Puyol: We’ll play like it’s the final

SPAIN’S Carles Puyol is treating today’s World Cup group match against Honduras like a “final” for the European champions after their shock defeat to Switzerland in their opening game.

The pre-tournament favourites were beaten 1-0 by the Swiss in their first Group H match and need a win against the Central Americans to get their campaign back on track.

Barcelona captain Puyol refused to accept his team had played badly against Switzerland or that the team were tired after gruelling club campaigns.

“The team is really enthusiastic and we are looking forward to the next match,” he said. “We want to feel cool and calm, to not be anxious and to play the football we know we can.

“It is an extremely important match – like a final. We know we have to come out winning. To do that we have to be very respectful of our opponent and we hope to have a good match.”

While England manager Fabio Capello has come in for criticism over his policy of keeping his starting line-up a secret from his players until two hours before a match, Puyol revealed that was the same approach Spain had adopted and felt it worked well.

“We also know the starting line-up just before a match. What coaches look for is that everybody is really alert, if you know you are not playing you can disconnect,” he said.

“In terms of Spain we are all highly committed. Even if we all knew the starting line-up a day before a game, I’m sure we would all be rowing in the same direction,”

National coach Vicente Del Bosque reported no injuries other than an undisclosed problem for Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta which he expected would rule him out of the match. “It is nothing to do with any earlier injuries.

“In the last set-piece against Switzerland there was a tackle, a collision. There is a slight disturbance there and Andres is not quite 100% for this match,” the former Real Madrid boss said.

Del Bosque has come in for criticism following the defeat to Switzerland, but he has been boosted by words of support from Spanish federation president Angel Maria Villar.

“Even when you are able to come out victorious it is not always usual to have everyone on your side, but I felt huge support and I have to thank everyone,” he said.

“There are some bitter-sweet opinions because defeat is difficult to take but I shouldn’t be thinking about contrary opinions.

“We don’t have to fight that criticism. It should always be freely expressed. But I don’t feel ill-treated and my squad does not feel ill-treated either.”

Like Puyol, Del Bosque insisted there would be no radical change of approach.

He said: “I don’t think we will change our game at all. We have to be more accurate in terms of finishing, but in terms of moving the ball, we will follow the same style.”

Meanwhile Honduras captain Amado Guevara has told team-mates that Spain are beatable. Guevara said: “They are not invincible and we must work hard to win. It will be a duel.”

Honduras midfielder Hendry Thomas who suffered a muscle strain is expected to be available, while coach Reinaldo Rueda will continue to assess the fitness of striker David Suazo who is battling back from a leg injury.