Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has admitted that Tuesday's underwhelming 1-0 friendly defeat to Germany was a disappointing end to a pretty painful 2014 for the previously all conquering La Roja side.
The high-profile fixture between the two most recent World Cup winners had been eagerly anticipated when first announced. The two very experimental sides were set for a drab goalless draw at a rainswept Balaidos ground in Vigo, before Germany midfielder Toni Kroos drilled in the winner late on from 25 yards.
Speaking after Spain had lost their first home game of any type since 2006 -- his side now having been beaten five times during the current calendar year -- the veteran coach told his post-match news conference his team was going through a tough period at the moment, but he had to look forward to the future with positivity.
"We are in a transition period and we want to keep looking to the future with optimism, but we are not happy with everything," said Del Bosque. "We cannot boast that 2014 has been a great year. We want to look forward to the future with optimism. To sum up, we are not happy with the year, for what happened at the World Cup in Brazil."
Del Bosque said that an encounter which could have gone either way had been decided by a moment of class from Real Madrid midfielder Kroos.
"I agree that it was an even game, balanced, in which we could have gone in front," said the former Real Madrid player and coach. "But you must praise the goal from Kroos, who played very well. He tipped the game their way."
Del Bosque had continued to introduce new players into his set-up, with Celta attacker Nolito, Malaga midfielder Nacho Camacho and Espanyol goalkeeper Kiko Casilla all given first caps. Barcelona winger Pedro Rodriguez was the only 2010 World Cup-winning survivor left on the pitch when Kroos scored.
"Today was a tough game against an opponent who although they did not have all their best players were still very difficult," he said. "We must make some allowances for the team."
Of the new faces Juventus centre-forward Alvaro Morata showed impressive movement in his first senior start, while not having any real chance to score, while local favourite Nolito twice tested German goalkeeper Ron Robert Ziegler with long range efforts.
"[Morata] looked really good to me," said Del Bosque. "[Nolito] played just like he does with his club. But I do not really want to single out individuals."
Spain's next scheduled Euro 2016 qualifier is not until March 27 in Las Palmas, against troubled Ukraine. Del Bosque is likely to be able to call again on some of his more experienced players -- including Andres Iniesta, David Silva and presumably Chelsea pair Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa providing this week's controversy over their fitness has not soured the relationship.
The World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012 winning coach suggested that he was still in the process of finding the lineup to help Spain retain their European title in France in two years' time.
"I am sticking with the positive things that the players have done," he said. "We must think about March 27, when we are playing for qualification. We have to look for a team, we have to make a team, this is about that."