Del Bosque: "I don’t think Casillas has ‘lost his angel’"

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque defended Iker Casillas after his mistake in the defeat against Slovakia (2-1). He told Radio Marca: “there’s too much focus on him,” before going on to discuss the current state of affairs with the selección, maintaining an air of optimism.

The mood inside the camp: “After the defeat we’re not in high spirits. We’re ready to play the game against Luxembourg on Sunday.”

Rivals: “There weren’t any differences from the other games we’ve played, for example against Macedonia. We played against a side that defended deep and we had full control of the game. They had three or four shots on goal and scored two. We had a lot of chances, but they weren’t converted. These things are hard to explain; we were unlucky. We couldn’t have had more control in the game, we just lacked that edge in front of goal that we’ve had before.”

Reaction: “I’m fine, although not particularly expressive. We know you don’t always win, but there's a long road ahead.”

Casillas: “Normally the focus of a game is on the goalkeeper. In Iker’s case there’s no solution. There’s too much focus on him. I don’t think he’s 'lost his angel’: he made a great stop after 15 minutes. He’s a great player, and one that all Spaniards should be proud of.”

Mistakes: “After 80 minutes it was 1-0. We were playing in their half and bringing on Cazorla made sense. After the equaliser we were looking for that second goal, but they hit us with a good counter. The guy that scored is smaller than him [Cazorla].”

Rotations: "We’re going to make the odd change. Not that much.”

Diego Costa: “For us he’s been unlucky, but he’s the leading goalscorer in the Premier League and last year he scored a lot of goals for Atlético Madrid. Maybe being so keen to please and to do things well is weighing on his shoulders.”

from Últimas noticias | Diario AS http://ift.tt/1stZHNm

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