Spain reach their first World Cup semi finals

Spain reach their first World Cup semi finals
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By h.b. - Jul 4, 2010 - 1:20 PM
They meet Germany in Durban on Wednesday night

David Villa celebrates his goal on Saturday - Photo EFE

It was not pretty but Spain qualified on Saturday for the World Cup semi finals for the first time. Their single goal against the tough defence put up by Paraguay earns them clash against Germany on Wednesday in Durban. Germany will arrive at the match fresh from a 4-0 thrashing of Argentina.

David Villa’s goal came in the 83rd minute and after the Spanish side had finally started to find its space and service the strikers as the Paraguayan defence tired. Once again Vicente del Bosque placed his confidence in Fernando Torres, but once again ‘El Niño’ failed to show any form and he was replaced in the 56th minute by Cesc Fabregas. With Torres on the pitch Spain had only fired at goal once.

The game saw some penalty excitement too in a dramatic three minutes in the second half. Pique gave away a penalty by grabbing onto the arm of an attacker, but Iker Casillas saved the penalty, and then a first penalty awarded at the other end of the pitch was scored by Xabi Alonso, but then disallowed by the referee as players encroached into the area. Alonso went the other way with his second shot, as did the Paraguay goalkeeper who saved the shot. Video evidence showed similar encroachment on the earlier penalty, but that time it was ignored by the referee.

Iker Casillas confessed after the game that it had been fellow Spanish goalkeeper, Pepe Reina, who told him which way Cardozo fired his penalties.

The Spanish Press note that the ‘curse has been broken’ by the team reaching the semi-finals. Meanwhile Manolo, the famous Spain supporter who is always on the terraces banging his enormous drum, has had to return to Spain because of illness. Doctors have ordered rest and more tests, but he says he will try to recover for the final if Spain gets there.

Spain will have to lift their game to have any chance against the Germans who have hit their peak at the right time with their 4-0 thrashing of Diego Maradona’s Argentina, but there is good news for Spain – German star Müller will not play because of an accumulation of yellow cards.

Vicente del Bosque has commented that Spain has the players to beat Germany, dismissing suggestions that Germany are favourites for the game.
‘If we could beat them in the European Cup, why can’t we do it again?’
Another one of del Bosque’s comments – ‘Nadal is an example, Maradona, a bore’.

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