Spain had to encounter twin foes on the field on Saturday. Besides an excellent Brazilian team, the La Roja had to counter the oppressive humid Kochi weather and it didn't have many solutions for that.
The Spainards dazzled in the first 15 minutes displaying traits of Tiki Taka which made its football so pleasing to the eye. The boys created three chances inside first quarter and went up by a goal.
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However, the energy sapping combination of heat and humidity took its toll on the Spainards, while the Brazilians, who are more used to this kind of conditions back home took control. There was a perceptible drop in pace from the Spainards as Brazilians enjoyed more of possession in the midfield. Before the end of the first half coach Santiago Denia had used two of his substitutes.
At the post match press conference, the Spanish coach made reference to the conditions saying that it played a small part in the defeat but conceded that it was largely due to his opponents brilliance .
After a shortened training session at Panampilly Nagar on Sunday, the Spanish coach said the team combination will change according to situation and conditions.
"Thankfully there are no injuries. But players were dehydrated after the match and some had cramps due to hot conditions. I will sit with the team and devise a stategry. We will change the combination according to the situation,'' he said.
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Spain always has a history of slow starts in global tournaments and a losing start was keeping up with that trend. But the current team, which won the European championship in Croatia in May is known for its tenacity as it had come back from brink quite a few times.
Coach Santiago was confident that his boys can bounce back into contention. "The loss to Brazil has complicated the situation but we are looking for a win against Niger and to qualify for the next stage,'' he said.
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