Prior to the start of the World Cup it was assumed that the reigning champions Spain would continue to be a force in international football. We all thought that the partnership of Xavi and Iniesta would continue to dominate the midfield while the addition of Diego Costa would give the team a potent new offensive life. How wrong we all were. The Spanish side who had dominated the international stage for so long looked woeful, with an ultra-penetrable defensive line and a shell-shocked Iker Casillas. Despite an embarrassing showing in Brazil, expect the Spanish side to be one of the best international teams on FIFA 15. Xavi who runs the show from midfield may have slowed down significantly but he has still been given an overall rating of 86 meaning that his still-phenomenal passing game will continue to dissect teams who would arguably beat Spain in real life. Anyone who has spent any time playing the FIFA 15 demo will know how dangerous the virtual Diego Costa is so expect him to be uncontainable when receiving service from the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Cesc. The fact of the matter is that teams have now become wise to the playing style which once allowed Spain to play with a swagger rarely ever witnessed in international football. Nowadays they are very much less than the sum of their individual parts, though in fairness it is difficult to capture this lack of synergy on a video game.
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
