Spain Outclass England

Spain 2-0 England

There is arguably no shame in being beaten by the Euro 2008 winners, but this match was a bit of a one sided affair. If England eventually meet the same opposition in the 2010 World Cup, their aims might be quickly extinguished. It is true that England were without such stalwarts as Gerrard, Rooney, and Walcott, but that is a situation that could befall any side. In the big competitions you need to have more than a handful of players who can do the business.

On the plus side, this was England's first defeat in nine games, but it will remind all concerned that there is much work to do, and no room for complacency. The Spanish team remain a power to be reckoned with, and the way they move the ball is a pleasure to watch. They are totally unafraid of passing the ball to players who are tightly marked, demonstrating their justified belief in their own technical ability.

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There is an element of luck in any game, and if Agbonlahor's volley had put England in front early in the game, it might have instilled a measure of confidence. As it happened it was just wide, and their position wasn't helped when Heskey was fouled when he in a good scoring position.

If England started off best, their early promise soon evaporated, as Spain confidently took command. They kept possession passing the ball from man to man, and there was precious little the visitors could do about it. In the 36th minute, Euro Golden Boot winner, Villa, put his side in front with an exquisite piece of football. He danced past Jagielka and Terry, before placing the ball past James in the coolest manner possible.

Spain's continuing attacks only served to show that England are a bit lacking in this respect. The midfield too seemed to be controlled by Spain and England's first half goalkeeper James was having a bit of an off day.

Capello introduced five substitutes at half time, including the redoubtable Frank Lampard, and crowd favourite David Beckham, celebrating a record 108 midfield caps, only equalled by the great Bobby Moore. It is not difficult to see why Beckham still represents his country. His accurate passes are something that many of his team-mates should learn from, because you can't score unless the ball is in the right place! He set up Wright-Phillips and Reina needed two attempts to keep him out.

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Eight minutes before time Llorente headed home a second to make Spain's lead unassailable. The game was essentially good spirited but Beckham received a yellow card for dissent just before the end. He was being a bit churlish but there is no doubt that he likes to win, and for all of his thirty-three years, he played at least as well as others in the team.

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Spain 2-0 England
soccer and football
Spain 2-0 England