With Torres and Villa on fire, Spain are set to make history with the longest unbeaten run as they face USA in Confed Cup semis tonight
With Torres and Villa on fire, Spain are set to make history with the longest unbeaten run as they face USA in Confed Cup semis tonight
In tonight's Confederations Cup first semi-final the odds are heavily stacked against USA a team, who have the uneviable task of trying to become the first side to beat European champions Spain since November 2006.
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Spain's forwards David Villa (left) and Fernando Torres during a training session in Bloemfontein, South Africa on Monday. pic/AFP |
If Spain avoid defeat, they will eclipse Brazil's 35-match unbeaten run, set between 1993 and 1996, to rewrite the history books for the second time in less than a week (See box).
Coach Vicente Del Bosque admits records are a motivating factor, but admits that at stake is more than that with a place in Sunday's final in Johannesburg against Brazil or hosts South Africa.
Spain boast of the twin strike force of Fernando Torres and David Villa a formidable proposition for any defence.
Both players are currently atop the list of goalscorers here with three strikes each. Torres scored a hat-trick in Spain's 5-0 demolition of New Zealand while Villa has put aside personal distractions regarding his on-off move away from Valencia to score in all three of Spain's matches so far.
Add into the mix players like Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Xabi Alonso, and Carlos Puyol and it is a titanic task for the US.
Torres said the side, which has yet to concede a goal here, was driven by setting records and winning their first FIFA trophy.
"Everyone will remember this team in the future and when we look back on it we will be even prouder," he said about their record-breaking run.
"But we don't want to stop here. We want to play the final and win it. We are ambitious and we are hungry."
Landon Donovan, David Beckham's teammate at LA Galaxy and the United States' all-time top scorer, concedes it won't be easy but remains optimistic, insisting stranger things have happened.
"It's not going to be easy," he said. "I don't think many teams go into a game against Spain thinking they'll win.
But we thought we were out of the competition 10 minutes after our second game here, so it just goes to show that soccer is a crazy game and anything can happen."
Confed Cup on TV
USA vs Spain, Ist semi-final,
11:55 pm, LIVE on ESPN
