Spain’s recent victory against Luxembourg came felt like a breath of fresh after a few disastrous games. After sustaining 4 defeats in 6 games and a terrible World Cup, questions were raised about the abilities of Del Bosque as a coach and his unreasonable trust on certain players. There were doubts about the team’s adaptability and ability to cope with high-tempo counter-attacks. Many felt that the coach should give younger players a chance and let go of some of the deadwood.
It seems like all the opinions haven’t fallen on deaf ears as Del Bosque fielded the youngest team of his reign in a game against Luxembourg which Spain went on to win 4-0. The coach dropped Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas, who had a disastrous game against Slovakia, in favour of the young and in-form David De Gea (23). Other youngsters such as Bartra (23), Dani Carvajal (22) and Alcacer (21) also got a chance on-field which meant the average age of the Spain side facing Luxembourg was 25.
The future is certainly bright for Spain and we could expect some of the youngsters to make a permanent place for themselves in the team before the upcoming Euro 2016.
David De gea (Manchester United)
Manchester United stopper David De Gea has been giving some tremendous performances for his club for quite a while now. The former Atletico player joined Manchester United in 2011 and since then has made the goalkeeper’s position in the starting line-up his. The Spaniard is only 23 and has a very promising and long career ahead of him. With Casillas probably in the most difficult phase of his career, De Gea has a great opportunity to seal a permanent place for himself in the national side. It will be interesting to see whether De Gea can emulate Casillas and have a career as illustrious as ‘San Iker’.
Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid)
Carvajal may have been overlooked by Del Bosque for the World Cup but now it seems like Carvajal has managed to catch the eye of the International coach. The 22-year old is a huge upgrade over Alvaro Arbeloa as Carvajal has a lot more to offer than the World Cup winner. Only 22 years of age, Carvajal already has an enviable list of trophies in his cabinet. The Real Madrid defender has won the U21 European Championship for Spain and the Copa Del Rey and Champions League for Real Madrid. The right-back has already become a regular name in the Real Madrid starting line-up and is expected to get into Del Bosque’s line-up as a regular sooner rather later.
Koke (Atletico Madrid)
It is difficult to try and make a place for yourself in a midfield as great as Spain’s, but Koke has managed to break into the squad and made a place for himself alongside players such as Busquets, Fabregas, Iniesta and others. The Atletico Madrid midfielder’s great passing and ability to create chances makes him a fantastic asset for Del Bosque. With the aging Xabi Alonso and Xavi announcing their retirements, Koke has caught the eye of Del Bosque and is making a great case for himself to be selected for the national team regularly. At 22, Koke has a lot of football left in him and will develop into an even better player before the upcoming Euro 2016.
Alcacer (Valencia)
In a team boasting of some brilliant midfielders, it is necessary to have forward players who can link up with them and justify their brilliance. In Alcacer, Del Bosque has a striker waiting to make a name for himself. The forward has already scored 4 goals for Valencia in 7 games and provided same no of assists in La Liga. In just 4 appearances for the Spanish national side, Alcacer has already scored 3 goals and provided one assist. With his ability to work within the confined space usually offered to the Spanish forwards, Alcacer holds a certain edge over Diego Costa. However, the 21 year old has a lot to learn before he can convince Del Bosque to start him ahead of Diego Costa.
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