06-21-2014, 02:06 AM
England have a 72-strong entourage with them in Brazil, including a psychiatrist, nutritionists and a turf specialist. The only thing they do not have are any World Cup points
The most influential player in the world from 2008 to 2012, Xavi has defined an era like no other footballer, a waddling, pear-shaped state-of-the-art sporting genius, whose preternatural talents – brutal, exhausting possession-football – made the whole shebang of styles and eras and ideas function at its basic level. Xavi made more passes than any other player in the match against Holland, and with a higher success rate too. But his team also lost 5-1. This is over.
Spain’s champions abandoned tiki-taka as a sinking ship | Barney Ronay | Football | The Guardian

