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At the moment, tiki taka is being portrayed as the pedestrian trapped at a zebra crossing blocked off by a stubbornly parked bus.
That is one of the reasons why some are expecting Spain to fall short in their quest to win a fourth straight international tournament. The other is the way in which they were brushed aside by Brazil in the 2013 Confederations Cup final, even if there was more to that result than meets the eye.
The core of the squad which won Euro 2008, World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012 are still in place, albeit with the caveat that the likes of Xavi and Xabi Alonso are coming towards the end of their careers.
But with the father-like Vicente Del Bosque at the helm and their well-honed winning mentality, La Furia Roja are more than capable of going all the way again.
But while ESPN's Eduardo Alvarez thinks Spain's doubters are off the mark, he has serious concerns about the team's decision fly in the face of logic and base itself in Curitiba.
Listen to the full interview with Eduardo on the Team 33 World Cup podcast below or subscribe for free via iTunes:
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Spain's Iker Casillas celebrates with the trophy after winning the World Cup Final ©INPHO/Action Images/Carl Recine
World Cup Record
Appearances: 15
Best Result: Winners (2010)
Squad
Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas, Pepe Reina, David de Gea
Defenders: Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Raul Albiol, Javi Martinez, Jordi Alba, Cesar Azpilicueta, Juanfran Torres
Midfielders: Koke, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Cesc Fabregas, Santi Cazorla, Pedro Rodriguez, Juan Mata, David Silva
Forwards: Fernando Torres, David Villa, Diego Costa
Manager: Vicente Del Bosque
Fixtures and Results
Group B
June 13th vs Netherlands (Salvador) 5 - 1 (L)
June 18th vs Chile (Rio de Janeiro) 2 - 0 (L)
June 23rd vs Australia (Curitiba) 3 - 0 (W)
