Spain through to quarterfinals
Spain through to quarterfinals
Posted: Jun 29 2010
Spain have set up a World Cup quarterfinal meeting with Paraguay after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Portugal in Cape Town.
David Villa again produced the magic with a goal on 63 minutes, while Portugal has Ricardo Costa sent off late on.
Spain had the better of the opening exchanges, with Fernando Torres firing in a great shot from the edge of the area after just two minutes which had Eduardo at full stretch to tip to safety.
The Liverpool striker, who had been such a disappointment in the group stages, almost caught the goalkeeper out with a snap-shot from a short corner 10 minutes later, but the ball landed on the roof of the net.
Spain were dominating possession, but Portugal slowly got back into the game and fashioned some decent chances.
Tiago stung Iker Casillas’ fingers with a shot from just outside the area which the goalkeeper could only parry. Hugo Almeida followed up to head home, but Casillas reacted quickly enough to clear the ball to safety.
Cristiano Ronaldo then hit a free-kick from 35 yards out which the Spanish captain also fumbled, before the best chance of the half fell to Almeida on 38 minutes. However, he failed to direct his header on target after a great cross by Raul Mereiles.
Mereiles was again on hand for the last chance of the half, but this time Tiago put his header wide from close range.
Portugal almost took a shock lead early in the second half when Almeida broke down the left and cut to Ronaldo. The cross came off Carles Puyol, but spun inches wide of the upright.
Torres’ substitution on 58 minutes seemed to wake Spain from their slumber. His replacement, Fernando Llorente, had a point-blank header blocked Eduardo, before Villa received a ball on the left, cut inside to beat two defenders, but then curled the ball inches wide of the upright.
The new Barcelona man was not to be denied, however. On 63 minutes Andres Iniesta got the ball on the edge of the area and perfectly weighted his pass to Villa. His initial shot was blocked, but the rebound went in off the underside of the crossbar.
Sergio Ramos almost made it 2-0 seven minutes later. Another marauding run down the right finished with a raqsping drive, but Eduardo did well to tip it around the post. Villa then hit another one from distance which the keeper tipped over.
Llorente had one more header miss by inches, before Ricardo Costa was red carded for a supposed foul on Joan Capdevila, but in the end Villa’s strike was all that was needed to see the European champions through.
Ryan Cooper
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: 2010-06-29 22:54
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