Coach del Bosque hails striker for putting transfer saga behind and scoring for Spain
Coach del Bosque hails striker for putting transfer saga behind and scoring for Spain
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has praised striker David Villa, who has put aside personal distractions regarding his on-off move from Valencia to score in all three of Spain's Confederations Cup matches so far.
The goals have earned Villa second place in Spain's all-time record goalscoring list with 31 strikes 13 fewer than leader Raul. Villa's goals have come in just 47 appearances though, compared to 102 for Real Madrid veteran Raul, and Del Bosque believes it is only a matter of time before the 27-year-old takes over top spot.
"I think Villa will score more goals than Raul in the national team, but many records will go as well. Raul, who has been an example, has played 102 matches with Spain and soon other players will overhaul that number," said Del Bosque, referring to the likes of Iker Casillas, Carles Puyol and Xavi, who are all closing in on 100 appearances for Spain.
Spain's 2-0 victory over South Africa on Sunday earned them a record-breaking 15th successive international win, while the result also saw them equal Brazil's world-leading run of 35 games unbeaten, set between 1993 and 1996.
The Spaniards now play USA tomorrow in the semi-finals, where they can eclipse Brazil's 35-match unbeaten run if they avoid defeat.
Del Bosque was wary of the "well organised" Americans. "They are fast, well organised, and they will come into the match with plenty of desire," he said.
