 |
|
||
 |
|||
 |
 |
 |
   |  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 Juanito header sees Spain come top
 Juanito's bullet header extended Spain's unbeaten run to 25 matches. SPECIAL REPORT
• Special: World Cup 2006
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany -- Defender Juanito's 36th minute goal ensured that Spain moved into the last 16 as winners of Group H with a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in Kaiserslautern. Having already qualified for the knockout stages, Spain fielded a second string side against the Saudis, who needed to win to have any chance of qualifying. Juanito sent a bullet header past keeper Mabrouk Zaid after Jose Antonio Reyes whipped in a free kick from the left. The victory extended Spain's unbeaten run to 25 games and meant they finished the group stage with a maximum nine points for the second World Cup in a row. They will meet either Switzerland, South Korea or France in the last 16 in Hanover on Tuesday. It was a disappointing end to the tournament for Saudi Arabia, who go home with just a point after surrendering the lead to draw 2-2 in their opening match against Tunisia and then imploding to a 4-0 defeat against Ukraine. The Spain substitutes quickly settled into their usual fluent passing game and although they did little to trouble the Saudi defense in the first quarter of an hour, they warmed to the task as the half wore on. Live-wire winger Joaquin went close with a dipping shot and midfielder David Albelda had a fierce drive turned past the post by Zaid after a gleaming passing move involving Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas just before the half hour. Six minutes later Juanito put Spain into the lead with his header and Reyes went close to extending his side's lead with a sharp volley just before the break. Coach Luis Aragones replaced captain Raul with David Villa at halftime and gave leading scorer Fernando Torres a run out for the final 20 minutes, but with Spain happy to sit on their lead it was Saudi Arabia who made much of the running in the second period. Defender Hussein Sulaimani twice forced Santiago Canizares to make sharp saves midway through the half and substitute Nawaf Al Temyat caused problems for the back four with some neat runs into the area. Goalscorer Juanito said the game was valuable experience for the fringe players in the squad. "The game didn't have a lot of importance because we had already qualified but it was a chance for the other players to impress," he told Spanish radio. Coach Luis Aragones fielded an entirely new team for Spain's final Group H match. "We all did the best we could and I was pleased with my performance because it isn't every day you can score a goal in a World Cup," added Juanito. "We played well enough in the first half but lost too many balls too easily in the second when we took it a little easy. "But they were not easy opponents. They made it difficult for us. "I don't care who we get in the next round, though France are clearly the strongest side we can come up against," said Juanito. "It's one more little step to (the final) in Berlin. We'll see how it goes." One of the fringe players given a chance on Friday was striker Jose Antonio Reyes. "It was my first match today," said Reyes. "I was quite happy. I think I did a good job. We won and that's the important thing. "I think people can expect a lot more from us. This is just the beginning. This was just our start." 
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
| © 2007 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us. Site Map. |
|
External sites open in new window; not endorsed by CNN.com
Pay service with live and archived video. 
