MADRID, April 10 - Spain coach Luis Aragones wound
up a day's get-together for his squad by saying the keys to
success in the World Cup would be patience and positive
thinking.
"I have spoken with coaches who have been to the competition
and they say there are important requirements if you want to win
it," Aragones told a news conference on Monday.
"It is essential you are patient because every team has to
endure difficult moments, and you have to be prepared to go all
the way to penalties before winning. Also your players have to
be convinced they are going to win and some of ours already are.
"Players don't like to talk about this type of thing but I
think Spain can win. Conviction and positive thinking can move
mountains."
Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres, likely to play a
leading role in Germany, said Spain may have failed in the past
because they lacked the qualities outlined by Aragones.
"We've always had a team capable of getting to the
quarter-finals," Torres told the television channel Sexta.
"But perhaps when we got there in the past, psychologically
we have seen it as a barrier and this has worked against us.
"If you want to reach the final games and be champions you
have to be able to beat the biggest sides, regardless of their
reputations."
Aragones called up 33 players for Monday's get-together.
Arsenal duo Jose Antonio Reyes and Cesc Fabregas and
Espanyol's Ivan de la Pena were given permission to miss the
session.
Spain will play Ukraine, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia in Group H
at the World Cup which begins on June 9.