CURITIBA (Brazil): If there is one player Spain are wary of before their World Cup opener, it is Netherlands forward Arjen Robben.
Friday’s (early Saturday in India) Group B game not only offers a rematch of the 2010 final won by Spain, but a chance of redemption for the Dutch winger.
Robben was put clean through to face Iker Casillas at Soccer City but saw his effort deflected wide by the Spain goalkeeper in the final’s best scoring opportunity until Andres Iniesta netted the extra-time winner.
Spain defender Javi Martinez said that moment has stayed with his Bayern Munich team mate, so the defending champions will be keeping a close eye on Robben in Salvador.
”Robben shakes his defender so well to find space, so we’re going to have keep tabs on him,” Martinez said on Wednesday.
While Martinez also pointed to Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder’s ability to decide games, Spain know that it’s Robben who is the most eager to make up for his famous miss.
”(Robben and I) have talked about that moment,” Martinez said. ”It was a very tough moment for the Netherlands and especially to him, with that chance against Iker.”
With Chile and Australia also in Group B, both Spain and the Netherlands know that a loss in the group opener would leave either team in a bind. Spain, though, lost their opening match against Switzerland in South Africa four years ago but rallied to win their first World Cup.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has reiterated that his team need to be more aggressive inside the area.
That message has certainly gotten through to his players, who will go up against a Dutch team that plan to use five defenders to combat Spain’s possession game.
‘Neymar can’t win Cup on his own’
Meanwhile, Brazil’s exciting forward Neymar may be their best hope of glory at the World Cup but he cannot win a record sixth title on his own, said their triumphant 1994 coach Carlos Alberto Parreira.
Like the greats of the past, Neymar has the talent and ability to outshine anyone but his performances will depend on the other 10 men out there with him, Parreira said at the Brazil training camp outside Rio de Janeiro.
The 22-year-old Neymar’s status as Brazil’s top “craque”, Portuguese for “star-player”, has put intense pressure on the young man to ensure a victory in Brazil’s first World Cup at home in 64 years, he added.
“A craque can make a difference from one move to another, but it’s the team that wins,” said Parreira, who is Brazil’s technical director. “Like Maradona, Romario, Pele and all the players who made stand-out World Cup performances, he’ll win with a team behind him.”
Neymar and the Brazil team under head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari face Croatia in the World Cup opening match at the Corinthians arena in Sao Paulo on Thursday (Friday in India).
For Parreira, who is taking part in his ninth World Cup, Brazil are counting on Neymar but they are ready to play, and win, without the talented Barcelona player.
“Neymar is super-important but people shouldn’t think that if Neymar gets hurt Brazil can’t win the Cup,” said Parreira, who coached Brazil to their 1994 success in the US and led them to the quarterfinals in 2006 when they went out to France.
“Pele was forced out (through injury) in 1962,” he added. “He was the best in the world, the King of Soccer, and Brazil won its second World Cup.”
Neymar, who wears the No. 10 jersey like Pele, led Brazil to victory in the Confederations Cup last year.
He helped them crush world champions Spain 3-0 in the final and was named player of the tournament.
With 31 goals in 49 matches for Brazil, Neymar enters the World Cup as the leading national team goalscorer in the squad. (Agencies)
