JOHANNESBURG // Spain rediscovered their panache last night, consigning the doubts created by their losing start at the World Cup to the backs of their minds. They also reduced some of the damage their earlier 1-0 setback against Switzerland might have inflicted. By beating Honduras by a margin of more than one goal, Spain guaranteed that any victory over Chile on Friday will put them in the next round.
Two strikes from the prolific David Villa, his 41st and 42nd goals in 59 internationals, settled the outcome, and he should have had more, because he missed a second-half penalty. But Spain will be most reassured that their dominance of possession, and their flair, produced a handsome win, not just aesthetic plaudits. They broke from midfield with far more zest than they had done in their first game.
Spain arrived having suffered some brickbats after their surprise defeat to Switzerland. Here in Johannesburg, they were just greeted by bats. Hundreds of them swooped and fluttered above the stadium, slightly spookily but entirely harmlessly. Milder temperatures than the recent chilly spell may have encouraged them. The Spanish warmed up swiftly too. Vicente Del Bosque had selected a line-up altered from that which had lost to the Swiss, and the changes were designed to yield goals: Fernando Torres in from the start; Jesus Navas, the nippy Sevilla winger in place of Andres Iniesta on the right of midfield.
The aim was penetrative width and after Navas and Villa both found themselves in positions to launch crosses from close to the by-line, the match bode well for Spain. Navas centred too close to goalkeeper Noel Valladares, while Torres, meeting Villa's cross, made too weak a connection with his volley. But within the first ten minutes Villa had also struck a longer-range drive against the Honduran crossbar.
Another change from Spain's disappointing opening fixture was also apparent. Goalkeeper Iker Casillas had shaved off his beard. Casillas has been subjected to unusual criticism in recent months for the sharpness of his goalkeeping. He needed to be resourceful to clear, with his feet, a cross that bounced just in front of him from Walter Martinez and he was quick to advance to David Suazo as the Honduran striker chased a long pass over the top of the Spain defence.
Honduras fell behind soon after providing themselves with those hints of optimism. The goal exhibited Villa at his most virtuoso. Receiving a long, crossfield pass from Gerard Pique, Villa checked inside his first challenger, slipped beyond another, slalomed past a third, Osman Chavez and, though losing his balance, drove the ball forcefully past the reaching left hand of Valladares. Exemplary work, and Torres must have wished he could follow the example when he fluffed two good chances, a header that bounced over the bar and a shot that flew high enough over the goal to bother the colony of bats.
Less exemplary from Villa was a petulant slap aimed in the face of Emilio Izaguirre. The striker escaped punishment. Nine minutes after the incident, and just after the resumption, Villa scored his second, after Navas cut back a cross to the edge of the penalty area and the striker arched it over Valladares. Spain strung together some fluid, dashing moves from then on. They might indeed have accumulated a scoreline close to that achieved by Portugal earlier in the day against North Korea. They should certainly have scored their third after 61 minutes when Navas was tripped in the penalty area by Izaguirre. That gave Villa the first of his chances for a hat-trick but he directed his penalty kick badly wide. sports@thenational.ae Man of the match David Villa (Spain)
