SOUTH AFRICA: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - WORLD CUP 2010: Spain in training as they prepare to face Paraguay

Record ID: 453212

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - WORLD CUP 2010: Spain in training as they prepare to face Paraguay
  • Date: 3rd July 2010
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF LOCAL FANS CHANTING IN STANDS
  • Embargoed: 18th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA1PQHQMONO3UGZNX5VRNSGJR9G
  • Story Text: Spain take to their training ground on the eve of their World Cup quarter-final face-off with Paraguay.
    Spain's national soccer team trained on Friday (July 2) at their training camp in Potchefstroom, South Africa, a day before they face Paraguay in their World Cup quarter-final.
    The European champions face Paraguay at Johannesburg's Ellis Park Stadium on Saturday (July 3) and have a strong chance of reaching only their second World Cup semi-final and the first for 60 years.
    Spain's 1-0 second round win over Portugal on Tuesday (June 29) was played in the Iberians inimitable style and was a display of patient, precise passing. It led to Spain's goal hero David Villa delivering his fourth goal of the tournament.
    Since the Portugal match, Villa has rallied behind Fernando Torres after the Liverpool striker delivered another lacklustre World Cup performance during Tuesday's win.
    Spain's passage into the last eight was only secured after Torres was replaced in the second half by burly Basque striker Fernando Llorente.
    Llorente succeeded in sowing chaos among the Portugal defence where Torres had failed and was involved in the move that led to Villa scoring the second-half goal that gave Spain the win over their European neighbours.
    Coach Vicente del Bosque has also kept faith with Torres, deploying him in attack with Villa from the start in Spain's last three matches in South Africa, after bringing him on as a substitute against Switzerland in their opening Group H game.
    The Liverpool striker has yet to repay that faith with a goal and Llorente's impressive contribution on Tuesday could prompt Del Bosque to reconsider his tactics.
    Del Bosque told a news conference after the Portugal match that he had withdrawn Torres because the striker was tired.
    The winner of Spain's match against Paraguay will take on the winners of the Argentina versus Germany quarter-final which is being played in Cape Town earlier on Saturday.
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