Holidays for the National Team. Fernando Torres and the rest of the international players will start their summer holidays satisfied with the work done. The tour across United States and Venezuela ended with a high qualification for the Red Fury, after wining in Puerto de la Cruz the ‘red wine’ team with a convincing victory by 0-3. Unlike the previous clash in Boston (0-4), this time Vicente del Bosque’s team had to resort to their technique and power to stop the hard game of the Venezuelan and take advantage of the set pieces. That’s how the goals came, the first and third one of Villa and Xabi Alonso, a vein for the Spanish strikers who took advantage of the goalkeeper’s weakness. Pedro scored the other goal with the quality of his left foot after a good move with David Villa.
Pedro was at Vicente del Bosque’s starting eleven and played the whole match, given that he was one of the players who didn’t played in Boston. A real stylus on the touchlines, with his lively and incisive game he created serious problem for the defense combining with David Villa and Iniesta. That’s how his goal came, the second of the evening, after a good move with Villa that allowed him to have enough space in the Venezuelan area. He shot with the left foot and the ball bounced in a defender before getting into the rival’s goal to certify the Spanish leadership.
Fernando Torres came onto the pitch at the 62’, substituting Fernando Llorente, to add up his 86th match with the national team. The Chelsea’s striker, who closed Boston’s trash, was placed at the centre of the attacking line where he resort to his pace and capacity to slip his markers, although in the 28 minutes he was playing he wasn’t able to increase his international scoring account, that is now in 27 goals, the fourth top scorer of the history of the Spanish National team. After the American tour with the national team, Fernando Torres ends the season 2010/11 and starts his holiday period. He will return to work in July to perform his first pre-season with Chelsea.
- Brutal accuracy of the Spaniards
The Red Fury couldn’t wait more than just five minutes to score. Against the impulsive starting of the Venezuelan team, focused on the pressure and the paced and improvised game, Villa took advantage of a set piece to score at the fourth minute. The player from Asturias surprised everyone with a powerful free kick with the right leg, a real shell that went directly into the goal. You should have seen the faces of the ‘red wines’ after seeing that the World Champions were ahead in the scoreboard with a brutal shot despite their efforts to lead the match. González tried to beat Valdés twice, but he couldn’t find the goal. Maldonado was more accurate, but the Spanish goalkeeper cleared the ball.
The goal spurred on even more the local team, tough at the pressure, even bordering the limit of the regulations. The strain was increased on the pitch, over all because the toughness of the Venezuelan in some moves that made feelings start to run high. But Spain answered with his own language, the football language, and with their favourite word: the goal. It was Pedro, the Barcelona winger, who created a move together with Villa to end it shooting crossed with his left leg. The Canary player was accurate, and also showed again his great quality when shooting with both legs.
The game continued the same, with Spain betting on the good football as the way to success against a rival more focused on charging than on playing. Xavi Alonso and Busquets were handling the situation, while behind Marchena and Albiol protected jealousy Valdés door. And after the half time, to repeat the script of some days before in Boston, the third came. Again at a set piece. Xabi Alonso shot from a distance and again the local goalkeeper showed his weakness to stop this kind of balls.
- Venezuela couldn’t open their scoreboard
In the second half Spain refreshed the team with the incorporation of Silva, Cazorla and the debutant, Manu del Moral, substituting Xabi Alonso, Iniesta and David Villa. To start Spain kept a controlled pace, so the players didn’t wear out, against a nervous Venezuela that was pushing with decision and power. A slightly deflected shot from Moreno was the warning to avoid a possible defensive relaxing of the Red Fury. And more changes at the 62’. Fernando Torres and Capdevila substituted Llorente and Arbeloa respectively.
The time passed by while on the pitch the quality of the Spanish game clashed with the impulsive local game. Pedro made some great moves, giving a lesson about how to play the ball, while the strikers continued trying to shot from the distance. Cazorla and Torres tried it without good luck, while at Valdés’ goal we couldn’t also see some danger with the left footed shots of Arango and Rincón. The deep red was the most present colour in this area in the second half, but the clearest opportunity was for Fernando Torres, who shot high at a one versus one after a good pass from Cazorla. At the final minutes of the match the attacking initiative was for Venezuela, focused on not to leave his box in zero, a task they couldn’t fulfil when Casillas, who substituted Valdés, cleared a last shot from González.
- Match stats:
Venezuela: Vega; Rosales (A. González 90’), F. Lucena, G. Perozo, Cichero; C. González (Meza 64’), L. Seijas (Di Giorgi 46’), Rincón, Y. Orozco (Arango 46’); Maldonado (Micu 46’), Moreno (Guerra 72’).
Spain: Valdés (Casillas 89’); Iraola, Marchena, Albiol, Arbeloa (Capdevila 62’); Xabi Alonso (Silva 46’), Busquets, Iniesta (Cazorla 46’); Pedro, Llorente (Torres 62’), Villa (Manu del Moral 46’).
Yellow cards: Cichero 08’, Lucena 10’, Marchena 68’,
Goals:
0-1 (05’) Villa, from a free kick with the leg foot from the line of the area.
0-2 (20’) Pedro, from a crossed shot with the leg foot after a move with Villa.
0-3 (45’) Xabi Alonso shoots with the right foot a free kick from the line of the area.
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