South Africa 3-2 Spain
Spain claimed third place at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 with a dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory over host nation South Africa at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg.
Bafana Bafana had come within minutes of winning the game thanks to Katlego Mphela’s 73rd-minute opener, only for fellow substitute Daniel Guiza to find the net in both the 88th and 89th minute to leave the home fans shell-shocked. But up stepped Mphela again to thump home a free-kick from fully 35 yards in the third minute of added time and take the match into extra-time, when another set-piece from Xabi Alonso eluded everyone including home keeper Itumeleng Khune and finished in the back of the net.
South Africa fought hard to the end of a pulsating encounter, and exit the tournament knowing that a firm foundation has been laid for next year’s FIFA World Cup™ finals. They had opened their account when Mphela took full advantage of an excellent cross from Siphiwe Tshabalala from the left, recovering well from a poor first touch to fire high into the roof of Iker Casillas’ net. But with beanpole striker Fernando Llorente on as a substitute and giving Spain a focal point for their attacks, it freed up fellow sub Guiza to do what he does best: score goals.
The first came from Santi Cazorla’s ball into the centre of the penalty area, which Guiza did well to control before snapping off a low, hard shot past Khune and into the bottom corner. With the South Africans still in shock, Guiza received possession on the right-hand side of the area and looked to have been crowded out, before managing to make the space for a crafty lob with very little back-lift which flew over Khune and in off the inside of the far post.
There was still time for another twist, however, with Mphela’s brilliant 93rd-minute free-kick reigniting South Africa’s hopes and forcing an extra 30 minutes. Twice in the first half of extra-time Iker Casillas was called into action, first by Mphela who broke past the La Roja backline but was denied by the legs of the keeper, and then by Bernard Parker whose drilled shot from the edge of the box was tipped away expertly. The home side appeared to lose a little impetus from that point and paid dearly in the 107th-minute when a careless foul from Matthew Booth on Llorente gave Xabi Alonso the chance to curl in the winning goal.
For Spain, they will be able to take some consolation from on a spirited finish to a tournament many people had expected them to win. And despite their defeat, South Africa will have arguably taken much more from this competition. As well as successfully increasing public faith in coach Joel Santana, the emergence of cult heroes such as Booth, Parker, Mphela, Khune and Teko Modise, as well as gifted right-back Siboniso Gaxa and industrious midfielder Steven Pienaar, will no doubt work wonders for morale in the build up to next year’s finals.
Lineups:
Spain: Iker Casillas, Joan Capdevila, Raúl Albiol, Gerard Pique, Alvaro Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso, Albert Riera Ortega, Santiago Cazorla González, Sergi Busquets (Llorente 80′), Fernando Torres (Daniel Güiza 56′), David Villa (Silva 56′);
South Africa: Itumeleng Khune, Aaron Mokoena, Siboniso Gaxa, Matthew Booth, Tsepo Peter Masilela, Steven Pienaar (Katlego Mphela 65′), Macbeth Sibaya, Siphiwe Tshabalala (Benson Mhlongo 83′), Kagisho Evidence Dikgacoi, Teko Modise (Elrio van Heerden 69′), Bernard Parker
Goals:
1-0, m.73 – Katlego Mphela
1-1, m.87 – Daniel Güiza
1-2, m.88 – Daniel Güiza
2-2, m.90 – Katlego Mphela
3-2, m.114 – Xabi Alonso
Referee: Matthew Breeze
Booked: Sergi Busquets (38), Steven Pienaar (46), Gerard Pique (76), Tsepo Peter Masilela (108), Raúl Albiol (83), Katlego Mphela (77), Llorente (114)
Stadium: Real Bafokeng, Rustenburgo
Attendance:
Spain vs South Africa | FIFA Confederations Cup | Third Place Play-off | Preview
Joel Santana is adamant his South Africa side will not lack motivation when they face Spain in the Confederations Cup third-place play-off in Rustenburg.
The Bafana Bafana pushed defending champions Brazil all the way in the semi-final before being sunk by a Daniel Alves free-kick two minutes from time. Santana will lead his side against a Spain team reeling from their 2-0 shock loss to the United States, and the Brazilian coach is certain the hosts will continue to do their country proud. He said:
This is an important competition, so the motivation should be the same as it was in the first match. This is a preparation for the World Cup, so the players should be motivated to play against the big teams. I need them to play the same for me.
The two teams have already met once in the group stage, when Spain claimed a 2-0 win.But Santana is certain the clash at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium will be different, especially considering the strides his side have made over the past two weeks. He said:
This tournament was our first real test as a group, and we have seen what is possible. Spain may have lost, but they were one of the favourites coming in. They are a high level team, and we will be very careful against them. What is important is that we entered this tournament as an outsider and now we have earned some respect.
Defender Matthew Booth, one of several stand-out players against the Brazilians, added:
It will be nice to get a bronze medal.”We definitely have a good chance against Spain, because our performance against Brazil instilled enormous confidence into the team. The side is very confident and we are looking forward to the game.
Although still smarting from the shock loss to the US and an end to a record-breaking run, the Spaniards are keen to get back to winning ways tomorrow. According to Fernando Torres, who played a key part in helping his side to 35 matches unbeaten and a world-record 15 consecutive wins, the European champions will be looking to start from scratch against the hosts. The Liverpool striker said:
When you lose a game and you’ve got a lot of players who can barely remember the last time it happened, then it shows that you’re on the right track. In fact, I’d rather this happen now than at the 2010 World Cup. We have to go back to square one now and start putting some more wins together. I’d love us to go another 35 matches without losing. That would be great, especially with a World Cup in the middle.
Reflecting on the semi-final exit in Bloemfontein, he added:
I don’t think anyone can say we ever showed a lack of respect to our opponents. USA were the better side because they coped with the pressure we put on them and scored the goals. We’ll try to take something out of the game and improve. What hurts most is going out in the semi-finals of a big competition, not the end of the run. We knew that we couldn’t possibly win every single game from now to the end of our careers and that the run would have to come to an end some day. We just didn’t expect it to be here in South Africa, but that’s the way it is. These things happen when you least expect them.
Teams:
Spain: Iker Casillas, Diego Lopez, Pepe Reina; Raul Albiol, Gerard Pique, Carlos Marchena, Carles Puyol, Joan Capdevila, Sergio Ramos, Alvaro Arbeloa; Pablo Hernandez, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Santi Cazorla, Albert Riera, David Silva, Juan Mata; David Villa, Fernando Torres, Fernando Llorente, Daniel Guiza;
South Africa: Rowen Fernandez, Itumeleng Khune, Brian Baloyi; Siboniso Gaxa , Tsepo Masilela, Aaron Mokoena, Matthew Booth, Innocent Mdledle, Bryce Moon, Bongani Khumalo, Morgan Gould; Benson Mhlongo, MacBeth Sibaya, Lance Davids, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Steven Pienaar, Elrio van Heerden, Teko Modise, Kagisho Dikgacoi; Katlego Mphela, Bernard Parker, Thembinkosi Fanteni, Katlego Mashego;
Played at: Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg.
Spain 0-2 United States of America
USA caused another sensation at the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009, beating European champions Spain 2-0 to book a place in their first-ever world final. The Spaniards controlled possession at Bloemfontein’s Free State Stadium, but the USA, losers of their first two games here in South Africa, played a brave and spirited 90 minutes in freezing temperatures, pulling off a historic victory with goals in each half from Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey.
Bob Bradley’s side made a lively start to proceedings, surging into attack early against their illustrious adversaries. Young Charlie Davies, rewarded with a second straight start by the coach in attack, was causing havoc at the Spanish back. His audacious overhead volley nearly caught out Iker Casillas before bouncing wide in the seventh minute. Carlos Bocanegra, back in the team and wearing the captain’s armband for the first time at these finals, went close shortly after with his head and Dempsey tried his luck from distance.After a slow start, though, the European champions began to assert themselves and take control of possession, Barcelona creator Xavi leading the way. Cesc Fabregas saw his shot in the 12th minute fly over the bar, while Fernando Torres and David Villa both went close to opening the scoring.
Despite Spain’s superior technique and pedigree, the ambitious, almost insolent, North Americans stole in and took the lead. After a lovely bit of interplay between Dempsey and Davies, Altidore shook off his former Villarreal team-mate Joan Capdevila to meet a fine through ball and slam home from 18 yards. Casillas got a palm to it, but the Real Madrid goalkeeper simply could not deal with the power in the strike.
The Spaniards continued to dictate the pattern as the half wore on. As the men in red chased their equaliser, Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was again denied, this time by a fine kick-save from Tim Howard with just seconds to go in the half.
Spain emerged from the changing rooms with renewed vigour, Villa turned brilliantly in the box after five minutes but Howard again was equal to the effort.
A bit of desperation looked to be creeping into the Spanish attack near the hour-mark. Villa, Torres and the ever-present Xavi were trying to force their way through an increasingly cohesive US rearguard, marshalled by giant centre-back Oguchi Onyewu. Last-ditch tackles and heroic blocks were coming to define the American resistance. Sergio Ramos slammed off the post in the 64th minute as Spain’s pressure was beginning to look irresistible. Bradley brought on midfielder Benny Feilhaber for striker Davies, hoping to shore things up with a little under half an hour to go.
Against the run of play, though, it was the Americans, not the Spaniards, who got the crucial goal. Clint Dempsey, fresh off scoring the third goal in the win over Egypt that saw the US through to this semi-final, took advantage of a rare error by Ramos to poke home an opportunistic goal from close range. The celebrations that followed were in perfect accord with the historic nature of the goal, and the eventual 2-0 victory over the reigning European champions and the world’s No.1 ranked team.
Lineups:
Spain: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Capdevila, Pique, Puyol, Xavi, Fabregas (Santi Cazorla 68), Alonso, Riera (Mata 78), Torres, Villa.
USA: Howard, DeMerit, Spector, Bocanegra, Onyewu, Clark, Dempsey (Bornstein 88), Davies (Feilhaber 69), Donovan, Bradley, Altidore (Casey 84).
Goals:
0-1, m.27 – Altidore;
0-2, m.73 – Dempsey;
Referee: Jorge Larrionda (Uruguay)
Sent Off: Bradley (87).
Booked: Donovan, Altidore, Capdevila, Pique.
Played at: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Attendance: 40,000
Spain vs United States of America | FIFA Confederations Cup | Semi-finals | Preview
Spain will attempt to claim another spot in the record books and clinch their place in the final of the Confederations Cup when they take on surprise qualifiers the United States in Bloemfontein.
The European champions have already broken one world record during their stint in South Africa, with Saturday’s 2-0 victory over the host nation not only seeing Spain progress through Group A with a 100% record but also extending their run of successive wins to 15. That saw them move one clear of Brazil, France and Australia, who all jointly held the former record along with the Spanish. Saturday’s win also extended Spain’s unbeaten run to 35 matches, drawing them level with Brazil’s world-leading mark that was set between between 1993 and 1996, and Vicente del Bosque`s side can take that record for their own tomorrow as well.
Spain are huge favorites to continue their remarkable form against a United States side that created a big stir in battling back from the brink to qualify from Group B, but midfielder Xabi Alonso is not taking anything for granted. Alonso, who was part of the Spain side that ground out a hard-fought 1-0 win over the US in a friendly last year, Xavi scoring the only goal 12 minutes from time, said:
If they are here it’s because they have deserved it. Before we went to the European Championships we played against them and it was not easy at all. They are going to wait for us, they will be together. Their approach will not be much different to that of Iraq or South Africa. We cannot think that it will be easy. They are a physically strong team, well organised and very rapid on the counter-attack. Also, they have players who play in the Premier League and we already know them.
If Spain get through then it could set up a mouth-watering final against mighty Brazil, who will play host nation South Africa in the other semi-final on Thursday after comfortably finishing top of Group B with three wins from three. Alonso admits that would be a special match but the Liverpool man is determined to take it one step at a time. He said in Marca:
It would be spectacular, but first we have the semi-final and then we’ll see. We cannot think of anything more than that.
Few expected the United States, who have lost all three of their previous meetings with Spain, to progress out of a group that included Brazil and Italy, especially after losing to both those sides in their opening two matches and conceding six goals in the process. However, Sunday’s 3-0 win over Egypt, combined with some favorable results in the other group games, left Bob Bradley’s side in second place in the pool, pipping Italy to a place in the last four thanks to having scored one more goal than the world champions.
The US will know they have their work cut out to make it through to the final though against a Spain side that has only conceded two goals in 13 matches since Del Bosque took charge last summer. Bradley believes they can cause an upset, though, saying:
We came up against Spain before Euro 2008 and we played a great game. We’ve been watching them during this tournament and we’ve been taking note of their style. We know how to stop them and we are very confident.
Teams:
Spain: Iker Casillas, Diego Lopez, Pepe Reina; Raul Albiol, Gerard Pique, Carlos Marchena, Carles Puyol, Joan Capdevila, Sergio Ramos, Alvaro Arbeloa; Pablo Hernandez, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Santi Cazorla, Albert Riera, David Silva, Juan Mata; David Villa, Fernando Torres, Fernando Llorente, Daniel Guiza;
U.S.A: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Luis Robles; Jonathan Bornstein, Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Heath Pearce, Marvell Wynne, Jay DeMerit, Danny Califf, Jonathan Spector; DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark,Sacha Kljestan, Freddy Adu, Jose Francisco Torres, Benny Feilhaber; Conor Casey, Clint Dempsey, Charlie Davies, Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore;
Played at: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein.
South Africa 0-2 Spain
Spain march on to the semi-finals with an unblemished record after goals from David Villa and Fernando Llorente secured a 2-0 victory over South Africa to extend La Roja’s record winning streak. Yet there were celebrations on all sides in Manguang/Bloemfontein as New Zealand’s goalless draw with Iraq ensured the hosts will join the European champions in the last four.
Much had been made in the build-up to this match that a draw would suit both sides, but it was clear from the outset that Spain were interested in nothing but a 15th straight victory. Seizing the initiative from the first whistle, Vicente Del Bosque’s side nearly took the lead in stunning style when Albert Riera’s ferocious 35-yard drive was acrobatically tipped over by Itumeleng Khune after just four minutes.
A pattern of Spanish dominance had been established, and the European champions’ incisive possession football replaced the deafening roar inside Free State stadium with a nervous hush. Teko Modise had the opportunity to re-enliven the atmosphere after 18 minutes when the hosts won a promisingly-placed free-kick, but the midfielder curled a disappointing effort well over from 22 yards.
The most threatening attacks continued to be directed towards Khune’s goal and, as half-time approached, Booth was forced to scramble the ball behind for a corner after Torres had skipped through on to a Fabregas through ball and forced Khune into a smart save. At the other end, Steven Pienaar was performing admirably in providing his team-mates with shooting opportunities, but a general over-eagerness in South Africa’s play manifested itself in two wayward finishes from Modise and Bernard Parker.
A moment of individual brilliance looked to be Bafana Bafana’s best hope of securing a result at this stage, and Khune provided them with just that when he pulled off an incredible double save to deny Spain. The first instalment came when the South Africa No1 threw himself to the left to push away a David Villa penalty after Cesc Fabregas had been felled inside the box, while the second witnessed him hold Carles Puyol’s well-struck rebound.
Villa’s immediate reaction was to hold his head in his hands but, rather than sulk, the Valencia striker provided the perfect riposte just seconds later. Danger appeared minimal when Riera lofted a delicate pass into the box, but in one, lithe movement, Villa controlled the ball on his chest, swivelled and somehow directed a precise left-foot shot just inside the far post.
South Africa attempted to respond, but they lacked a cutting edge and when Spain substitute Fernando Llorente stuck out his right boot to convert Fabregas’s mis-hit shot, they were left to anxiously await news from Johannesburg. When that news came, celebrations began that will last long into the night and beyond.
Lineups:
Spain: Pepe Reina, Carles Puyol, Raúl Albiol, Gerard Pique, Alvaro Arbeloa, Xavi, Cesc Fábregas, Albert Riera (Santi Cazorla 80′), Sergi Busquets, Fernando Torres (Llorente 59′), David Villa (Pablo Hernandez 59′);
South Africa: Itumeleng Khune, Aaron Mokoena, Siboniso Gaxa, Matthew Booth, Tsepo Peter Masilela, Steven Pienaar, Macbeth Sibaya (Katlego Mashego 80′), Kagisho Evidence Dikgacoi, Teko Modise, Benson Mhlongo, Bernard Parker (Siphiwe Tshabalala 90′);
Goals:
0-1, min.51 – Villa
0-2, min.71 – Llorente
Stadium: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein.
Referee: Pablo Pozo.
South Africa vs Spain | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group Stages | Preview
Aaron Mokoena is expecting a tough game for South Africa when they come up against Spain in their final Group A game.
The Bafana Bafana captain and his team are riding high after beating New Zealand 2-0 in their previous game, but still need a point in Bloemfontein to make certain of their qualification. Bernard Parker was the hero against the All Whites, with his brace securing the win which lifted the host nation into second place on four points, two behind the Spaniards and three clear of Iraq.
Defender Mokoena warned of Spain:
They’re a team packed with great players all over the field. We know it will be a difficult match for us, but I think it will be difficult for them too. We play similar football but they have the experience over us. However, in saying that, we will be very determined and will throw everything at them.
Defeat for Joel Santana’s team at the Free State Stadium, coupled with an Iraqi win over New Zealand, would leave both teams on four points, meaning the final outcome could go down to goal difference, where the South Africans are currently ahead with plus two to minus one. If the Asian champions fail to win, a draw or even defeat will be enough.
Parker, who was clearly the star man in the previous game, is confident they can qualify for the last four, adding:
Spain are the best team in the world, the European champions and the tournament favourites. We know they’ve got some big stars, but that’s not going to make us nervous, anything but. We’re going to raise our game and be even more confident. I’m sure we’re going to do it.
Spain, who are expected to give several of their fringe players a chance, will be keen on winning and have two world-records in sight that are sure to act as further motivation. La Roja will be looking for a 15th consecutive international victory after their win against Iraq moved them to 14 – the same number as Brazil, Australia and France – with the other incentive being a 35th match unbeaten. The last time they lost was in November 2006 and if they avoid defeat, Vicente del Bosque’s men will draw them level with Brazil, who set the mark between 1993 and 1996.
The coach said:
Now that we’ve qualified it means that I can make some changes. “But winning is still the most important thing, which is what we’ll try to do. When things are going this well, you don’t change the structure too much. We will give some different players a chance, but as I said, the priority is to win.
Asked whether he had a preferred team to play in the semi-final with Brazil, Italy and Egypt all in contention, he added:
It doesn’t bother me. You have to respect all the teams and they’ll all come with their own difficulties.
Group B will be decided on Sunday.
Teams:
Spain: Iker Casillas, Diego Lopez, Pepe Reina; Raul Albiol, Gerard Pique, Carlos Marchena, Carles Puyol, Joan Capdevila, Sergio Ramos, Alvaro Arbeloa; Pablo Hernandez, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Santi Cazorla, Albert Riera, David Silva, Juan Mata; David Villa, Fernando Torres, Fernando Llorente, Daniel Guiza;
South Africa: Rowen Fernandez, Itumeleng Khune, Brian Baloyi; Siboniso Gaxa , Tsepo Masilela, Aaron Mokoena, Matthew Booth, Innocent Mdledle, Bryce Moon, Bongani Khumalo, Morgan Gould; Benson Mhlongo, MacBeth Sibaya, Lance Davids, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Steven Pienaar, Elrio van Heerden, Teko Modise, Kagisho Dikgacoi; Katlego Mphela, Bernard Parker, Thembinkosi Fanteni, Katlego Mashego;
Played at: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein.
Spain 1-0 Iraq
Spain are through to the semi-finals of the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009 but they were made to work for their place, and a 1-0 victory, by a resolute Iraq side.
The Asian champions made life difficult for their European counterparts from the offset and nearly snatched a shock ninth-minute opener when Alaa Abdul Zahra snatched on a Gerard Pique mistake to test Iker Casillas from 20 yards.
Spain quickly established a stranglehold on possession, however, and Mohammed Kassid had to rush from his line to deny Fernando Torres after the Liverpool striker worked a wonderful one-two with Xavi.
David Villa, meanwhile, was chasing the goal that would take him past Fernando Hierro as Spain’s second-top all-time scorer, and he came close in 24 minutes with a left-foot volley that flashed into the side-netting.
Chances were at a premium, with Iraq generally successful in subduing their illustrious opponents, and Villa must have wondered if this wasn’t to be his day when he spurned a glorious chance seven minutes into the second half. Santi Cazorla curled in a tantalising cross and Villa, unmarked 10 yards from goal, headed straight at the grateful keeper.
Yet, like any great striker, Villa picked himself up and made amends with a superbly-taken winner, directing a precise header just inside the far post from another terrific cross from left-back Joan Capdevila.
MATCH SUMMARY:
SPAIN: Casillas, Ramos, Pique, Marchena, Capdevila, Alonso, Xavi (Busquets, min. 81), Cazorla (Silva, min.66), Mata, Torres, Villa (Guiza, min. 74).
IRAQ: Kassid, Shaker, Fareed Majeed, Ali Hussein, Basem Abbas, Nashat Akram, Mahdi Karemm, Muayad Khalid, Hawar Mulaa (Karrar Jassim, min. 69), Samer Saeed (Mahdi Kareem, min. 59), Abdul Zahra (Younis Mahmoud, min. 79).
GOALS:
1-0, m. 55 Villa.
REFEREE: Matthew Breeze (Australia).
NOTES: Game 2 of the Confederations Cup. Group stage.
PLAYED AT: Free State Stadium, Mangaung/Bloemfontein.
Spain vs Iraq | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group Stages | Preview
Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas has asked his team-mates to keep their feet on the ground ahead of their second Confederations Cup game against Iraq.
The European champions moved top of Group A after they romped to a 5-0 victory over New Zealand on Sunday and a win against their Asian counterparts in Bloemfontein will seal a place in the semi-final.Vicente del Bosque’s team, who are unbeaten since 2006, will also be looking to move a step closer to the world-record mark of 35 games unbeaten set by Brazil between 1993 and 1996 – they are currently on 33.
Arsenal ace Fabregas, though, is not looking too far beyond the group stages, admitting that the initial priority will be getting past the Iraqis and hosts South Africa. He told Fifa.com:
There’s still a long way to go. It’s true that our first game was easier than we thought, but it’s a long tournament, and there are some excellent teams to come. We know we’re favorites but we’ve got to be wary going into these matches. We saw the game between South Africa and Iraq before traveling to the stadium. We’re very confident but we have to remain composed. We’ll be taking the remaining matches extremely seriously.
Fabregas was one of the stand-out players in their tournament debut against the All Whites, setting up the opening goal for Fernando Torres, who scored a hat-trick, and then himself getting on the scoresheet with the fourth Spanish goal. He added:
We played really well. It’s always important to start with a win and that’s just what we did. It was a great way to set the ball rolling, and I hope that from here we can improve with every game. We realise that this is just the beginning and that there’s a long way to go in the Confederations Cup.
Like La Roja, the Iraqis also raised many eyebrows after holding the home side to a goalless draw in the tournament opener in Johannesburg. Asked about how he was going to prepare his team for the match against the world number one team, Iraq coach Bora Milutinovic responded:
That’s a very easy answer. When you play against Spain, you don’t need to have any preparation. You need to know against who you are playing. You need to know the opposition and you need to be happy to be playing one of the most important teams in world football. You need to put in your best effort and say ‘okay, we are going to play football’.
The Serb was thrilled with the way his side performed against the hosts, saying that the point gained was now a big boost to their semi-final chances. He said:
The point is very important. Our goal is to try to win every game and even though we did not win against South Africa, we still gained a positive result. It gives us a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals.
Teams:
Spain: Iker Casillas, Diego Lopez, Pepe Reina; Raul Albiol, Gerard Pique, Carlos Marchena, Carles Puyol, Joan Capdevila, Sergio Ramos, Alvaro Arbeloa; Pablo Hernandez, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Santi Cazorla, Albert Riera, David Silva, Juan Mata; David Villa, Fernando Torres, Fernando Llorente, Daniel Guiza;
Iraq: Noor Sabri, Mohamed Kassid, Oday Talib; Mohamed Ali Kareem, Basem Abbas, Salam Shaker, Ali Hussein Rehema, Dara Mohammed, Abbas Isam, Muayad Khalid; Fareed Majeed, Nashat Akram, Salih Sadir, Abdul Wahhab , Hawar Mulaa Mohammed, Karrar Jassim, Mahdi Kareem, Samer Saaed, Halkard Mulla Mohammed; Emad Mohammed , Luay Salah, Younis Mahmoud, Alaa Abdul Zahra;
Played at: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein.
New Zealand 0-5 Spain
Fernando Torres scored the fastest hat-trick in FIFA Confederations Cup history as Spain stated their intentions with an emphatic 5-0 win over New Zealand in Rustenburg.
The All Whites’ gameplan would doubtless have been to make the opening stages as awkward as possible for their illustrious rivals, but it took just six minutes for the OFC champions to begin searching for Plan B. Some superb midfield interplay teased an opportunity for Torres, who opened his body and curled a superb right-foot shot into the top corner from 20 yards.
It was a reminder, were any needed, of the Liverpool striker’s awesome ability, and it took just eight minutes for him add an opportunistic second, slotting home a David Villa cutback from close range. A hat-trick seemed inevitable and, sure enough, Torres soon completed a record-breaking 11-minute treble with his head, bulleting home a drilled left-foot cross from Joan Capdevila.
Spain were toying with the Kiwis by this stage and, after Albert Riera had seen a fizzing low shot brilliantly tipped behind, their lead was duly increased to four with 21 minutes of the first half still remaining. Once again, the All Whites’ rearguard was carved open by yet more fantastic pass-and-move football from the European champions, with Riera and Capdevila combining intuitively to tee up Cesc Fabregas for the simplest of tap-ins.
Double figures for Spain looked a genuine danger at this stage, but it was to New Zealand’s credit that they steadied as half-time approached and even went close to pulling a goal back when Mulligan forced Iker Casillas into a fine save from a 25-yard free-kick. However, even with La Roja in cruise control in the second half, there was still time for the Kiwis to endure yet more misery, with Villa capitalising on an Andy Boytens mistake to complete the scoring with an instictive first-time finish.
Ramos makes history
Sergio Ramos made history on Sunday night by notching his 50th cap with Spain as the youngest ever Spaniard to do so. Ramos reached the half-century mark at the age of 23 years, two months and fifteen days. Prior to Sunday’s match against New Zealand, the mark was held by Liverpool’s Fernando Torres, who played his 50th match with La Roja when he was 24 years and three months old. The third youngest is Iker Casillas, who was 24 and six months old. The Madridista defender debuted in a 3-0 Spanish victory against China on 26 March 2005 and was a member of both the 2006 World Cup team and the 2008 European Champion squad.
Lineups:
NEW ZEALAND: Moss; Mulligan, Vicelich, Boyens, Lochhead; Bertos, Tim Brown, Brockie (Christie, m.17), Elliot; Smeltz (James, m.77), Killen (Bright, m.83).
SPAIN: Casillas; Ramos (Arbeloa, m.53), Puyol, Albiol, Capdevila; Xabi Alonso, Xavi (Cazorla, m.53), Cesc, Riera; Torres (Silva, m.69), Villa.
GOALS:
0-1, m.6: Fernando Torres.
0-2, m.14: Fernando Torres.
0-3, m.17: Fernando Torres.
0-4, m.24: Cesc.
0-5, m.48: Villa.
REFEREE: Coffi Codjia (Benin).
NOTES: Game 1 of the Confederations Cup group stage
Played at: Royal Bafokeng Stadium.
Attendance: 10,000.
New Zealand vs Spain | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group Stages | Preview
European champions Spain will be hoping to extend their 32 game unbeaten run in their Group A encounter with New Zealand.
Both sides, who are battling it out with hosts South Africa and Asian champions Iraq, are missing important players with Spain maestro Andres Iniesta suffering from an aggravated thigh injury and All Whites captain and defender Ryan Nelson out with a calf injury.
Vicente del Bosque’s Spain are a truly formidable side and are in ominous form – having brushed aside Azerbaijan 6-0 with a master class of attacking football in a midweek friendly in Baku. With talents such as Fernando Torres, Xavi Hernandez and Iker Casillas to call on La Roja will be confident of beating a New Zealand side that lies 81 places behind them in the FIFA world rankings and going all the way in this tournament.
Spanish striker David Villa will be among the stars to watch out for on Sunday – with the Valencia man full of confidence following his hat-trick in Baku. Despite the hype surrounding Del Bosque’s charges goalkeeper Iker Casillas is keeping his feet firmly on the ground, telling reporters
We’re here as reigning European champions, but we have the utmost respect for our opponents.
In contrast, the bulk of the New Zealand squad is made up of home-based players with limited international experience.
However, Oceania champions New Zealand do have reasons to be optimistic having caused quite a stir in their own friendly on Wednesday – putting three past world champions Italy who had to come from behind to secure a nervy 4-3 win late on. In what will be New Zealand’s third Confederations Cup appearance coach Ricki Herbert will be looking to star striker Shane Smeltz to continue his red-hot form – the Kiwi having set a national team record of scoring in six consecutive matches.
Fellow striker Chris Killen is another man to watch. Currently playing for Scottish giants Celtic he has formed an effective partnership with Smeltz and together they give Herbert’s side the attacking edge that they have lacked in previous campaigns. Asked what chance the All Whites stood against a side ranked number one in the world Killen replied:
Everyone realises the opportunity a game like this offers us. A decent result against the number one team in the world would really put us on the map, and that’s something which is long overdue. We can’t just be happy to be the best in Oceania.
Teams:
Spain: Iker Casillas, Diego Lopez, Pepe Reina; Raul Albiol, Gerard Pique, Carlos Marchena, Carles Puyol, Joan Capdevila, Sergio Ramos, Alvaro Arbeloa; Pablo Hernandez, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Santi Cazorla, Albert Riera, David Silva, Juan Mata; David Villa, Fernando Torres, Fernando Llorente, Daniel Guiza;
New Zealand: Mark Paston, Glen Moss, James Bannatyne; Aaron Scott, Tony Lochhead, Ben Sigmund, Ivan Vicelich, Dave Mulligan, Andy Boyens, Steven Old; Duncan Oughton, Simon Elliott, Tim Brown, Leo Bertos, Andy Barron, Jeremy Christie, Chris James; Shane Smeltz, Chris Killen, Jeremy Brockie, Kris Bright, Chris Wood, Jarrod Smith;
Played at: Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg
Just another Madridista
Hala Madrid 
Junta speak