Spain vs South Africa | FIFA Confederations Cup | Third Place Play-off | Preview
Joel Santana is adamant his South Africa side will not lack motivation when they face Spain in the Confederations Cup third-place play-off in Rustenburg.
The Bafana Bafana pushed defending champions Brazil all the way in the semi-final before being sunk by a Daniel Alves free-kick two minutes from time. Santana will lead his side against a Spain team reeling from their 2-0 shock loss to the United States, and the Brazilian coach is certain the hosts will continue to do their country proud. He said:
This is an important competition, so the motivation should be the same as it was in the first match. This is a preparation for the World Cup, so the players should be motivated to play against the big teams. I need them to play the same for me.
The two teams have already met once in the group stage, when Spain claimed a 2-0 win.But Santana is certain the clash at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium will be different, especially considering the strides his side have made over the past two weeks. He said:
This tournament was our first real test as a group, and we have seen what is possible. Spain may have lost, but they were one of the favourites coming in. They are a high level team, and we will be very careful against them. What is important is that we entered this tournament as an outsider and now we have earned some respect.
Defender Matthew Booth, one of several stand-out players against the Brazilians, added:
It will be nice to get a bronze medal.”We definitely have a good chance against Spain, because our performance against Brazil instilled enormous confidence into the team. The side is very confident and we are looking forward to the game.
Although still smarting from the shock loss to the US and an end to a record-breaking run, the Spaniards are keen to get back to winning ways tomorrow. According to Fernando Torres, who played a key part in helping his side to 35 matches unbeaten and a world-record 15 consecutive wins, the European champions will be looking to start from scratch against the hosts. The Liverpool striker said:
When you lose a game and you’ve got a lot of players who can barely remember the last time it happened, then it shows that you’re on the right track. In fact, I’d rather this happen now than at the 2010 World Cup. We have to go back to square one now and start putting some more wins together. I’d love us to go another 35 matches without losing. That would be great, especially with a World Cup in the middle.
Reflecting on the semi-final exit in Bloemfontein, he added:
I don’t think anyone can say we ever showed a lack of respect to our opponents. USA were the better side because they coped with the pressure we put on them and scored the goals. We’ll try to take something out of the game and improve. What hurts most is going out in the semi-finals of a big competition, not the end of the run. We knew that we couldn’t possibly win every single game from now to the end of our careers and that the run would have to come to an end some day. We just didn’t expect it to be here in South Africa, but that’s the way it is. These things happen when you least expect them.
Teams:
Spain: Iker Casillas, Diego Lopez, Pepe Reina; Raul Albiol, Gerard Pique, Carlos Marchena, Carles Puyol, Joan Capdevila, Sergio Ramos, Alvaro Arbeloa; Pablo Hernandez, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Santi Cazorla, Albert Riera, David Silva, Juan Mata; David Villa, Fernando Torres, Fernando Llorente, Daniel Guiza;
South Africa: Rowen Fernandez, Itumeleng Khune, Brian Baloyi; Siboniso Gaxa , Tsepo Masilela, Aaron Mokoena, Matthew Booth, Innocent Mdledle, Bryce Moon, Bongani Khumalo, Morgan Gould; Benson Mhlongo, MacBeth Sibaya, Lance Davids, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Steven Pienaar, Elrio van Heerden, Teko Modise, Kagisho Dikgacoi; Katlego Mphela, Bernard Parker, Thembinkosi Fanteni, Katlego Mashego;
Played at: Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg.
Just another Madridista