Spain Reacts to the End of an Era

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque remarked that he will have plenty of time to think about the future after the defending champ crashed out of the World Cup after just two matches onWednesday, following up a 5-1 loss to the Netherlands last Friday with a 2-0 loss to Chile on Wednesday. The twin losses marked the first time a defending World Cup champ has lost its opening twomatches, although Spain joined both Italy and France in failing to progress from the first round after winning the previous tournament.

“I don’t want to reflect immediately,”Del Bosque said following Wednesday’s loss to the South Americans. “We need to have time to think about it. When something negative like this happens at a World Cup it always hasconsequences but I don’t want to get into the analysis yet,” he said. “There’s a long time to think about it, to reflect and to take decisions. We have to do so calmly and thefederation is strong and solid, so the right decision will be made. And that applies to me too.” He added: “Holland and Chile were better than us.”

Meanwhile, midfielder Xabi Alonso admitted that the early exit most likely marked the endof an era for Spain. “Things are going to change. Eras end with defeats… and this was a painful defeat,” he said. “It’s a completely unexpected failure but that is sport. These thingshappen. It was unexpected but we have to take the great sadnesses in the same way as we take the great joys, as men.” The Real Madrid player added: “I believe that we haven’t been able tomaintain the same levels of conviction, of hunger. The success, the happiness of before is gone, it’s run out and we haven’t been able to keep it going.”