Striker Fernando Torres returned from injury as a substitute and scored for Spain in a 6-0 rout of Poland, their final World Cup warm-up match on Tuesday.
The forward came on for David Villa after 66 minutes, making his first appearance since having knee surgery in April, and netted the side’s fifth goal 10 minutes later.
He was the only member of Vicente del Bosque’s 23-man squad who had yet to feature after warm-up wins over Saudi Arabia and South Korea in Austria.
PHOTO: AFP
The European champions had failed to impress in either of those games, but were back to their best on home turf with Villa, David Silva, Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas and Pedro adding the other goals.
The only concern for Del Bosque was midfielder Andres Iniesta, who asked to be substituted just before the break with a thigh muscle strain.
With a starting 11 that looked much like their strongest lineup, Spain raced into the lead, Iniesta crossing for Villa to put away with the defender’s help, as they slid in at the back post after 12 minutes.
Villa’s 38th goal for Spain, which leaves him just six short of record holder Raul, rocked the Poles and they quickly conceded a second.
Iniesta was stationary and surrounded by defenders when he spotted Barcelona teammate Xavi’s run into the area and lifted the ball over the defense. Xavi squared first time for Silva, who slotted the ball home.
Poland forced Iker Casillas into a one-handed save, but there was little else for the Spanish captain to do.
Alonso’s long-range shot deflected in after 51 minutes and substitute Fabregas scored with almost his first touch in the 58th minute after running onto an Alonso through-ball.
Torres was given a rousing reception when he ran on and crowned his comeback with a goal, a first-time shot from Pedro’s low cross after a trademark Spanish passing move.
Torres raced into the area in the 81st minute and when the ball broke free after the Polish keeper saved, Pedro lobbed a sixth.
■PORTUGAL 3, MOZAMBIQUE 0
REUTERS, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
Portugal winger Danny took full advantage of the opportunity presented by an injury to Nani on Tuesday with a goal and an assist in his team’s 3-0 win over Mozambique in their final World Cup warm-up match.
Nani was ruled out of the tournament earlier in the day because of a shoulder injury that he sustained in training in Portugal after falling while attempting an acrobatic shot.
Possibly as a result, Queiroz chose the safe option against Mozambique and started Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench.
The 28,000-strong crowd at the Wanderers were disappointed not to see the world’s most expensive player start and made the stands shake when he finally came on in the 62nd minute.
Danny was the liveliest Portuguese player from the start, linking up well with Deco and Simao as Portugal missed a host of chances. It was the African team, however, who came closest to scoring, when midfielder Hagy fired a thunderous long-range shot that crashed against Eduardo’s post on 40 minutes.
The Portuguese took control in the second half, with Danny sidestepping goalkeeper Otshudi Lama after a Deco through-ball to score on 52 minutes. The Zenit player turned provider in the 75th minute, making a fine assist for substitute Hugo Almeida to tap in.
Ronaldo’s main contribution to the match came in the 83rd minute, when his powerful drive was parried by Lama straight to Almeida, who scored his second with another simple finish.
■IVORY COAST 1, LAUSANNE 1
AFP, NYON, SWITZERLAND
Injured Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba stayed out of the public eye on Tuesday as his teammates missed a host of chances in a 1-1 World Cup warm-up draw against Swiss second division club Lausanne.
Drogba, who fractured a forearm in a warm-up match against Japan last Friday, was not seen during the game at Colovray Stadium in Nyon, Switzerland.
The Ivory Coast soccer federation had signaled more than day ago that the Chelsea player was expected to follow the squad from the touchline, after an operation in a hospital in Bern on Saturday.
Lausanne went ahead completely against the run of play in the first half with a low header by defender Guillaume Katz, in one of their only chances in 90 minutes.
Ivory Coast kept the bulk of possession in a slow-paced game the day before the squad is to fly out to South Africa after a two-week training camp in the Swiss Alps.
Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson fielded all his remaining strikers in the match in Drogba’s absence, but the West Africans were defeated by wayward finishing and last-ditch blocks, despite at least half a dozen clear chances.
Ivory Coast suffered from the lack of a clear pointman until Lille’s Gervinho spared his side some blushes.
Ivorian spokesman Ouattara Hegaud said on Monday that no decision has yet been taken on 32-year-old Drogba’s fitness for the World Cup.
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