He has been highly criticized for his inability to get a single goal in the tournament, despite appearing in most of Spain’s games. He was dropped in the semifinals against Germany subsequent to his long-term unimpressive performance; but he might appear again in the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands on the night of July 11.
David Villa vs Fernando Torres – Spain – 2010 World Cup
If this is the case, he will be playing alongside David Villa, the man who is said to be Spain’s commandant in the contest. Villa, (already lucky to have a side favored by referees in South Africa), scored vital goals against Honduras, Chile, Portugal, and Paraguay. He has wholly overshadowed a goalless Fernando Torres, and this does not seem to bother Coach del Bosque, who can only be worried by his team’s failure to take the maximum out of their chances.
Should he start against Holland, he will have to prove his worth, and the best way in which he could make such an achievement is by repeating his attainment in the 2008 UEFA Euro Championship final against Germany. Torres was also insulted in that tournament after he failed to live up to expectations, but finally, his winning goal in the final was enough for him to regain his reputation, and he even turned into a Ballon d’Or nominee afterward.
Coach del Bosque should be more than careful – Fernando Torres to start?
Since the Liverpool player Torres might be targeting an individual attainment for his own sake, it will be up to his mates and superiors to remind him of the consequences that selfishness on the pitch can bring. Really, selfishness on the field is not usually Torres’ problem, but still, excessive desire to convince his fans upon his loyalty and love for the Spanish national team could hurt the whole country.
Due to this complication which is likely to stain Spain’s final, Coach del Bosque will have to make careful decisions. It was openly visible that Torres was not happy while sitting on the bench against Germany, but doing what is best to be the best is the only thing that matters in historical moments such as the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa competition.
Fernando Torres Statistics – 2010 World Cup
Penalties scored: 0
Goals: 0
Shots on target: 2
Shots outside penalty area: 3
Shots blocked: 2
Shots in penalty area: 10
Total number of shots: 13
Yellow cards: 0
Red cards: 0
Fouls suffered: 2
Short passes: 16
Medium passes: 40
Long passes: 8
General passes completion rate: 48%
