SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Spain return to training ground after Paraguay defeat secures them a place in the semi-finals

Record ID: 453861

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Spain return to training ground after Paraguay defeat secures them a place in the semi-finals
  • Date: 5th July 2010
  • Summary: POTCHEFSTROOM, SOUTH AFRICA (JULY 4, 2010) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) CROWD GATHERED TO WATCH SPAIN TRAINING PLAYERS ON TRAINING GROUND SPAIN COACH DEL BOSQUE ON TRAINING GROUND VARIOUS OF PLAYERS KICKING BALLS AROUND ON TRAINING GROUND DEL BOSQUE WATCHING DEFENDER CARLOS MARCHENA TRAINING PLAYERS, INCLUDING MIDFIELDER DAVID SILVA, TRAINING LOCAL FANS WATCHING VARIOUS OF PLAYERS PASSING THE BALL TO EACH OTHER GOALKEEPERS JOSE MANUEL REINA AND VICTOR VALDES TRAINING STRIKER FERNANDO LLORENTE TRAINING GOALKEEPER IKER CASILLAS TRAINING VARIOUS OF PLAYERS TAKING SHOTS AT GOAL DEL BOSQUE TRAINING MORE OF PLAYERS TAKING SHOTS AT GOAL LOCAL FANS IN STANDS AT TRAINING GROUND MORE OF TRAINING SESSION
  • Embargoed: 20th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA6U6GYQV1UTHIN60U6EIRXH40W
  • Story Text: Spain's national soccer team returned to their training ground on Sunday (July 4) in Potchefstroom, South Africa, after ousting Paraguay from the World Cup in a 1-0 victory the day before.
    Spain were forced to work harder than expected to beat Paraguay on Saturday (July3) as they reached the last four at the World Cup for the first time since 1950 in a dramatic match in which both sides missed a penalty. And it was noticable that those training were mostly players not involved in regular first team action.
    The quarter-final at Ellis Park exploded into life in the second-half with both goalkeepers saving spot kicks before Spain striker David Villa pounced in the 83rd minute to keep his team in with a chance of lifting the trophy for the first time.
    Villa is now the tournament's top scorer with five goals.
    Though Spain probed and prodded Paraguay throughout, they lacked fluency in their passing and precision in crossing.
    The result means that despite a fantastic start to the tournament by South American teams, Europe now has three countries in the semi-finals -- Spain, Germany and Netherlands -- to South America's one representative, Uruguay.
    Spain should be wary of Germany, who thrashed Diego Maradona's Argentina 4-0 in Saturday's first quarter-final after dispatching England 4-1 in the previous round.
    Spain play Germany in Durban on Wednesday (July 7) after Uruguay meet Netherlands in the first semi-final in Cape Town on Tuesday (July 6).
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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