Terry Maddaford: Spain under the spotlight

nzherald.co.nz exclusive

The Spanish tout their league as being right up there with the Italians as the best club championship in the world and in winning the World Cup three times, Italy have gone on to confirm such claims. The Spanish have not come close on the international stage.

Tonight, under coach Jose Antonio Camacho, Spain is again under the spotlight as the perennial under achievers when they meet hosts South Korea in a do-or-die battle for a place in the top four.

Should Spain beat their opponents and their Red Army of supporters who will cram the 42,880-seat Gwangju World Cup Stadium, they would have the chance to go at least one better than their previous best -- a modest fourth placing in Brazil in 1950.

Despite their poor showing in 10 previous outings at this level, Spain are still ahead on the win-loss ledger (16-14) but have been hit hard with 10 draws. They have been to the quarter-finals on two other occasions -- in 1986 and 1994 -- but failed to impress when they hosted the 1982 tournament.

Spain and Brazil were the only teams to go through group play with a three-from-three record scoring three goals against Slovenia, Paraguay and South Africa but in the round of 16 they needed a penalty shootout to end Ireland's run.

It will not be any easier against the livewire Koreans but if they can get 90 minutes of decent football from their stars led by Raul, Spain might just get through to play Germany in Tuesday's semifinal in the Seoul Stadium used for the World Cup opener.

A sense of normality returned the World Cup 2002 with Germany and Brazil scoring wins, albeit by a solitary goal, over the United States and England in yesterday's quarter-finals.

That would suggest that Spain should too get through but sorting out the winner of the last of the quarters in tonight's late game is far more difficult.

Senegal will go into the game with Turkey in Osaka as sentimental favourites but that will count for nothing.

Neither country can call on a wealth of experience. Senegal are playing in their first World Cup, Turkey their second but their first since 1954.

The Turks, carrying the hopes of a country of 63.8 million, will again look to the inspirational Hasan Sas but would also like to see something of the much-touted goal-grabbing Hakan Sukur.

Both teams can point to a great team spirit but with the feeling the sometimes unpredictable Senegalese might just have the vital X factor over the tradesmanlike Turks.

Brazil, while efficient almost to the point of predicability, in coming from behind to beat England 2-1 await the winner of tonight's late game for Wednesday's second semifinal in the Japanese city of Saitama.

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