Spain ... 4 Ukraine ... 0If, like me, you've blown the guts of a decent college fund for the kids over the years backing a nagging belief that, "this time, Spain really do have what it takes," you might have reason to be excited this morning.
Against a Ukrainian side that had not so much conceded a solitary goal in five warm-up games during the last few months Luis Aragones' side scored four and turned in the sort of performance that will send expectations at home soaring back to, well, to just the sort of levels they must have reached four years ago in Korea when the wheels started to come off the wagon against Ireland.
Now 22 matches unbeaten, the likes of Raul, Joaquin and Michel Salgado couldn't even get in the team for this game. Those that did make the cut excelled almost to a man and Aragones will look forward with some confidence after the tournament's biggest win so far was secured with two goals from David Villa and one apiece from Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres.
What turned out to be something of a rout took place in Leipzig's relatively modest venue. It's a smallish stadium by the standards of the tournament - this was a 42,000 sell out - but an impressive if well hidden one, hollowed as it is into a large hill that overlooks the city centre. The effect is something akin to a volcano, which is much the way it must have felt for the teams at kick-off time yesterday as temperatures once again topped the 30 degree mark out where there was a breeze.
If the heat proved a problem for the Ukraine and, in particular, the team's star performer Andriy Shevchenko, the Spanish looked rather comfortable in the surroundings.
A midfield anchored around Alonso was utterly dominant while their strikers looked particularly mobile. Notionally part of a three-man forward Luis Garcia instead acted as a link between midfield and an attack made up, as expected, of Torres and Villa. If there was a flaw, it wasn't readily apparent.
Both frontmen started brightly with a succession of diagonal runs into the area providing a steady workload for the Ukraine defence.
It coped well enough with their movement although as it turned out Oleg Blokhin's men were not nearly so accomplished when it came to dealing with their opposition's set pieces. Alonso put his side ahead when he stole in front of his marker to head home Xavi's corner on 13 minutes and Villa added a second from a badly deflected free just four minutes later.
The goals were at least early enough in the game to facilitate a fight back but the Ukrainians did little after them to suggest they had any higher gears. Containing Torres and Villa seemed the limit of their ambitions and they were barely up to that with both men creating further chances as the half wore on and Andriy Rusol and Vladyslav Vashchuk devoted all of their energies to keeping up.
Blokhin tried to shake things up at the interval by throwing on a couple of substitutes, one of them a third striker, but before there was even half a chance for the changes to spark a revival Vashchuk had been sent off - harshly - for what was reckoned to be a trip on Torres, as the striker lined up a close range shot. Up stepped Villa to make it 3-0 with a confidently taken penalty.
The fourth was the only one to come from open play with Carles Puyol winning possession near half way and then pressing on brilliantly to set up Torres for a fine strike towards the bottom left corner. Late on there were a couple of chances for the Ukrainians to grab a consolation effort but the win was already assured and, in any case, the Spanish defence got itself out of trouble both times.
Shevchenko, meanwhile, contributed almost nothing to the proceedings, the latest member, it seems, of this World Cup's anonymous striker club. Having been an injury doubt beforehand it is possible that he simply shouldn't have played but had been risked because of the quality of the opposition. Whatever the reasons, it is clear that with what should be more manageable games against Tunisia and Saudi Arabia still to come his team will need him firing on a few more cylinders than this if yesterday's defeat is not to spell the beginning of rather a rather depressing end to their first World Cup.
Those who have been around the block with Spain before will still not be greatly surprised if their end still comes around the quarter-final stage. But me? I didn't back them this time, so deep down I now know it's their year.
SUBSTITUTIONS
SPAIN: Albelda for Alonso (55 mins), Fabregas for Luis Garcia (77 mins), Raul for Villa (55 mins). Subs not used: Antonio Lopez, Canizares, Iniesta, Joaquin, Juanito, Marchena, Reina, Reyes, Salgado.
UKRAINE: Shelayev for Gusev (45 mins), Vorobey for Gusin (45 mins), Rebrov for Rotan (63 mins). Subs not used: Byelik, Chigrynskiy, Kalinichenko, Milevskiy, Nazarenko, Pyatov, Shust, Sviderskiy, Yatsenko. Booked: Rusol, Yezerskiy.
Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland)
