© EuroFootball.com
European and world champions, the Spaniards, once again failed to reach the summit of the Confederations Cup tournament. In the final on Sunday night to Monday morning, the Spanish national team capitulated bitterly in the final - the Brazilian hosts crushed them 3-0.
At Rio de Janeiro's "Maracana" stadium, with 73 thousand fans cheering, the Spaniards headed towards the dressing rooms with lowered heads, but did not seek any excuses.
"Sometimes it happens that you lose. We do not think that we are invincible. In this fight, they had more energy and were in better physical condition than us," said V. del Bosque.
The defending world champions at the 2014 championship in Brazil admitted that they lost in every phase of the game - as acknowledged by the coach.
The Brazilian national team struck their opponents at the beginning of the match when Fred scored a goal, and Neymar scored another goal just before halftime, causing tension among the Spanish national team in the dressing room.
When Fred scored again in the 47th minute, the "Maracana" stadium echoed with chants: "Want to play. Want to play. Brazil will teach you how."
And when Gerard Pique received a red card in the 68th minute, the Brazilians started chanting the name of his girlfriend, the popular singer Shakira. She not only had to watch her partner leave the field but also sit in the stands listening to how the Brazilians enjoyed the pain of the Spaniards.
"The first and last minutes of the halves are very significant. They scored all three goals at those moments. It is the worst time to miss. It was a psychological blow to the entire team," said Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta.
Brazil's victory ended Spain's 26-match undefeated streak, but V. del Bosque does not even want to hear talks about rebuilding the entire team that will have to defend their title at the World Cup.
"We are happy with the work done in recent years. This is just one loss. It must be taken into account, but one should not overreact. When a team dominates and is at the highest level, you have to accept it. This was a deserved defeat," said V. Del Bosque.
The midfielders Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez, who usually distribute the ball well to their team-mates, were neutralized this time. They often lost the ball when faster Brazilians closed down on them.
"We knew we would have to resist a physical game, with many mistakes. We lost to a very powerful team," said A. Iniesta, whose teammates had one less day of rest. The Spanish national team barely defeated the Italians in the semi-finals only after a penalty shoot-out and seemed a little tired.
