Spain vs. Honduras: At World Cup, Spanish get back on track with win
JOHANNESBURG -- Spain couldn't afford any more missteps in this World Cup, not after dropping its debut match in spectacularly disappointing fashion. On Monday night at Ellis Park, a team desperate to remain in the Group H race and resurrect its championship aspirations performed with style and grace against badly overmatched Honduras.David Villa scored twice in the 2-0 victory, but Spain squandered numerous other opportunities. Villa, brilliant on the left side of the attack, should have had four goals. The misses could prove costly if the round-of-16 berths are decided by goal differential.
With the satisfactory result, Spain (1-1) moved into second place, three points behind group front-runner Chile (2-0), the Spaniards' opponent Friday in Pretoria. A victory in the finale by the reigning European champions would leave the teams even on points. Chile has a plus-two goal differential, Spain plus-one.
Chile (2-0) needs only a tie to win the group.
Switzerland, which stunned Spain in its opener and is even on goals, also remains in the running despite a 1-0 loss to Chile on Monday. The Swiss will close against Honduras (0-2).
The crowd was decidedly in Spain's favor, a sea of red and yellow that swamped pockets of Honduran blue.
Spain was without influential midfielder Andres Iniesta (thigh injury), though you hardly would have noticed. The ball was almost exclusively in Spain's possession, swinging from side to side, moving uninterrupted against an opponent that posed scant resistance and waited for scarce counterattacks.
Villa, among 10 starters from Spain's La Liga, crafted forays from the left side and targeted striker Fernando Torres in the penalty area.
With the ball in their custody for sometimes 10-plus touches at a time, Spain probed for the goal that surely would pull Honduras out of its shell and open the match.
Villa launched a 30-yarder off the crossbar and sent an angled shot badly wide.
Honduras's lone first-half threat -- and that is using the word generously -- came in the 17th minute when Walter Martinez's chip into the box was controlled by charging goalkeeper Iker Castillas an instant before David Suazo's arrival.
A minute had not passed before Spain went ahead on a marvelous goal by Villa. He surged between Amado Guevara and Sergio Mendoza, took on Osman Chavez, then cut the ball inside to set himself up for a sliding right-footed shot that bent just beyond goalkeeper Noel Valladares' reach and settled into the far side of the net.
Honduras was pinned in its end, laboring to link even two passes. Suazo, Honduras's most accomplished player whose European career has been slowed by injuries, was left to fend for himself at the top of the attack. Starved for service, he became obsolete.
Spain pushed for a second crippling goal, but Torres misplaced his header of Sergio Ramos's cross and missed high from 16 yards.
The beginning of the second half offered more Spanish elegance. Honduras was no match for the precision passing, timely runs and technical brilliance. In the 51st minute, Villa had ample time and space to fire from 20 yards. The ball caromed off the desperately lunging Chavez and floated over Valladares for a 2-0 lead.
Almost immediately, Ramos nearly expanded the lead, narrowly missing the right corner.
In the 62nd, Villa squandered his chance for the hat trick. After Jesus Navas was upended by Emilio Izaguirre in the box, Villa drove the penalty kick beyond the right post as Valladares dived the other way.
Seconds after entering for Xavi Hernandez, Cesc Fabregas rounded Valladares and had his shot cleared off the goal line by the retreating Chavez. Villa had another chance in the 87th, only to see a sliding Mendoza block the low bid from six yards
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