Spain bows out of the world cup!!

This is what the Twilight of the Gods feels like.

After two European Championships and a World Cup,
after producing the greatest tactical innovation in international football since those Dutch guys in Orange gave us "Total Football" in 1974, after proving that three-peat really is a word and after defying time and
making us believe they could renew them

selves organically and internally, this is it.

It's not the first time world champions exit in the group
stage.

France did it in 2002, and Italy followed suit in.2010. But in both cases, they at least controlled their own destiny in the third and final game of the group stage.

And neither gave up seven goals in two games.

It's not as if these players will go away. Scan the squad and you struggle to find too many who don't have a shot at Euro 2016 or beyond.

Xavi, of course, is set for pasture in the Qatar desert, and David Villa is on a mission from Shekih Mansour in the Big Apple with NYC FC.

Xabi Alonso, meanwhile, is 32 and his body, however.bionic, has been punished enough.

There are two on the bubble. Iker Casillas? It depends on what happens at club level, but he seems to show no appetite to walk away.

Fernando Torres? Chelsea's excuse is his enormous contract and wages make him impossible to sell; it's not clear what Spain's is.

But the others have no reason to exit stage left. They.remain key players on important teams, and they have plenty to give.