Portugal yes... they have impressed me. Spain? Not so much. And I LIKE Spain. But see.. you coached soccer, if I remember correctly? You know what to look for, I really don't.
Now this isn't a 'theory' of how to spot 'good' soccer... it's just what I find myself doing. I watch the transition game closely... drawn to it for some reason... let's call it 'subconscious intuition'... and I 'think' it's because it's where one can most easily see how closely a team works together... how 'cohesive' they are. At least for those of us who didn't grow up with the game.