Spain's post-World Cup life has continued as shaky as it started with the team losing 2-0 against the Netherlands Tuesday in Amsterdam.

It was a game that could have helped Spain conquer the demons of the past, but started as if it would be a repeat of 5-1 rout in Brazil last summer.

Spain conceded two goals in the opening 20 minutes of the game and looked vastly outplayed before recovering in the late stages and doing its utmost to mount a comeback.

Here are the takeaways from match:

Early Possession Helps Dutch Lead

Who would have thought that 30 minutes into the match the Dutch would hold 62 percent of the possession? That is simply unimaginable against a Spain side that lives and dies with possession.

And that is exactly why the opening half played out the way it did. Spain could not control the ball while Guus Hiddink's side was more than happy to pass the ball from one side of the pitch and probe for openings and Spain's B-side. It almost became too easy for Holland to find its opening two goals as the Spaniards looked intimidated and overwhelmed by a Dutch side that was playing without Robin van Persie or Arjen Robben.

The 4-5-1 Tactic is Easy to Defend Against

It worked early on against the Ukrainians, but as that European Qualifier unfolded, the visitors clamped down and took away Spain's chances with its 4-5-1 formation.

It certainly allows Vicente del Bosque to crowd the midfield and helps with the possession game, but it was destroyed in this game by the Dutch on a number of fronts. Juanmi, the man up top, was isolated and thus easily outnumbered whenever he did get the ball.

But more importantly, without the ball, Spain looked overwhelmed in the middle and was quick to expose on counter. With Dani Carvajal and Bernat more willing to track up than back, Spain started looking like a 2-7-1, with Raul Albiol and Gerard Pique the two centerbacks. And neither of those two are particularly fleet of foot.

As the game wore on, Spain grew into the formation and overwhelmed the Dutch offensively, but the mistakes of the start did them in.

Of course, the real reason to start the 4-5-1 formation is the mask the fact that Spain had no defensive midfielder on the pitch to help recover the ball and connect from the back to the front. Without someone to help recover the ball, the Dutch had little difficulty holding on to it.

That also meant that Spain did not have top end defenders in the middle of the pitch, making the midfielders scramble about to attempt recovery, thus opening them up with greater facility for the Dutch.

It was a disaster from the get-go and there is really only one man to blame for the effort -- Del Bosque.

Players Falter for National Side

Juanmi and Vitolo got chances to make an impression at the forward position. But neither player made a compelling argument to remain in the starting XI or even in future selections. Both players missed big chances to score for their sides, with Vitolo missing the bigger chance in the 69th minute that he fired horrendously wide.

Isco also had a chance to cement himself as a starter, but struggled throughout the game against the Dutch. His passing while consistent was not particularly creative. He managed just one key pass in the entire contest, was dispossessed twice, was caught offside once and did not do much with the ball on his feet. He was not the only culprit, but he was far from an all-world player in his two games for Spain and has yet to force himself into the starting XI.

David Silva is the catalyst. He has been Spain's top performer since the World Cup fiasco and his absence clearly hurt Spain in the first half. The side simply could not find a way to create chances and struggled to retain the ball. With Silva in the mix after half-time, Spain was the superior side, maintaining possession and creating opportunities.

He even scored a goal that was eventually ruled offsides.