Most Recent

Torres scores as Spain routs Poland 6-0


(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-06-09 15:38
Large Medium Small

Torres scores as Spain routs Poland 6-0
Spain's David Villa (R) kicks to score next to Poland's Dariusz Dudka during a friendly soccer match in Murcia June 8, 2010. [Agencies]

MURCIA, Spain - Fernando Torres marked his return from injury with a goal as Spain routed Poland 6-0 in its last World Cup warmup match on Tuesday, but the European champion was left with doubts over Andres Iniesta after the playmaker was taken off before halftime.

Related readings:
Torres scores as Spain routs Poland 6-0 Body painting to promote the World Cup
Torres scores as Spain routs Poland 6-0 Form, fitness concerns hit England's Cup buildup
Torres scores as Spain routs Poland 6-0 World Cup kicks off at Chinese kindergarten
Torres scores as Spain routs Poland 6-0 Teams pour into South Africa for FIFA World Cup

Iniesta provided the pass for David Villa's opener before starting the move which led to David Silva's 14th-minute goal. He came off in the 39th with an apparent right leg muscle problem and was expected to undergo scans in Barcelona on Wednesday.

"The doctors will see, but he came off mostly as a precaution," coach Vicente del Bosque said.

Xabi Alonso scored in the 51st before setting up Cesc Fabregas seven minutes later in the Arsenal midfielder's second game back from a fractured leg.

Torres guided home Pedro Rodriguez's pass in the 76th before Pedro scored in the 81st.

Spain, which has now won its last 11 games, goes into the June 11-July 11 tournament in South Africa as one of the favorites.

Torres had chances after coming on for Villa in the 66th minute in his first appearance since right knee surgery in April.

"The injury's passed and now I'm able to help my teammates, so it's time to enjoy it," Torres said. "Tomorrow I'm sure there will be a lot of optimism and euphoria but we know it will be difficult."

Although Torres and Fabregas' goals offered reassurance over the recovering players ahead of South Africa, Iniesta's early exit provided some anxiety.

Iniesta, whose end of season was marred by a torn muscle in his right thigh, looked like he'd overcome his problems as his dribbling runs through the midfield led to both of Spain's goals.

Iniesta, who hasn't played a full 90 minutes for Spain since February 2009, ran into the area in the 12th minute before providing a cross that appeared to go in off defender Dariusz Dudka, although Villa was credited with his 38th international goal.

Villa, who is six goals shy of matching Raul Gonzalez's record 44, was dangerous throughout and called for the ball just before Spain's second goal, only for Iniesta to instead provide a lob for Xavi Hernandez, whose cross into the middle was turned in by Silva.

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas had a fairly quiet game, though he denied Poland in the 26th minute by getting a hand to Slawomir Peszko's rising shot.

Spain dominated possession and Alonso extended its lead when his long shot took a deflection, giving keeper Tomasz Kuszczak no chance.

Fabregas, back after breaking his right leg in April, replaced Xavi in the 56th minute and scored with his first real touch, swiveling to send Alonso's perfect through ball off Kuszczak and into the net.

The goals continued as Torres was perfectly placed to latch on to Pedro's cross and steer the ball beneath Kuszczak. Pedro, who had replaced Iniesta, then scored his first goal for Spain with a delicate chip.

Del Bosque looks set to use a single striker up front for the June 16 opener against Switzerland with Torres still not fully match fit.

Spain, which recorded its biggest home win since an 8-0 win over Cyprus in 1999, will also face Honduras and Chile in Group H.

Spain, which leaves for Johannesburg on Thursday, hasn't lost since its last trip to South Africa - a 2-0 semifinal defeat by the United States at the Confederations Cup.

   Previous Page 1 2 Next Page  

Fans Say
 

Survey
Host Cities

Rustenburg: In the heart of the savannah bushveld, brimming with natural beauty at the foot of the Magaliesburg Mountains.

Johannesburg: Pulsating with energy and drive, Johannesburg is a hub of culture and excitement.

Cape Town

more
Copyright 1995 - 2010 . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.