Spain's Generation of Winners
by Eoin O'Callaghan
Eight thousand people were present at Cairo International Stadium on 21 September, 1997 to witness the FIFA Under-17 World Cup's 3rd/4th place play-off between Germany and Spain.
In the semis, the Germans had been swept aside by eventual winners Brazil, while the Spaniards narrowly lost out to Ghana. The play-off was a tame affair, ending in a 2-1 Spanish victory courtesy of a winning penalty five minutes from time.
Patrolling the midfield that day was a born and bred Catalonian - Xavi. Between the Spanish sticks was a 16-year-old who within just three years would be the first choice custodian for his beloved Real Madrid - Iker Casillas.
It's no fluke that this bronze medal performance in Egypt was eclipsed two years later at the World Under-20 Championships in Nigeria. Conceding five goals and racking up 16 on their way to victory, Spain had finally laid the ghost of under-achievement to rest.
Nearly men and champion chokers had been replaced with winners - Xavi and Casillas would become professionals at it. Or so it seemed.
Post-millennium success was well-documented at Barcelona and Real Madrid but at international level, an equally well-documented barren run of perennial under-achievement continued.
Euro 2000 saw a missed penalty by Raul cost Spain their quarter-final with France, at the World Cup two years later, Guus Hiddink's South Korea took Jose Camacho's side on penalties, while Euro 2004 was an Iberian nightmare - a 0-1 defeat to their neighbours and rivals Portugal in the group stages ended their involvement in the competition at the earliest possible junction.
Underneath the raggedy and shredded exterior of a demoralised senior national side, there lay a magnificent under-age structure, under the intense gaze of Juan Santisteban - a five-time La Liga and European Cup-winning player with the original and best 'Los Blancos' galacticos (1955 - 1960).
Santisteban took over the reins of the Spanish youths in 1988 but it wasn't until the mid-90s that the investment of the RFEF, both physical and financial, began to pay off.
Casillas and Xavi were both integral cogs of the first 'golden generation' Spanish machine and were quickly followed by Carlos Marchena and Andres Iniesta, while the latest crop of young stars includes Barca's whizz-kid Bojan - his five goals in five games at last year's Under-17 World Cup in Korea guided Spain to the arms of yet another under-age trophy.
In between, there was an Olympic silver success at Sydney too.
Just three of the Spanish starting line-up on Sunday night were collecting first winners medals for their country - Brazilian-born Marcos Senna, Joan Capdevilla and David Silva.
It may have been a first senior title in 44 years, but a winner's mentality is unshakeable. Case and point was Torres' winning goal - opportunistic, deadly. It was a strike worthy of winning any game, simply because Torres had no right to score it.
His first touch was heavy but no matter. Lahm's indecisiveness, coupled with Lehmann's lack of awareness gave him a chance but it was his acceleration, determination and innate coolness that oozed quality.
That same quality was evident when he was crowned Player of the Tournament at both the 2001 Under-16 European Championships and the 2003 Under-19 equivalent. It should be noted that he was top scorer at both competitions too.
The sumptuous assist from Xavi provided another indelible link to more innocent days, but Spain were all grown-up on that balmy night in Vienna. Boys may have finally turned to men but winners always remain the same.
