Tiki-taka sputtered its last breath on Wednesday night as the fiery heat of Chile's impassioned attacking football left Spain sizzling under the Brazilian sun.
In a nation where fast-paced, skillful football acquired its followers, the lateral and ponderous possession game played by the Spanish was never going to be welcome. A humiliating 5-1 loss to a weakened Netherlands side greeted Vicente del Bosque's world champions in Salvador, but it was murder in the Maracanã as La Roja slumped to a 2-0 defeat against Chile that confirmed a premature 12-hour flight back to Madrid.
So where did it all go wrong?
Spain actually went into the tournament with a better squad than the 23 that lifted the World Cup four years ago. Atlético Madrid's Diego Costa courageously turned his back on the hosts to equip del Bosque's armada with an intriguing concoction of grit and goals up top, but the 25-year-old was anonymous in a team he'd played with only a handful of times before. David Silva's scorching form had propelled Manchester City to both the Capital One Cup and Premier League title, Sergio Ramos had been Real Madrid's player of the tournament in their tenth Champions League win, and Cesar Azpilicueta had established himself as one of the Premier League's most talented full-backs - but individual talent was dismissed by collective incompetence as the Spanish bowed out of the tournament after just two games. Their game plan was focused too tightly around a man who had absolutely no involvement in their last three trophies, and the risk never paid off.
(Diego Costa's place in Spain's starting eleven served only to bruise a tried and tested game plan)
Spain famously secured their second successive European triumph without even fielding a striker in a 4-0 win over Italy two years ago. FC Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas was employed in a 'False 9' role where his passing and vision allowed for enchanting interchanges between himself and Xavi and Iniesta just behind him. De Bosque's 2012 plan worked, and after assaulting Gianluigi Buffon's goal with 14 shots (nine of which were on target) in the final, it was difficult for bemused fans and pundits to criticise the 61-year-old's unique tactics.
Although Vicente del Bosque made a criminal error in throwing all of his eggs into Diego Costa's basket, he can be forgiven for assuming the man whose goals steered Atlético Madrid to a famous La Liga title win and the final of the Champions League would only improve his team. The problem wasn't the 25-year-old's conduct on the field, but the impact his presence had on midfield behind him who were unable to express themselves in the way they did two years ago. The presence of a target man, who shared clubs with none of Spain's starting eleven, suppressed the creativity and movement in del Bosque's bewitching midfield who were so used to scoring the goals themselves.
(Spain's midfield contributed to eight of their 12 goals at Euro 2012)
But that doesn't mean Diego Costa's future in Spain's national squad is doomed. The striker made his debut for La Roja on the 5th March, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 victory over Italy. But just 90 minutes of preparation with a squad of players he was waiting to embark on a World Cup title defence with typified del Bosque's lack of organisation and their prospects in Brazil were damaged before they even kicked a ball. Even a place for Costa's Atlético teammate Koke in the starting eleven wasn't considered, but the understanding between the pair could have helped 'El Cholo' settle into the side.
Costa and Koke have a fruitful international career to look forward to - that's for sure. Tika-taka may be wobbling on its last legs, but the Spanish national side certainly isn't despite knee-jerk reports from the media's fear-mongers. Twenty of the Spanish 23-man squad that won Euro 2008 came through the ranks of Spain's youth teams, and after dominating Uefa's 2013 U-21 European Championship last year, Spain's U-21 squad promises to deliver a fresh batch of tantalising talent.
Manchester United's David de Gea is likely to cement a place between the sticks in France in two years time after Iker Casillas treated Spain's opponents to a montage of gaffes in Brazil. The 23-year-old, known for his shot stopping and athleticism, has established himself as one of the Premier League's finest goalkeepers since joining the reds three years ago.
(David de Gea is likely to hold down Spain's No.1 slot for the foreseeable future)
Real Madrid's Daniel Carvajal was named in Football Espana's La Ligas team of the year after sealing Los Blanco's full-back role ahead of Alvaro Arbeloa whilst FC Barcelona's Marc Bartra also impressed in his 20 appearances for La Liga's 2013/2014 runners up.
Isco and Thiago Alcântara were the golden boys of the 2013 U-21 European Championship and have the perfect platforms to enter the world's elite with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Their intelligence on the ball, majestic movement and captivating creativity has sparked comparison with Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta - and if the duo can emulate the legendary FC Barcelona pair in any way, Spain have a bright future ahead of them.
More excitement will be provided by Atletic Bilbao's Iker Muniain and FC Barcelona's Gerard Deulofeu who will supply La Roja with blistering pace on the flanks - something del Bosque's men had none of this year. The couplet are yet to fully kick-start their respective careers and a move away from Bilboa could elevate Muniain into del Bosque's future plans.
(How Spain's squad could look at Euro 2016)
Despite conducting a rather laughable defence of the World Cup crown, Vicente del Bosque has received the backing of the Spanish Football Federation who intend to keep the 63-year-old in charge of the national team for Euro 2016. His preferred passing style has been found out and instead, Spain may have to utilise the pace on their flanks to return to the summit of world football.
The Spanish will never lack creativity in the midfield, but Brazil 2014 has endorsed the rise of bold, boisterous, attacking football that has left tiki-taka struggling for breath. It may be 'Adios' for now, but the future is bright for La Roja.