Shock and horror in Spain after meltdown against Netherlands

Duncan Shaw, dpa

Spain was a country in a profound state of shock Friday after the world and European champions crashed to a 5-1 defeat against the Netherlands in an ill-fated debut in the 2014 World Cup.

"Nobody at all expected this, I can hardly believe it," said former Spain manager Jose Antonio Camacho while trying to analyze the disaster on Tele5.

"All credit to the Dutch, but this was not what we expected from the champions."

Camacho - who guided Spain to the quarter-finals in 2002 - added: "Had (David) Silva made it 2-0 in the first half, with that clear chance he had, then it would surely have been a different story.

"But these players have given us everything in recent years, and we have to trust them now to get out of this difficult situation."

It was the first time Spain had conceded five goals in an international since losing 6-2 to Scotland in June 1963.

"And it could have been even worse had the Dutch not missed all their chances at the end," commented Radio Marca, which suggested "five or six changes before the Chile match."

The players who came in for the harshest immediate criticism were veteran goalkeeper Iker Casillas and central defenders Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos.

Meanwhile, broadcaster Cadena COPE questioned the wisdom of Spain having their headquarters in cool Curitiba, then having to go up to the heat and humidity of Salvador.

The match was watched by more than 15 million Spaniards, many of them at outdoor parties which finished on a flat note.