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2010 World Cup: Chile 1-2 Spain – Report

Angela Asante, June 25 2010,
Spain and Chile have completed the lineup for the 16 teams qualified for the knockout stages. La Furia Roja beat their counterparts 2-1 but Chile advanced as well since Switzerland could only draw against Honduras.

Spain vs Chile: Just The Right Result For Both

The fact that the score line was goalless inside the first 10 minutes wasn’t the issue. But knowing that Spain’s Fernando Torres and Chile’s Gonzalez had both wasted a glorious opportunity to put the ball at the back of the net was alarming – especially because of the importance of the game.

In general, Spain didn’t look invincible. It was amazing to see the Chileans forcing them to commit fouls and preventing them from pushing the game in the other half of the pitch. The Spanish are usually known to charm opponents with flawless, quick, short, through passes. But this didn’t work out on Friday night. At least, not until a miracle occurred midway through the first half: Spain’s Man of the Moment, David Villa, extraordinarily stunned Chile with one of the tournament’s best goal.

 

Fernando Torres, who was ineffective since the start of the game, was denied by Chile’s Bravo who had come out from his post to the touchline in the midfield. But when David Villa has the ball at his feet, something is always likely to happen. From 40 yards on the left hand side, the Spaniard volleyed the ball into an empty net. 1-0, at the disgust of some critics who wanted to see Villa suspended for his slap-on-the-mouth incident against Honduras.

Controversy followed when Spain doubled their lead through Andres Iniesta’s effortless low drive. Fernando Torres was seen moaning on the ground and the next thing that happened was the sending off of Chile’s Estrada. The referee explained that he had played the advantage after Torres went down just outside the D, but that it was time for him to make justice. In fact, camera replays exposed Torres as a pure diver or perhaps as a victim of muscular malfunction. The Liverpool number 9 had not even been touched before his melodramatic fall.

Chilean players surrounded the referee as they headed into the dressing rooms at half time. They just wanted to make the story clear but the referee and his officials were apparently not impressed. With a man down in the most controversial manner, and being two goals behind, how were the Chileans going to turn things around? At that point, only the 0-0 result between Switzerland and Honduras helped them to avoid the horror of crashing out despite having 6 points.

Now what about that? Millar directed a curling deflected shot past Iker Casillas to breathe hope and courage within the Chilean squad. 2-1, 47 minutes gone. Underperforming Torres went off for Cesc Fabregas. The striker was perhaps feeling the pressure following his humiliating dive which reduced Chile’s number on the field.

The Spanish managed to take hold of the game from there but their inefficiency in Chile’s 18-yard box kept the result at 2-1. That’s the way it remained until the end. Both teams qualified as Switzerland and Honduras could only play out a goalless draw.
 

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