United with old suspicions laid to rest, Sergio Ramos can happily partner Gerard Pique (below). Photo: AFP <\/p>\n
AFTER decades of being the great underachievers of world football, Spain are not only on the cusp of history in Kiev tonight; they have reached the brink of immortality. <\/p>\n
Such is the insatiable global desire for success in football that prolonged reigns are almost impossible as champions are deposed with haste as the game evolves. <\/p>\n
Occasionally, however, a team comes along that is so far ahead of the curve that it takes a small eternity to catch up. Perhaps the last time of such domination was Brazil's reign between 1958 and 1970, when they won three of four World Cups. <\/p>\n
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Spanish defender Gerard Pique. Photo: AFP <\/p>\n
Yet even they were not immune from being outclassed by their local rivals. After winning the South American Championships (the precursor to today's knockout incarnation, the Copa America) in 1949, they wouldn't win another continental title for almost 40 years. Being at the top, even when you're the greatest, is tough. <\/p>\n
Plenty have come close but no team has won three consecutive knockout major tournaments. At 4.45am tomorrow, Spain will chase that slice of history to call their own: Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, Euro 2012. Perhaps this squad is even young enough to have a crack at Brazil 2014. <\/p>\n
They enter as favourites and rightfully so. Spain remain unbeaten in competitive football since the first match of the World Cup in South Africa, a shock 1-0 defeat against Switzerland. They bounced back to not only win that tournament but every match in qualifying for this tournament. <\/p>\n
Other than a semi-final exit from the Confederations Cup in 2009, their last competitive international defeat was in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Northern Ireland, a 3-2 defeat in Belfast in October 2006. It was a seminal moment. Days afterwards, Raul, Spain's all-time leading scorer and most capped outfielder, was dumped, aged just 29. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\nSpain's long reign set to roll on<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"