have to be humble. Football punishes those who are over confident,” del Bosque said ahead of Spain’s final Group D clash with Croatia in the famous French wine-growing region—his players clearly not taking heed of his philosophical stance.
The groundwork had been done. Their tournament opener was far from a performance of champions in the making, but on another day they would have won by more than a late Gerard Pique header against Czech Republic.
Del Bosque stuck with the same side against Turkey in the next match, and it reaped rewards, with La Roja looking more clinical and direct.
That is what del Bosque has been keen to do in the last few years. After losing Xavi and Xabi Alonso, he needed to find a new outlet. Spain couldn’t pass their way through teams forever. His attempts failed miserably at the 2014 World Cup, but del Bosque seems to have got it right this time around.
“We still have tiki-taka, but not only this,” Spanish journalist Jordi Gil said. “We can play more directly. We needed the change, other teams know how to stop it. Look at the Georgia game [a 1-0 loss].”
That final warm-up against the European minnows was the final straw for many naysayers, with Georgia simply getting every player behind the ball, allowing Spain to have all the possession, without being able to do anything with it. Diego Simeone would have been proud.
Andres Iniesta is that last bastion of Spain’s golden era of easy on the eye football. While he still majestically strokes the ball around at will, Cesc Fabregas is making runs from midfield, linking up with the front three—gone are the days of the ‘false nine.’
“It’s true that it’s not the first time we’ve had this kind of game or opponent [with so many players behind the ball],” Iniesta said after the tournament opener in Toulouse. “It means they have a respect for us. There’s not a single way of breaking down these teams. You have to be calm and patient and keep going forwards until you get the result you want.”
Nolito is the embodiment of this new way of thinking. A late bloomer, having not made his international debut until 28, the Celta Vigo forward was superb against Turkey, providing one goal for Alvaro Morata and scoring one himself.
The final goal of a superb display in Nice was tiki-taka in its purest form, with every outfield player other than Gerard Pique touching the ball in the move that lead to Morata’s clincher.
However, while that is the goal that will be remembered, the game was already won thanks to two goals from incisive one-off passes, with the ball hitting the net in the blink of an eye in both cases‹very unlike La Roja.
Yet, Spain have done its best to undo all its good work on the French Riviera, allowing Croatia to come from behind to earn that 2-1 victory in Bordeaux that saw them top the group, much to the exasperation of all concerned.
“We have to take on the favourites now,” Sergio Ramos bemoaned to waiting journalists after the match. “But you need to face them so you can be champion.”
Up next is Italy, who has arguably looked the most formidable in France, before a potential quarterfinal with world champions Germany. Not ideal by any stretch, but it is certainly not the end of the world.
“We are lucky because we are still at a better level than most of the other big teams at the tournament.” Gil continued. “We can beat anyone on our day.”
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