Vicente del Bosque's final squad selection for the 2014 World Cup was a cautious one that relies more on old heads than youthful exuberance. The chosen 23 for Brazil is very similar to that which hoisted the trophy aloft in Johannesburg four years ago. Of La Roja's title-winning Euro 2012 squad, only Alvaro Arbeloa, Fernando Llorente and Alvaro Negredo have been omitted through technical considerations. Jesus Navas was discarded due to an ankle injury that forced him to miss the final two months of the domestic season, and Victor Valdes was ruled out some time ago with a serious knee injury.
Of those left out of the squad for the finals, perhaps Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal has more reason than most to feel rather affronted. An excellent season for his club deserved the reward of a place in the 23, arguably as first-choice right-back. Instead, del Bosque has elected to place his trust in Juanfran, the Atletico Madrid full-back who enjoyed an equally productive season and put in a number of eye-catching performances, to the extent that he has been attracting interest from across Europe alongside Filipe Luis -- a surprising omission from the host nation's squad -- and Diego Costa, a risky inclusion by Spain.
The other players to miss the cut were Athletic's Ander Iturraspe and Sevilla's Alberto Moreno. The former was, in reality, never a candidate to travel to Brazil and was called up for the experience, as was Everton's Barcelona loanee Gerard Deulofeu, who was called into the breach due to Thiago Alcantara's knee injury.
Essentially, del Bosque has taken one player, Cesar Azpilicueta, to cover both full-back positions by leaving out Carvajal and Moreno. Although Sergio Ramos can play at right-back, removing him from the centre of defence would significantly weaken Spain's back line.
Del Bosque's selection highlights his reliance on the old guard, and the Manchegan mastermind's well-known predilection for players who have provided success in the past. Such is the case up front, where Fernando Torres and David Villa, veterans of the last three triumphant campaigns, got the nod ahead of Negredo and Llorente, who both chalked up more eye-catching statistics over the course of the domestic season despite moving to new leagues last summer. Del Bosque has spoken frequently of his trust in Torres and that is both admirable and understandable given his performances in the past three tournaments. But his domestic season was hardly inspiring, and the electric pace he used to power past Philipp Lahm in Vienna in 2008 now a fleeting memory.
- Hunter: Busquets, the man you hate to love
Villa hasn't scored since March but would top the Liga standing for most accurate woodwork-hitter, if it existed. Spain's all-time leading scorer still has an eye for goal and his movement is as disconcerting for defenders as it was in his Valencia prime. The issue with Villa, as with del Bosque's midfield, is a simple one of age. Manchester City's MLS venture, New York City FC, announced Villa's signing on Monday morning on a three-year contract -- which translates as retirement, basically. His understanding with Costa, honed during Atletico's overachieving 2013-14, would be a bonus for Spain, but the Brazil-born powerhouse is still not at full fitness and broke down at the season's end against both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
FIFA rules allow for an emergency call-up in case of serious injury and it is expected del Bosque will give Costa a run-out against El Salvador on Saturday. Llorente, who famously turned the game against Portugal in the 2010 round-of-16 match, is waiting in the wings. If Costa's injury flares up again after the tournament begins, Villa and Torres will be left to lead the line on their own.
Of course, Spain does not always play a striker and has the manpower to utilize the false-nine system, with either Cesc Fabregas or David Silva quite comfortable in the role. However, Spain's midfield is creaking a little, and question marks over the ability of Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Xabi Alonso to ride out the rigours of an international tournament are justified. The average age of the players used by each of the qualifying nations for 2014 was 27.2 years old. Run-outs for fringe players brought the overall total for Spain down to 27.91, but if del Bosque sticks with his tried and tested performers the figure shuffles towards 30 -- several years older than Holland's, for example.
Experience is vital in a major international tournament, but the conditions in Brazil do not augur well for European sides. Spain has at least avoided Manaus in the group stage, but La Roja's final encounter with Australia will be played at 920 meters above sea level; as chance would have it, the limited Socceroos possess the oldest squad at the tournament, which will be useful if del Bosque requires a result out of the final group game -- Spain can ill afford to come second in Group B, as in all likelihood that will mean playing Brazil in the round of 16. The winner of that match will play their quarterfinal in Fortaleza, where temperatures round out at about 30 degrees Celsius in June, with 80 percent humidity.
For many of Spain's players, this will be their last World Cup; Iker Casillas, Xavi, Alonso, Iniesta, Torres and Villa certainly. In the past three tournament successes, Casillas has not conceded a single goal in the knockout stages -- a phenomenal record. But the fact that the team in front of him will be little changed from 2010, and the historical impediment that no European nation has ever lifted the World Cup in South America are reasons to doubt it will be four in a row for La Roja in Brazil.