 Fernando Morientes came off the bench to send Spain through to the last 16 of
the World Cup with two goals against Paraguay.
Morientes came on at half-time to grab his priceless haul - he also hit the
bar - with skipper Fernando Hierro adding the third from the spot.
Spain produced a complete turnaround on their first-half display, which had
seen Paraguay go in at the break deservedly ahead.
After getting the start they desperately wanted by beating Slovenia 3-1 in
Group B, Spain needed to build on that result.
But Paraguay had done their homework and the wily Italian coach, Cesare
Maldini, set up his team to exploit the slowness in Spain's defence and the gaps
created by Francisco De Pedro's left sided midfield assaults.
The Spanish defence found all sorts of problems confronting them down each
flank, particularly through the excellent Francisco Arce, whose only blot on an
impressive game was a booking for timewasting.
The goal Paraguay had been threatening from the off came on ten minutes. Ruben
Baraja was booked for a foul on Carlos Paredes, the Porto midfielder, and from
the free-kick the South Americans got their noses in front.
Veteran Strasbourg goalkeeper Jose Chilavert launched a long ball deep into
Spain's box, which was poorly headed out by Fernando Hierro. The ball dropped to
Arce who unleashed a low drive from the edge of the area which Spain keeper Iker
Casillas pushed out straight onto Carlos Puyol's feet and the ball rebounded in
off the luckless Barcelona defender for an own goal.
Juanfran did not cope with Arce at all well and plenty more crosses from that
right-hand position caused problems for Casillas.
Spain hit back when Puyol was played in down the right by Juan Valeron for a
cross-shot that flashed inches wide, and then Raul spun in the box to fire
narrowly over the bar.
Spain's defending was poor in the opening half, with Arce causing constant
damage and Jaunfran getting precious little covering support from De Pedro, who
was occupying the same attacking left sided role that made him man of the match
against the Slovenians.
Luis Enrique should have done better with a free header on the six-yard line
from a 26th-minute De Pedro corner as Spain pressed for an equaliser, and
Enrique then ran with great purpose at Paraguay's defence before feeding Diego
Tristan, who in turn clipped a pass to Raul, the striker spinning to fire wide
of a post.
Spain's defence is accepted as old and ponderous, and the quick moving South
Americans gave them plenty of troubles, Diego Gavilan - once of Newcastle - and
Bayern Munich's Roque Santa Cruz, who lashed another good chance into a defender
after a Jose Cardozo knockdown, could easily have stretched the lead.
Jose Camacho had to do something, and quickly, so two half-time substitutions
helped Spain regain control, with Morientes proving an inspired introduction.
The coach brought on Ivan Helguera and Morientes for Tristan and Enrique to
give both midfield and attack more fire.
And it worked with one of the two Real Madrid newboys grabbing at 52nd-minute
equaliser.
De Pedro's corner was met with a towering header from Morientes, climbing
above a host of friends and foe, to power the ball past Chilavert.
Paraguay now found themselves defending, and Gavilan was booked for hauling
back Juanfran on the hour.
On 62 minutes Spain almost grabbed the lead when De Pedro played a neat
through ball for Morientes, who lifted his shot onto the bar.
But the Spanish were ahead on 68 minutes when De Pedro crossed from the left
again, Chilavert made a real hash of taking the cross as Raul rushed in, and the
ball sailed on to hit Morientes and bounce into the net.
And it was settled on 81 minutes when Raul was pulled down in the box by
Parades and Hierro stepped up to drill home the penalty, equalling the Spanish
goalscoring record in World Cup finals - his fifth.
Spain
Iker Casillas, Carles Puyol, Miguel Angel Nadal, Fernando Hierro, Juanfran, Ruben Baraja, Luis Enrique (Ivan Helguera 45), Juan Carlos Valeron (Xavi 85), Javi De Pedro, Diego Tristan (Fernando Morientes 45), Raul.
Goals: Morientes 53, 69, Hierro 83 pen.
Paraguay
Jose Luis Chilavert, Francisco Arce, Carlos Gamarra, Celso Ayala, Julio Cesar Caceres, Denis Caniza (Estanislao Struway 78), Carlos Paredes, Diego Gavilan, Roberto Acuna, Jose Cardozo (Jorge Campos 63), Roque Santa Cruz.
Goals: Puyol 10 og.
Attendance: 24,000 |
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