re: Brazil v. Spain, 5:00PM, ESPN

I don't think tiki-taka is dead. Like you said, anyone who says that is doing so because of an irrational reaction. They just went almost 30 straight matches without losing for frick's sake. Not to mention the Spanish are dominating at almost every age level.

I do think the system needs to be tweaked, however. It's a combination of a bunch of things: age, form, personnel, exhaustion, etc.

Today they got beat at their own game. In the past few years, they have dominated through their ability to manage space incredibly effectively. Tiki-taka or possession were just tools to twist the opponent out of shape. They have been able to squeeze the pitch at any point when they don't have the ball, and then utilize every inch when they do. Today Brazil pressed them high up the field and absolutely dominated the spacing. Their incredible combination of youth, energy, athleticism and technical ability were just too much for Spain to handle - plus it was Brazil's A game.

Spain's defense just isn't good enough at the moment. Ramos just isn't disciplined enough for me to be able to pair with Pique, who I consider to be a top 5 CB in the world. Not sure what the solution here is. Ramos to RB and then Busquets to CB, like you said, could work. I think their lack of a good RB is a big problem. Casillas also isn't top form, considering he barely played half a season in 12/13.

Another issue which can't be understated is the form of Torres and Villa. Spain's lack of a world class goal scorer is a huge deficiency at the moment. Maybe Llorente can find good form in Serie A, or maybe Vincente will go back to the false 9. Who knows.

Last, exhaustion. A lot can probably be attributed to this. Those Spanish players need a rest. For the most part they have played non-stop since the 2010 WC.