Portugal vs Spain Preview Cristiano Ronaldo David Villa head to head : World Cup 2010 Round of 16
It’s time for the most eagerly awaited match in the round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup 2010, as European champions Spain take on Portugal. The two European powerhouses are sure to give the crowd their money’s worth; with an array of superstars on both teams, it sure is going to be an enthralling encounter at the Green Point Stadium.
Spain were tipped as one of the firm favourites to win the World Cup, especially after their European triumph, but the start was less than ideal for them. A shock defeat in the first group game against Switzerland was a real kick on the backside for the team, who looked to be taking their campaign a bit too lightly. Coach Vicente Del Bosque promised a much better showing in the 2nd match, and that is exactly what they did. A 2 nil demolition of Honduras once again showed what they have to offer; their ace man Villa was firing all cylinders, while Torres, after an injury lay-off, still looked like he was feeling his way back in the team. Next up was the match against flamboyant South American team Chile. The performance levels did not drop for Spain and even though Chile did offer some stern resistance, the Spanish quality prevailed with a 2-1 win, sealing their place in the final 16.
As for Portugal, it was pretty much the same story. Although they did not lose the first match, but a goalless draw against Ivory Coast was a less than impressive start. However, the 2nd game was when they really came to the party. A 7 nil drubbing of North Korea firmly announced their challenge for the World Cup. Then came the big one for them: the final game of the group stages against Brazil. That match, however, eventually turned out to be an anticlimax. Although they dominated the 5 time world champions for most part of the match, it still ended in a nil-nil stalemate.
Spain do not have too many injury worries and have a full squad to choose from. Barcelona’s latest signing David Villa has already scored 3 goals in the World Cup and looks at the top of his game, while his strike partner Torres, who missed the end of the English football season with Liverpool due to an injury, is still not at his best and may start from the bench. One timely recovery for Spain was Iniesta who finally is match fit and played a fantastic game against Chile, also getting himself on the score sheet with a calm finish from the edge of the box. Iniesta has been a key player for his club Barcelona; his inventive passes at the centre of the field will be crucial for front men to feed upon. Xavi, another midfield maestro from Barcelona, can prove to be a headache for Portugal. Xavi controls the game from midfield with immense control and domination, and his partner in the centre, Alonso, is equally effective but is more of an attacking midfielder, which makes them a perfect duo.
Portugal, who had several players on the score sheet against North Korea, will still be most dependent on their captain Cristiano Ronaldo. The Real Madrid man has thus far not been able to bring the same game to international level that he had shown for a number of years at Manchester United, and in the season gone by at Real Madrid. Regardless of that, Spain will be heavily marking the winger, making sure he does not get any space to make his trademark runs. Simao is another man at the heart of all attacks for Portugal. The midfielder makes darting runs down the wings, and his constant balls in the box are a threat to any defence. Upfront, Almeida, who got only a substitute appearance against North Korea and also scored, may get a start, while Danny was impressive against Brazil without scoring a goal.
So there you have it; the stage is all set for a mouth-watering encounter. It is a pity that these two teams play each other at this stage which would result in one of them going home. But make no mistake, whoever is left standing after the dust settles will have a great chance of making it to the semi-finals, as the winner would play the team that comes out on top in the Paraguay and Japan match.
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