Soprts News (30.06.2010)

Villa strike puts Spain into quarter-finals CAPE TOWN: Red-hot David Villa scored his fourth goal of the World Cup to fire European champions Spain past Iberian arch-rivals Portugal 1-0 on Tuesday and into quarter-final clash against Paraguay. The Barcelona striker pounced in the 63rd minute of an absorbing encounter that saw plenty of chances and Portugal's Ricardo Costa sent off, chipping a rebound over goalkeeper Eduardo after his first shot was saved. It was enough to put Spain into a last eight showdown on Saturday against the South Americans, who crushed Japanese hopes in a dramatic 5-3 penalty shoot-out earlier in the day. Whoever gets through that match has either Argentina or Germany awaiting them in the semi-finals. Villa refused to see Spain as clear favourites against the Paraguayans. "I am very happy tonight, although there are two favourites for the quarters. However, I am confident we can come through," he said. Spanish coach Vicente Del Bosque insisted his side had shown their toughness - and insisted that Fernando Torres - currently in Villa's shadow and substituted in the second half - had done his bit as Spain seek to land the trophy for the first time. "We have now seen that we can also win the tough games. Fernando worked hard and we all have over the past month. Our confidence is rising and we want to make history. Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz admitted: "Spain had the better chances and I think, sadly, they deserved to win." In a stadium packed to the rafters with Spanish and Portuguese fans, Spain quickly signalled their intentions with Torres testing Eduardo with a shot from the edge of the box in the opening minute. The goalkeeper did well to fist it away and he was in action again soon after with Villa cutting in from the left and fizzing a shot on target. Portugal were all over the place and Villa rifled another goal-bound in the sixth minute, with Eduardo palming it to safety as he again came to the rescue. It was impressive stuff from Spain, who were playing the slick passing game they are so good at. Portugal's record of not conceding a goal in South Africa was looking decidedly shaky and Xavi troubled them again by turning and whipping a shot over the bar from a quickly taken corner. After weathering the early storm, Portugal finally got a look in when Tiago blasted a shot from distance, with Iker Casillas pushing the ball in the air and then having to scramble it to safety as Hugo Almeida challenged him. Another chance presented itself when Cristiano Ronaldo teed up a 30-yard freekick and an edgy Casillas spilled the ball before the Spanish defence quickly mopped up. Portugal were back in the hunt in a finely poised game and they almost broke the deadlock early in the second half when Carlos Puyol got his knee in the way of a Almeida cross and it looped over Casillas' head and shaved the post. The match started opening up but it was game over for Liverpool's Torres, who was hauled off after 58 minutes with Fernando Llorente replacing him and he almost made a spectacular entrance, heading straight at Eduardo. Llorente seemed to spark Spain into life and seconds later Villa saw a powerful shot squirm past the post before the Barcelona striker demonstrated why he is one of the best in the business. After some quickfire passes on the edge of the box he found space on the left and while his first shot was saved, Villa pounced on the rebound to chip it into the net. Sergio Ramos nearly made it 2-0 just minutes later with an under-pressure Eduardo just getting his fingertips to a powerful shot to turn it behind for a corner. Another ferocious Villa drive stung the goalkeepers' palms with 13 minutes left as Spain turned up the heat before Portugal's misery was completed when Costa was given a straight red card for elbowing Joan Ca

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• Spain, Paraguay into W.Cup quarters as stars struggle

  AFP – Wed Jun 30, 5:10 am ET  
  AFP

  JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - European champions Spain reached the World Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over Portugal, sending Cristiano Ronaldo, the world's most expensive player, heading moodily to the exit. Full Story »
  

  • Slideshow: World Cup Soccer

• French parliament hosts hearing about WCup fiasco

  AP – 1 hr 24 mins ago  
  AP

  PARIS - Lawmakers taking part in a closed-door hearing about France's World Cup fiasco said Wednesday that coach Raymond Domenech refused to take any responsibility for his team's misbehavior and offered no real explanation for their debacle. Full Story »
  
  

• Blatter hints at tech U-turn

  AP – Wed Jun 30, 3:09 am ET  
  AP

  JOHANNESBURG - Spain showed touches of the class that won the 2008 European Championship and Paraguay went the limit, needing a shootout to dispose of Japan at the World Cup. Full Story »
  

  • Slideshow: World Cup Soccer

• Serena, not Venus, still around for Wimbledon SFs

  AP – 2 hrs 57 mins ago  
  Reuters

  WIMBLEDON, England - Venus and Serena Williams crossed paths in the locker room at the All England Club, something the sisters often do during the second week of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament. Full Story »
  

  • Slideshow: Wimbledon

• Steelers' Colon to have Achilles' tendon surgery

  AP – Tue Jun 29, 6:06 pm ET  
  PITTSBURGH - Steelers offensive tackle Willie Colon will have surgery Wednesday to repair a torn right Achilles' tendon and is expected to miss the season. Full Story »
  

• Marlins: Rodriguez will remain manager all season

  AP – 1 hr 35 mins ago  
  AP

  MIAMI - Jeffrey Loria walked into the Florida Marlins' dugout five minutes before gametime, an unusual time for an impromptu team meeting. Full Story »
  

• No wonder James is used to being called King

  AP – Wed Jun 30, 4:33 am ET  
  AP

  No athlete ever held so much sway over a sport without winning it all first. Think about it: "The Summer of LeBron" hasn't even begun, yet almost everything that's happened in the NBA the last two years has been about him. Full Story »
  

• South Carolina fans cheer 1st nat'l baseball title

  AP – Wed Jun 30, 1:26 am ET  
  AP

  COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina Gamecocks fans took to the streets in celebration Tuesday night, blaring car horns, and even shrieking for joy after the school won its first College World Series title in Omaha, Neb. Full Story »
  
  
  
  

• Contador finds Armstrong in his way, again

  Reuters – Tue Jun 29, 9:34 pm ET  
  PARIS (Reuters) - Once again, Alberto Contador is the Tour de France favorite and, once again, Lance Armstrong stands in his way. Full Story »
  

• No. 2 NHL draft choice Tyler Seguin visits Boston

  AP – Tue Jun 29, 8:34 pm ET  
  BOSTON - Along with all of the success he's had in hockey, Tyler Seguin remembers the occasional failure. Full Story »
  

• Federer, Nadal on top form for Wimbledon quarters

  AFP – 27 mins ago  
  AFP/File

  LONDON (AFP) - Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal enter Wednesday's Wimbledon quarter-finals in top form, while Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are looking just as hungry in their bid for a first title here. Full Story »
  

• Small grabs 4-shot lead

  AP – Tue Jun 29, 8:07 pm ET  
  FRENCH LICK, Ind. - Defending champion Mike Small shot a course-record 7-under 65 on Tuesday to take a four-stroke lead entering the final round of the PGA Professional National Championships. Full Story »
  

• MMA fighter dies following maiden match

  AFP – Mon Jun 28, 7:54 pm ET  
  COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AFP) - An American mixed martial arts fighter, competing in his first professional match, has died from brain injuries. Full Story »
  

• Philippine boxing star Pacquiao enters politics

  AP – Mon Jun 28, 8:24 am ET  
  AP

  ALABEL, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao has taken his oath as a Philippine congressman, bringing the boxing star into a political arena that he said seemed more daunting than stepping inside the ring. Full Story »
  

• Jeff Gordon: 'I'm going to ruffle some feathers'

  AP – Tue Jun 29, 4:37 pm ET  
  AP

  NEW YORK - Good guy Jeff Gordon was on display Tuesday. Full Story »