Recife: Spain has everything else, and now it seems to have a genuine striker - the one thing the World Cup champions have had trouble finding.
New No. 9 Roberto Soldado scored with a perfect finish in Spain's 2-1 victory over Uruguay in the Confederations Cup opener. The Valencia striker scored both goals in Spain's 2-0 victory over Ireland in a friendly last week, and now he's chalked up the deciding goal against Uruguay on the biggest stage of his career.
With the most powerful midfield in the world, Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has often played with a so-called "false No. 9," usually an attacking midfielder. This may be history with Soldado - which means "Soldier" in Spanish.
"First of all, to be among the 23 to be on the team is great," Soldado said after Sunday's victory. "But then to be a starter is a radical change. And then to score. Of course I'm happy." Soldado scored 24 goals in La Liga this season, surpassed only by the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Radamel Falcao and Alvaro Negredo....
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07:56 PM, Jun 17, 2013
Madrid: Malaga's Spain Under-21 playmaker Isco has confirmed that Real Madrid and Manchester City have made offers to sign him and said he will decide his future after Tuesday's European championships final against Italy. The 21-year-old midfielder, valued at around 20 million Euros, helped Malaga reach the last eight of the Champions League last season and has caught the eye with several scintillating performances at the Euro Under-21 tournament in...
07:14 PM, Jun 17, 2013
Revife: Spain coach Vicente del Bosque refused to be drawn on why he chose goalkeeper Iker Casillas in his starting line-up over Victor Valdez against Uruguay in their Confederations Cup opener. Casillas had not played a competitive match since January and many predicted Valdez would be first-choice in goal for La Roja's opening Confederations Cup Group B match, reports Xinhua. "I have seen it fit (to play Casillas)," Del Bosque...
01:11 PM, Jun 17, 2013
Recife, Brazil: The scoreline may suggest otherwise, but Spain cruised to an easy 2-1 victory over Uruguay in their Confederations Cup opener on Sunday, winning with first-half goals by Pedro and Roberto Soldado. Spain had a little luck with the first goal, which may have been heading wide when it took a huge deflection off Uruguay defender Diego Lugano to beat goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. The second was perfect finishing by...
06:08 AM, Jun 17, 2013
Recife, Brazil: Veteran midfielder Xavi said Spain will not accept anything less than victory at the Confederations Cup as the reigning World Cup champions begin their quest for the only major trophy that has eluded them. La Roja start their Group B campaign against Uruguay at the Arena Pernambucoon Sunday and Xavi says his team will not be short of motivation, reports Xinhua. "I'm not getting any younger and you...
12:27 PM, Jun 16, 2013
Rio de Janeiro: Spain forward Fernando Torres believes that under new Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, he will be able to rediscover the form that made him one of the world's most feared strikers. Mourinho has said Torres can still play an important role at the London club despite a disappointing run since he left Liverpool two-and-a-half years ago for a British record fee of 50 million pounds. Torres, who is...
07:45 PM, Jun 15, 2013
Recife: Victor Valdes refuses to say if he or Real Madrid's Iker Casillas will start Spain's game against Uruguay on Sunday but whether the Barcelona keeper plays or not, he is just delighted to be at the Confederations Cup. Valdes is one of seven Barca players out to complete an awesome full house of nine major tournament honours. Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Pedro and David Villa have...
09:35 AM, Jun 15, 2013
Recife: Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas feels the 2014 World Cup in Brazil would represent the end of an era for Spanish football. The 32-year-old, who captained Spain to victory at the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European championships, also revealed that next year's World Cup could be his international swansong, reports Xinhua. "After Brazil many of us will probably call it a day and make way...
01:04 PM, Jun 14, 2013
Rio de Janerio: On the field, the Confederations Cup can give Brazil's national team a major boost in their quest to win a sixth World Cup title next year. Off the field, the eight-team tournament will offer the first hints about where the country stands in their preparations for the main event in 2014. Brazil have won the last two Confederations Cup titles - in 2005 and 2009. And while...
12:52 PM, Jun 14, 2013
Madrid: Spain brought itself into line with international guidelines when its parliament approved a new anti-doping law on Thursday, saying it would boost Madrid's chances of hosting the 2020 Olympic Games. The 'law for the protection of athletes' health and the fight against doping' will come into effect within 20 days and meets recommendations made by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). "It strengthens the Madrid 2020 bid," Spain's secretary of...
10:43 PM, Jun 13, 2013
Madrid: If Vicente del Bosque had any doubts about the form of Spain captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas they were surely dispelled by his performance as a second-half substitute against Ireland in Tuesday's friendly in New York. The Real Madrid stopper came on for Barcelona's Victor Valdes with just over half an hour left at Yankee Stadium and conjured up two trademark reflex saves to deny the Irish an equaliser...
03:39 PM, Jun 12, 2013
Miami Gardens, Florida: Santiago Cazorla and Cesc Fabregas scored early as World Cup champion Spain beat Haiti 2-1 in a friendly on Saturday. Cazorla scored seven minutes into the match, dribbling toward his left and converting a 20-meter shot inside the right post. Fabregas' goal in the 18th came from heading in Juan Mata's pass before a crowd of 36,500. Haiti replied on Donald Wilde's goal in the 77th. Wilde...
09:46 AM, Jun 09, 2013
Madrid: Vicente del Bosque must fine-tune Spain's well-oiled winning machine to keep them fresh to defend their world title next year but without losing out on the one trophy that eludes them - the Confederations Cup. Spain won an unprecedented treble of back-to-back European crowns either side of the 2010 World Cup and as FIFA's top ranked team have probably been analysed more than any other side. The only blemish...
09:44 PM, Jun 07, 2013
Paris: Defending champion Rafael Nadal labelled the French Open schedule "a joke" and revealed he had struggled to motivate himself after reaching the third round with an unconvincing victory over Slovakian Martin Klizan on Friday. Nadal, seeking his eighth Roland Garros title, looked ill at ease against fellow left-hander Klizan before securing a 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-3 on a cool, blustery day in Paris. The 26-year-old had not struck a...
09:42 PM, May 31, 2013
Paris: Rafael Nadal came from behind for a second match in a row Friday at the French Open, surviving another shaky start to beat Martin Klizan 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. Entering the tournament, seven-time champion Nadal had lost only 14 sets in 53 matches at the French Open. Now he has lost the opening set in each of the first two rounds. Last year, Nadal dropped one set in the...
05:44 PM, May 31, 2013
Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian striker Neymar has agreed in principle to join Barcelona, July 1. The 21-year-old striker is understood to have signed a deal last week to join the Spanish giants following the Confederations Cup in Brazil, reports Xinhua. Neymar's current club Santos could ratify the deal on Wednesday. As anticipation surrounding the move intensified, Barcelona star Lionel Messi said Neymar would be a "wonderful signing" for the Catalan...
02:39 PM, May 22, 2013
Rio de Janeiro: Andres Iniesta says Spain cannot yet claim to be on the same pedestal as Brazil in football's international hierarchy. The Barcelona midfielder has been a key member of a Spain team that has won the two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup. Iniesta said Brazil had maintained a unique aura owing to the country's rich football history. "To have won five World Cups like Brazil has...
03:15 PM, May 21, 2013
Madrid: A historic jet plane crashed into a hangar and exploded in a fireball at an air show southwest of the capital on Sunday, severely injuring its pilot who later died in the hospital, officials said. A spokesman for Spain's Defense Ministry said the pilot, Ladislao Tejedor Romero, 35, an experienced jet pilot and assistant to Defense Minister Pedro Morenes, died of his injuries in the serious burns unit of...
09:00 AM, May 06, 2013
Barcelona: Rafael Nadal won the Barcelona Open for the eighth time on Sunday after seeing off Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 6-3 in the final. Almagro took it to Nadal early on and built a 3-0 lead, but Nadal found his form and broke his fellow Spaniard in three of his next four service games to take the initiative for good. It was Nadal's 54th career title and fourth this year, having...
09:25 PM, Apr 28, 2013
Barcelona: Seven-time winner Rafael Nadal advanced to the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open by beating Benoit Paire of France 7-6 (2), 6-2 on Friday. Paire broke Nadal's first service game, but when the fifth-ranked Spaniard found his rhythm he had little trouble extending his winning streak on the Real Club de Tenis' red clay to 36 straight matches. The match was originally scheduled for Thursday but was postponed due to...
05:01 PM, Apr 26, 2013
