STUTTGART, Germany - The substitutes saved the day for Spain, carrying it
into the next round of the World Cup. (More stories, pictures and inside stuff )
Spain's Fernando
Torres, left, heading the ball with Tunisia's defender Karim Haggui,
center, while Tunisia's Radhi Jaidi, right, watches the scene during the
Spain v Tunisia Group H soccer match at the World Cup Gottlieb-Daimler
stadium in Stuttgart, Germany, Monday, June 19, 2006. The other teams in
Group H are Saudi Arabia and Ukraine.[AP] |
Trailing Tunisia by a goal at halftime, coach Luis Aragones brought in
Spain's all-time leading scorer, Raul Gonzalez, and Cesc Fabregas. And it paid
off bigtime in a 3-1 win Monday night.
Raul equalized when Tunisia goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel couldn't hold Fabregas'
shot, and the Arsenal youngster set up Fernando Torres for Spain's second goal
five minutes later. Torres finished it off on a penalty kick in the last minute.
"The way Cesc and Raul interpreted the football we had to deliver was
extraordinary. That's why our second half was better than the first," Aragones
said after Spain's advancement to the second round.
"We had a lot of opportunities, but we did become a bit nervous after their
goal."
Spain, undefeated in 24 games under Aragones, is emerging as a serious
candidate for the World Cup title after two straight wins and a goal difference
of 7-1. It's the Red Fury's best start to a World Cup.
Aragones fielded the same starting lineup that routed Ukraine 4-0 in Spain's
best World Cup opener. Then Tunisia stunned the Spaniards in the eighth minute
when Jawhar Menari scored.
Striker Ziad Jaziri set up the goal after winning a duel with Carles Puyol,
dribbling through three defenders in the box and lifting the ball to Menari. The
striker's first shot was blocked by Iker Casillas, but Menari put in the
rebound.
Spain pushed relentlessly for the equalizer and nearly got it before the
halftime whistle, but Tunisia's Anis Ayari stopped Xabi Alonso's header on the
goal line with his own defensive header.
Fabregas and Raul came on for Marcos Senna and Luis Garcia after the break,
and Joaquin Sanchez replaced David Villa 11 minutes into the second half.
The substitutes injected more firepower to Spain's attack, and Tunisia
finally caved in after Raul tied the score in the 71st.
"There are some days when every thing works for you, and today was one of
them," Fabregas said.
Tunisia coach Roger Lemerre said he was disappointed his team couldn't
withstand the Spanish pressure. Spain had 24 shots, 10 of them on goal, against
Tunisia's four. The Spaniards dominated possession and had 12 corner kicks.
"Just at the moment when Spain started to buckle we dropped our guard," said
Lemerre, who took the Tunisia job after being fired as France coach after the
2002 World Cup.
He will have to restore confidence in his squad to have any chance of beating
Ukraine to qualify for the second round. Tunisia, in its fourth World Cup, has
never advanced from the group stage.
"The decisive game will be against Ukraine and we will have to do a better
job to make it to the last 16," Lemerre said.
Goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel, who nearly saved Torres 90th-minute penalty kick,
said Spain's patience paid off.
"We weren't able to deal with the deep passes. They wore us down, technically
and mentally," he said. "We have to win the game against Ukraine at all cost."
