No. 589: Sleepless in Spain Tonight!
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Spain coach Bosque said: "Thank you to all the players who have allowed Spanish football to prove themselves in the World Cup, and their performances have made every Spaniard proud!
It was an important victory for Spanish football that will always be remembered by Spanish fans! β
During the Q&A session, a Spanish journalist took the lead in asking: "After winning against Germany, we haven't had time to celebrate our qualification to the final, so now we have to prepare for the final on Sunday?" β
Bosque laughed: "We are happy to win against Germany, but now we need to prepare for the final calmly and rationally.
Because it's hard to get to the final for any team and we want to do well, so we have to be ready for Sunday's final. β
An Italian journalist asked: "What do you think of this semi-final victory?" β
Bosque thought for a moment and said: "In my mind we had a good fight, we reached the final with an almost perfect ending, there were no injuries and no condemnation, the team had the happiest moment, and I thought of my family in Madrid.
It's the 'Spanish Running of the Bulls', and I always think of my dad and my brother on this day, and the scarf I wear around my neck is a tribute to them. β
An Argentine journalist asked: "What does the victory in this match mean for Spain?" β
The Spanish coach replied: "We all know that Spain is a sports powerhouse, tennis, motorcycles and basketball, and after we won this game, I think Spanish football can go hand in hand with these traditional strengths, because Spain is also the best team in world football." β
A French journalist asked: "What are you expecting from the upcoming final?" β
Bosque replied: "The Netherlands are a great team, so they can reach the final and I expect it to be a good game with both sides playing good attacking football.
Everyone wants to play a good match-up and we want to put on a great game for all the spectators. β
A local South African journalist asked: "Are you worried about the Dutch team's Chen?" β
The scene fell silent and all eyes were on the Spanish coach on stage to hear how he would answer the question.
Bosque thought for a moment and replied: "The Dutch team doesn't just have Chen, they have a lot of talented players, such as Robben, Sneijder, Kuyt, Robin van Persie and so on.
But if we can defendically be as perfect as we did against Portugal and Germany, then we will have a good chance of winning the event.
For any team, relying on a single back line cannot stabilize the defense, what the team needs is unity, cooperation and cooperation to participate in the defense, then the team's defense will get better and better. β
The Spanish coach deliberately downplayed Chen Fan, and the reason behind this was understood by reporters after a little thought.
A South Korean journalist asked: "Did Puyol's goal rely on Barcelona's tactical system?" β
Bosque laughed and said: "Yes, the team should plan the tactics according to the performance of the players at the club.
Spain started with Barcelona's team, so when Spain took a corner kick in the game, Pique and Puyol would assist in the front line.
I admit that these tactics are a replication of the BarΓ§a model and we use the tactical ideas that Pep Guardiola had at BarΓ§a.
Pep Guardiola is a great manager, so it's normal to do that, we just borrowed from the Barcelona club's corner assist tactics. β
A Dutch journalist asked: "Will the team make any tactical changes in Sunday's final?" β
Bosque thought for a moment and said: "In the last six games, our players have basically formed a tacit understanding and there haven't been many changes to the starting line-up, so I don't think we will make too many changes.
But there are still two days to go before the final, so we still have time to study the game, to see who would be better suited to start in the final, and to make a decision before the final starts. β
A British journalist asked: "Do you think Torres will have a good performance in the final?" β
Bosque said: "Torres is one of many legendary strikers in Spain, he has a lot of talent and he contributes something every game.
He's played five games and he's been outstanding.
On the other hand, every Spanish player should be given space to play, and for me, I like to surprise and be unprepared, but it's also an unknown whether they can live up to expectations and play at the level they should be in the game, so I take a certain amount of responsibility in every game. β
A German journalist asked: "Will the players be nervous in the final?" β
After taking a sip of water, Bosque replied: "Most of them are nervous, because we are in the final, so we have to admit the responsibility.
We withstood the pressure and made it all the way to the final at this World Cup, which is a hard-earned result for us.
So every player has to take responsibility on their shoulders and also keep the game in good shape, and in our favour are the Spanish team-mates, many of the Euro winners.
Almost all of their teammates have experience in international competitions, so they know how to adjust their form and how to play at the level they should be. β
A French journalist asked: "Are you proud of your players?" β
"They are one of the best players in the history of Spain and they are a very popular team because they have a lot of willpower, they want to make history, and their biggest desire is to be a world champion!"
They're working that and now that it's all close at hand, they're going to get serious about this last game. β
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The Spanish Matadors made history by reaching the World Cup final, and in the game they gave the Germans a chance to turn the tables at all, which left the whole of Spain in a state of revelry.
Before the referee's whistle blew at the end of the game, the country was already cheering, and firecrackers were everywhere.
Fans are well aware that Spain's skilful possession of the midfield can not only produce goals at any time, but also completely control the lead.
For the fans, the game should have been decided from that moment.
Queen Sofia told the media after the game, "It was a wonderful night, I came with the greetings of the national fans for the national team, and also brought the good luck that the Running of the Bulls Festival handed over to the national team. The result was the same as we expected, the national team reached the final tonight and also showed the world the real football of Spain".
After the game, Sofia surprised everyone by visiting the players in the dressing room, but Puyol, who was shirtless and wearing a towel around his body, looked embarrassed and anxious to escape, but the queen still held the hero's hand tightly.
This scene is so similar to the scene when Chen Fan finished the semifinals.
In the capital city of Madrid, 300,000 fans poured into the streets to celebrate the historic breakthrough!
And in Pamplona, where the Running of the Bulls festival takes place, Puyol became the center of attention of the rally.
Speaking to a TV reporter who traveled to cover the event, the fan said, "The red scarf is a symbol of luck, but it takes a lot of hard work on the part of the players to really find the victory.
It is said that Spain's winning weapon is to have a good midfielder, but tonight we also want to highlight Puyol and his dedication. He had to face Klose, a much taller but more agile goalscorer than him, on the defensive end, and he had to fight for headers.
And Puyol's lion head shook the head, which brought Spain to the final of the World Cup.
We're proud to have a player like him."
In Barcelona, fans are also cheering for the national team's victory.
At this time, Catalans felt more than ever that they also belonged to Spain. Although they are even more proud of the outstanding performances of Barcelona players such as Xavi, Puyol and Andres Iniesta.
In Iniesta's hometown of Albacete, his grandparents seemed to have a premonition of victory, and they prepared celebratory champagne in a small bar.
When Puyol scored the crucial goal, the Canary Islands were just as excited as the mainland. A CoruΓ±a, Zaragoza, and Valencia also saw fan celebrations on the night of the 7th, with Mallorca being the exception, and the sadness of the large number of Germans living there made the island atmosphere seem "sad and joyful".
"This is the best team in the world"!
Marca newspaper took off its hat to the national team: "Short passes and goals allowed Spain to trample the world under their feet!" β
While acknowledging the quest for the theory of the "short biography", the newspaper "As" also remembered the pursuit of the "short biography" theory: "The Spanish style is the continuation of BarΓ§a", and the Catalan newspapers did not forget their centralism.
What makes people even more proud is that the media in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and other countries with the "same football theory" are also celebrating Spain's success in the semi-finals.
In a sense, the World Cup is not only a comparison of the strength of various countries, but also a competition between two genres.
With Puyol's crucial goal, the radio and television stations of Spain, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil simultaneously cheered "gol......!
The night was a victory not only for Spain, but for Latin football as a whole.
An Argentine fan said in an interview with the media, "Since I was eliminated by Argentina, I have completely sided with Spain, and I am waiting for Spain to succeed in the final." In the face of the challenge of power, utilitarian football, we expect Spain to step onto the podium to receive the prize".