Goals: Spain—Villa 36’ Torres 69’ Mata 82’
Recap: Spain managed to save face on Monday, defeating Australia 3-0 before gracefully bowing out of the 2014 World Cup.
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Playing his first minutes of the tournament, David Villa opened the affair with a world-class backheel in the 36th minute. The defending champions would enter the half with a 1-0 lead. Francisco Torres doubled the advantage after the break, polishing off Andres Iniesta’s through-ball (69'). Juan Mata sealed the victory just 13 minutes later.
The result brings an end to Spain’s 2014 World Cup campaign on a high note.
Key Moment: Sometimes the key moments happen before the match. That was the case this afternoon when del Bosque opted for Villa’s inclusion in the starting XI. The 32-year-old proved to be a natural fit for Spain, providing La Roja a more potent attack.
Man of the Match: He announced his retirement from international football before the match. Ending your national team career with an opening goal is the only way to go. The award belongs to David Villa.
Lesson Learned: Vicente del Bosque rushed the inclusion of Diego Costa. The 25-year-old was already suffering from a nagging hamstring injury that forced him out of the UEFA Champions League final. His inability to fit the mold of this Spanish generation didn’t help matters, either. Villa is nowhere near the player he was in 2010, but with Spain facing elimination in Group B, some minutes for the team’s all-time leading scorer should’ve been an option. Unfortunately, it’s too late for that lesson to be learned.
Up Next: Spain returns home to begin preparations for the 2016 European Cup, while Australia begins to look forward to the 2015 Asian Cup.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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