Spain takes wing on Kaunas mire

The state of the pitch in FBK Kaunas' elaborately named Steponas Darius and Stasys Girenas Stadium was a cause of great concern to Spain's management team ahead of the European qualifier between the top-ranked team in the world and Lithuania. As it transpired the barren field, upon which the ball barely rolled, gave Vicente del Bosque a chance to try a different formation with different personnel.

Spain's European Championship-winning side under Luis Aragonés used mainly a 4-4-2 formation, switching to a lone striker in Fernando Torres for the final against Germany. At South Africa 2010, Del Bosque oscillated between a 4-1-3-2 with Torres and David Villa in attack, and a 4-2-3-1 in the semifinal and final with the prolific Villa as the lone hunter in opposition territory. In Kaunas, with the side's habitual slick passing game rendered impossible, Del Bosque played a rarely used 4-3-3 formation, with Fernando Llorente as the point man supported by Villarreal's Santi Cazorla and Villa, reprising his wider role at Barcelona for the national side. When Del Bosque shuffled his pack he retained the same flavor, David Silva and Juan Mata moving into the forward positions alongside the Athletic Bilbao battering ram.

Del Bosque's gambit worked admirably against an organized and energetic Lithuania side under the tutelage of the country's youngest-ever national coach, Raimondas Zutautas. Much like Croatia coach Slaven Bilic, Zutautas has injected youthful verve into a limited side. A wonder goal by Valencia defender Marius Stankevicius leveled the match just before the hour, yet Spain's pressure high up the field paid dividends as Llorente forced Tadas Kijanskas into conceding an own goal. Mata made an assist and popped up with the third in a performance that would have made Pedro, unavailable through injury, and Valencia coach Unai Emery, who has often clipped his team's wings this season, sit up with a start.

Fernando Torres may well have viewed the match unfold from the bench with a mood as black as the Lithuanian night. An ineffectual second-half substitute against the Czech Republic last week, Torres, who has still to open his account for Chelsea, played no part in Kaunas. The hero of Vienna has not been in sparkling form for Spain either, finding the net just four times since the Confederations Cup in 2009, with strikes against the less-than-formidable backlines of Macedonia, Poland and Liechtenstein.

The performance of Llorente suggests Torres may have to bring a cushion to many more international contests, particularly if Del Bosque persists with a front three. It is a ruse that may serve Spain well; many sides are now wise to the possession-hogging style of the world champion and the national side's front six is often that of Barça, minus Leo Messi. The Liga champion too has struggled this season when teams have afforded it little time to dwell on the ball. Llorente is no Messi, but he offers a physical presence that few strikers eligible to pull on the red shirt provide.

Llorente, who wore a pre-World Cup shirt without the star over the Spanish crest, is nonetheless close to becoming one of Spain's key players. "We were practical and able to adapt," he said. "To put two passes together on this pitch is commendable."

To Del Bosque's satisfaction, Spain did play soccer, albeit not in its customary style. But the European Championship, at which his side will now almost certainly be present, is to be played in Poland and Ukraine, where the pitches may not be the fluid green baize his players favor. Little matter, when Spain can win on a surface like Kaunas'. And even less so when it has the personnel to fit a variety of formations.

"We have a squad that we have to use in full and here we felt it was convenient to do so," said Del Bosque. Europe has been warned.

Court rules against strike

Back on home soil, a Madrid court on Wednesday ruled in favor of Llorente's Athletic, Sevilla, Villarreal, Espanyol, Real Sociedad and Zaragoza in a dispute over a proposed Liga strike this weekend, meaning that Spain's stars will line up in their club colors as scheduled.