Spain were in complete control at the Maracana, demolishing Tahiti 10-0 on Thursday to book their place in the Confederations Cup semi-finals. With the world’s top ranked team facing off against a side 137 places lower, pre-match predictions heralded a double digit scoreline, andla Roja did not disappoint, with Fernando Torres scoring four times, and David Villa adding a hat trick of his own.
The Chelsea striker struck either side of a David Silva effort, before Villa added Spain’s fourth just before the break to give Spain a 4-0 half-time lead.Spain’s record goalscorer would add his 55th and 56th international goals in the second half, alongside a Juan Mata piledriver and another pair of efforts from Torres, who also missed a penalty, before Silva added the tenth goal a minute from time.
The result sees Spain join Italy and Brazil in the last four, while Tahiti are all but eliminated, needing a result beyond the realms of speculation against uruguay in their final game to erase their negative-15 goal difference. Vicente del Bosque put out a completely different team to the one that beat Uruguay 2-1 on Sunday, as Javi Martinez, Santi Cazorla and Mata were all handed starts after appearing as substitutes at the Itaipava Arena Pernambuco.It did not take Spain long to get the ball rolling, but Tahiti keeper Mickael Roche will no doubt be disappointed at the ease with which he let Torres’ shot slip past his grasp at the near post.
Torres had a chance to make it 2-0 five minutes later, but he opted, and failed, to lob the keeper, when Villa was in acres of space waiting for the tap in.Certainly, the vast majority of the fans inside the Maracana were behind the minnows from French Polynesia, with every incursion past the halfway line greeted with a deafening roar.But such forays were few and far between, as Spain continued to dominate proceedings despite rarely playing above a leisurely pace.
The stadium was brought to their feet once again after a barnstorming run from Steevy Chong Hue was halted by a cynical Raul Albiol challenge, but Marama Vahirua could not get the free kick past the wall.Jonathan Tehau blocked on the line from Juan Mata, and Roche was again able to tip away from Cazorla as the second Spain goal loomed large, and duly arrived on the half hour mark when Villa slipped in Silva behind the fullback for an easy finish.And moments later, Torres made it 3-0 after breaking the offside trap, rounding Roche and prodding home.
Villa nearly added a fourth 38 minutes in when he blasted into the side netting at the far post, but the Barca striker would make no mistake seconds later, sliding into an empty net after Spain overloaded on a five on one break. [Goal]
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