England have no answer to Spain's pass masters

Spain 2 England

(Getty Images)

It would be more comforting to remember last night as the occasion of David Beckham’s record-equaling 108th cap, a milestone that means a great deal to the English and very little to anyone else. Or perhaps English football would like to confront an altogether more harsh reality and recognise that Fabio Capello’s team are so far behind Spain of that they could still be playing this morning and not have had a decent spell of possession.

It was brutal at times, mesmerising, but brutal. The Spanish midfield, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Xabi Alonso in particular, passed the ball with such precision that the England players might as well have been training ground cones for all their chances of an interception. Xavi left the pitch with eight minutes left to an ovation that told you all you need to know about how the Spanish venerate a playmaker, about how much they appreciate the man who set a pace that England could not match.

There is nothing shameful about losing to the European champions. Limiting them to two goals from David Villa and Fernando Llorente is not a disaster, not when a side plays with this kind of control. The daunting thought comes when you consider that in 16 months’ time England might just be required to beat Spain in the World Cup finals in South Africa. Unless something dramatic happens between now and then, they can safely schedule the flight back to Heathrow for the following day.

Spain have not been beaten in 29 games, they won 15 out of the 16 they played in the last calendar year, and they exemplify the standard to which Capello’s team aspire. In parts England’s midfield did a decent job of hustling their opponents. Capello left Frank Lampard out for the first half and persisted with Gareth Barry and Michael Carrick in midfield. Two major figures in the English Premier League reduced to chasing the endless geometry of Spain’s passing.

There is a style emerging in Capello’s England team, one of power exemplified by Emile Heskey and also of energy in the likes of Barry and Shaun Wright-Phillips. The problem last night was that both were fairly redundant when Spain’s passing movements were as difficult to second-guess as this. Capello said that he wanted to test his side against the very best, and the very best are evidently a lot better than England.

The England manager said after the game that he had a much greater understanding of how he would approach a game against Spain, or a side of their style and quality, in a tournament. For that reason this game was of value although if Capello learned anything it was not to take a team like Spain on at their own game. They are just too good at it.

By the end the frustration was beginning to tell and Beckham, in a fashion that will horrify the traditionalists, marked the game in which he equaled Bobby Moore’s 108-cap record for outfield players with a booking for dissent. He has always had a tendency to over-emphasise his devotion to the cause by being a bit too argumentative with referees. And on this occasion it meant the French referee had a little souvenir of the night as well.

Long before Beckham made his appearance at half-time, Spain’s full-backs had pushed up so far that England found themselves squeezed back and pinned in their own half.

There was no Rio Ferdinand, a stomach complaint meaning that he missed the game, so Phil Jagielka was given his first start presumably on the basis that his performances against Fernando Torres in the three recent Merseyside derbies had earned it.

England always looked susceptible down the middle because Spain’s passing was so precise and that was where the first goal came. A pass by Alonso into the heart of the English central defence found Villa. Jagielka got a foot to the ball but it rebounded back into the striker’s stride and he shifted past the Everton player and then Terry before he put his shot out of the reach of David James. It was over in the blink of an eye and you could hardly pretend that Spain did not deserve it.

England were already living on their wits then with 36 minutes gone. A half-chance for Gabriel Agbonlahor, starting in attack alongside Heskey, a dribble by Wright-Phillips, that was all they really managed in the first half. Beckham made his entrance at half-time to no fanfare at all, this momentous cap in the history of English football a largely unheralded substitution for Stewart Downing. He just slipped on as the fourth official briskly processed seven substitutions at half-time, five of them for England.

Even as Vicente Del Bosque gradually changed the personnel in his team Spain’s shape remained, their demon-passer Xavi kept his grip. It was Xavi who demolished England the last time that they played one another at Old Trafford two years’ hence and he was just as destructive this time. Beckham’s booking was a daft moment for the 33-year-old. He complained to the referee Stephane Lannoy when a free-kick was given against Glen Johnson and then risked further punishment by continuing to do after the card had been shown.

It has not always been paranoia on Beckham’s part that he is targeted by referees keen on a brief shot at fame themselves although on this occasion you just wished that he would shut up. By then England were two goals down, Xavi having struck a free-kick from the right that Llorente headed past Robert Green, a half-time substitute.

By then Carlton Cole was on the pitch, an England debut almost marked by a goal had Marchena not kicked his shot off the line. Apart from an earlier shot from the West Ham striker and a header from Lampard that was about all England threw at Spain. Peter Crouch and Cole were not given a single cross that they could do much with. Beaten by two goals England had not been out-muscled or out-fought. They had been out-passed and out-thought and defeats like those are difficult to turn round even when, as in Capello’s case, you have 16 months to do it.

Spain (4-4-2): Casillas (Real Madrid); Ramos (Real Madrid), Albiol (Valencia), Pique (Barcelona), Capdevila (Villarreal); Xavi (Barcelona), Senna (Villarreal), Alonso (Liverpool), Iniesta (Barcelona); Torres (Liverpool), Villa (Valencia). Substitutes used: Reina (Liverpool) for Casillas, h-t; Arbeloa (Liverpool) for Capdevila, h-t; Silva (Valencia) for Villa, 56; Llorente (Athletic Bilbao) for Torres, 64; Marchena (Valencia) for Albiol, 75; Guiza (Fenerbahce) for Xavi, 84.

England (4-4-2): James (Portsmouth); Johnson (Portsmouth), Terry (Chelsea), Jagielka (Everton), A Cole (Chelsea); Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Carrick (Manchester United), Barry (Aston Villa), Downing (Middlesbrough); Heskey (Aston Villa), Agbonlahor (Aston Villa). Substitutes used: Beckham (Milan) for Downing, h-t; Green (West Ham) for James, h-t; Upson (West Ham) for Jagielka, h-t; Crouch (Portsmouth) for Heskey, h-t; Lampard (Chelsea) for Barry, h-t; C Cole (West Ham) for Agbonlahor, 75.

Referee: S Lannoy (France)

2

Number of defeats England have suffered under Fabio Capello in his first year in charge.

England: Man for man marking

David James 3

Dropped the ball the first time he was called upon to do anything and hardly inspired confidence thereafter. Replaced at half-time.

Glen Johnson 5

Up against the hugely impressive Andres Iniesta, could not take chance to make the right-back position his own.

John Terry 6

Partnered with Jagielka for the first time and kept Fernando Torres fairly quiet. Dealing with David Villa was a different matter.

Phil Jagielka 4

In his second international was turned inside out by David Villa for his first-half goal after initially giving the ball away. Taken off at the interval.

Ashley Cole 6

Some excellent passes when going forward early on. Had his hands full with Xavi and Sergio Ramos as the game wore on.

Shaun Wright-Phillips 6

Deserved to start ahead of Beckham and to stay on for the second half ahead of Downing, without getting crosses in. Took a few knocks.

Michael Carrick 6

Much more than a defensive midfielder these days, he tried to push forward in Manchester United mode but without much success.

Gareth Barry 5

Even with two Aston Villa colleagues in front of him found the going hard against accomplished Spanish midfield technicians.

Stewart Downing 4

Kept his place after good performance in Germany but may not be able to next time. Poor free-kicks and crosses with left or right foot.

Emile Heskey 7

Worked hard in attack and closing down opponents but had few opportunities to score a sixth goal in 51 games.

Gabriel Agbonlahor 5

Another player who was excellent in Germany but not as dazzling as his lime-green boots here. Unfortunate with one early chance.

Substitutions: Robert Green (for James, h-t) confident 6; Matthew Upson (for Jagielka, h-t) lost for goal 5; David Beckham (for Downing, h-t) too deep 6; Frank Lampard (for Barry, h-t) ) lively 7; Peter Crouch (for Heskey, h-t) little service 6; Carlton Cole (for Agbonlahor, 75) One big chance 6.

Spain Player ratings

Iker Casillas Little to do in his 89th international 5

Sergio Ramos Adventurous right-back also subdued Downing 6

Raul Albiol Ruthlessly effective in inexperienced partnership 6

Gerard Pique Stood in well for Carles Puyol 7

Joan Capdevila Better going forward than defending 5

Xavi Much of the play went through him 8

Marcos Senna Solid as ever in central midfield 7

Xabi Alonso Neat as ever, fierce shooting 7

Andres Iniesta Some lovely work on the left 8

Fernando Torres No heroics like Saturday's at Portsmouth 6

David Villa Scored in sixth successive international, superbly 9

Substitutions: Pepe Reina (for Casillas, h-t) One save 6. Alvaro Arbeloa (for Capdevila, h-t) Committed 6. David Silva (for Villa, 55) Fitted in 7. Fernando Llorente (for Torres, 63) Good goal 7. Carlos Marchena (for Albiol, 74) Untroubled 7. Daniel Guiza (for Xavi, 84) n/a.