Live Ticker: Spain 3 : 1 Tunisia
June 19, 2006The next match on DW-WORLD.DE's Live Ticker
Spain will be looking to advance their goal and point advantage of newly-installed second place team Ukraine against Tunisia in Stuttgart. The Tunisians, with one point from their draw with Saudi Arabia, will look to shock the Spaniards and move themselves up into the second spot with three points. Stay tuned for all the action on DW-WORLD.DE's Live Ticker
The teams:
Spain (4-3-3):
1-Iker Casillas; 15-Sergio Ramos, 5-Carles Puyol, 22-Pablo Ibanez, 3-Mariano Pernia; 16-Marcos Senna, 14-Xabi Alonso, 8-Xavi; 11-Luis Garcia, 9-Fernando Torres, 21-David Villa
Coach: Luis Aragones
Tunisia (4-5-1):
1-Ali Boumnijel; 6-Hatem Trabelsi, 15-Radhi Jaidi, 3-Karim Hagui, 19-Anis Ayari; 20-Hamed Namouchi, 12-Joahar Mnari, 14-Adel Chedli, 8-Mehdi Nafti, 13-Riadh Bouazizi; 5-Ziad Jaziri
Coach: Roger Lemerre
No changes to the Spanish team, but Tunisia coach Roger Lemerre has shaken up his side with two changes to the starting line-up, which will be missing his star striker Santos due to a persistent shin injury. Lemerre dropped David Jemmali to the bench in place of Anis Ayari. Mehdi Nafti will also start in place of Yassine Chikhaoui.
The players take to the field and stand arm-in-arm for the national anthems.
Captains Iker Casillas and Riadh Bouazizi meet Brazilian referee Carlos Simon exchange flags.
1. min.
Short whistle from Simone and we're off
Spain start with the ball.
2. min.
Luis Garcia draws the first foul of the game. Xavi sends the ball over the three-man wall and it's headed out for a corner. Garcia wins the corner but doesn't get his header all the way around it. Goal kick.
4. min.
Offsides Tunisia
The Spanish defense are swarming against every Tunisian ball possession in midfield, making it difficult for to get a pass through the well-positioned defense.
6. min.
Villa hammers the outside netting
After taking a beaut of a knock back header, David Villa tries his luck from long range but can only find the outside netting as Boumnijel dives to his right.
8. min.
GOAL TUNISIA!!
9. min.
Mnari takes a pass inside the box and fires directly at Casillas, who isn't able to block the ball out of danger and Mnari coolly slots the rebound into the back of the net.
11. min.
A goal on their first good scoring opportunity and Tunisia make it clear they're looking to make up for their draw with Saudi Arabia in style as the attacking continues.
15. min.
Dangerous free kick for Spain
Spain try taking the kick quickly, but it's called back and Xavi stares down the screaming Boumnijel, who is unhappy with his wall's position. It's no problem as Villa heads the ball over goal.
17. min.
Jaziri gets a long pass from Bouazizi and charges it down into the penalty box. A sliding Casillas blocks it out of danger taking a kick to the body in the process.
18. min.
Garcia trips himself up
Taking a ball from behind, Garcia gets in close on Spain's next attempt, but he can't keep the ball from bouncing around on his own feet; Tunisia clear for a Spain throw-in.
20. min.
Spain getting frantic
Even with the better part of ball possession, Spain are running wild in the midfield, trying to push the ball forward to players in less than optional positions. They realize the danger of the Tunisian counter.
22. min.
Torres way off
Garcia gives Torres a chip and "pass or shoot" doesn't even cross his mind as he fires wide of goal on the first touch.
24. min.
Spain slow things down
The Spaniards calm down the pace of play and are rewarded with a corner kick. It heads right for the spot only for Ramos to head it out. Tunisia look shaky on the air.
26. min.
Torres wants a penalty
Nafti gives Torres a good push as the Spain striker runs down a pass into the open penalty box but Simone isn't ready to give a penalty shot for a little push.
29. min.
Yellow for Spain
Puyol is booked for a straight legged tackle on Hagui.
30. min.
Tunisia line up the 30-meter shot but it soars directly into Casillas' arms.
32. min.
Yellow for Tunisia
Anis Ayari puts his left foot right into Garcia's shin and finds a place in Simon's book. Garcia gets free of his defender but doesn't get enough of his head onto the ball to deflect it accurately toward goal.
35. min.
Spain given another free kick
36. min.
Xavi sends the ball to the far post, Boumnijel sizes it up in the air and decides he doesn't need to touch the ball that is already sailing out.
37. min.
Ramos sends a dangerous cross into the box for the waiting Torres but Boumnijel is on top of it before the Spaniard has a chance to head it in.
39. min.
Trabelsi booked
Hatem Trabelsi is booked for a late foul.
41. min.
Trabelsi tries to cross in a counter attack to Jaziri but Casillas comes out to collect the ball.
43. min.
It's raining, it's pouring
The rain has picked up in Stuttgart making the field slipperier than it was at the start of the match. We can expect to see a few more players loose their footing tonight.
44. min.
Cleared off the line
Torres thinks about a cross and so do his team mates who charge the goal, but the midfielder shoots himself, forcing a save. On the corner Alonso hammers a header down to the lower corner of net, but it's cleared off the line by Anis Ayari.
45+1. min.
Two minutes of stoppage time in Stuttgart
45+2. min.
Xavi sends the ball to Torres' head, but the Atletico Madrid player can't convert.
45+2. min.
Ayari plays the ball with a body check into Torres. The Spaniard wants a foul, but nothing doing says Simon.
45+2. min.
Half-time
45+2. min.
Spain in a hole
A surprise goal from Tunisia in the 8th minute put Spain down going into the break despite have the majority of ball possession and chances on goal.
46. min.
Double change for Spain
Raul is in for Garcia as is Cesc Fabregas for Marcos Senna.
48. min.
Fabregas gets his first chance of the game with a shot from the edge of the penalty area. He rockets his shot to goal, but Boumnijel is able to push it away.
50. min.
Spain keep the ball locked in the Tunisian end, but the defense isn't giving up any chances to the Europeans.
51. min.
Ramos dumps Jaziri on the right side but gets off without a foul. Pernia takes the ball to the other end and fires on goal only to be rejected again by Boumnijel's fists.
53. min.
Villa loses the ball on a run to the outside. Possession is changing faster than a shorthand expert can type but neither team is moving forward with dangerous chances. Referee Simon has a good handle on the game, stopping play for mainly Spain free kicks.
56. min.
Spain make last change
David Villa is out for Joaquin.
57. min.
Tunisia double change
Bouazizi gives up the captain armband to Kaies Ghodhbane. Also new on the field is Alaeddine Yahia for Anis Ayari.
60. min.
Spain are passing well in the midfield but the Tunisia defense is looking much more stable than against Saudi Arabia and Luis Aragones' side can't get the finals passes into dangerous positions.
61. min.
Chance for Spain
Pernia tries a mid-range shot that skips on the wet pitch and flies through a defenders legs. Boumnijel dives, but the ball was going wide of goal.
64. min.
A long, looping Spanish throw-in is headed out easily as Spain take on the look of a team that's losing patience and settling for bad chances at goal.
65. min.
Torres can't get in
Torres takes a through pass from Alonso. Not quite a step ahead of Jaidi, he tries to lose the defender but is shut down before being able to get off a shot on goal.
68. min.
After a convincing opening match against the Ukraine, Spain are falling back into their underachiever form. Expect an uproar in the Spanish, if this game doesn't turn around.
70. min.
Yellow for Jaidi
The defender is booked for a from-behind foul on Torres.
71. min.
GOAL SPAIN!!
72. min.
Raul puts in the deflection
Torres lets the a cross slip past him to Fabregas' foot. Boumnijel can't control the shot and Raul is on top of the ball to tap it in past the outstretched keeper.
75. min.
Like they just sucked down a gallon of espresso, the Spaniards are back in the game and running with the speed we saw in the first half. Fabregas is the most caffeinated, beating two defenders he gets a shot on goal that the keeper is only able to parry away with the bottom of his foot.
76. min.
TORRES SCORES FOR SPAIN!
What a goal for Spain on a long break from Torres.
78. min.
Fabregas send a through ball from the back of the middle circle all the way down field for the charging Torres. It slows down just outside the area, leaving Boumnijel undecided but caught far out of position. Torres flicks it around the stranded keeper and has no trouble slotting the ball into the empty net to give Spain the lead.
80. min.
Tunisia make offensive change
Adel Chedli leaves for Haykel Guemamdia.
81. min.
That didn't take long
Guemamdia is booked in his first play for kicking the ball away.
83. min.
Five minutes have dramatically changed the course of the game. Spain have become more energetic. There passes still have the added degree of inaccuracy that comes with the end of the second half, but on the whole, they look more like the team that started the game then the one that finished the first half.
84. min.
Now Spain are happy passing the ball to each other and the ole calls of the rejuvenated crowd.
85. min.
The first whistles are coming from Tunisia supporters, sick of watching Spain pass the ball and their team simply stand and watch.
86. min.
Jaziri booked for pulling a jersey.
87. min.
Alonso looks for Raul on a long-ball to beat the tired Tunisia defense, but the cross is hit too hard and Boumnijel escorts the ball over the line.
89. min.
Another chance for Torres
Torres goes one-on-one with Boumnijel, but this time around it's the goalkeeper who gets the better part of play. He dives at the perfect moment and gives up a corner instead of a goal.
90. min.
PENALTY KICK FOR SPAIN
Simon didn't waste a moment in calling a penalty as Yahia keeps Torres from jumping just outside goal.
90+1. min.
Torres scores!
Boumnijel picked the right direction, but the ball was hit just hard enough to sneak through the keeper's body and right arm.
90+2. min.
Two more minutes of stoppage time in Stuttgart.
90+3. min.
Yellow for Mnari
90+4. min.
Torres takes another try
A long pass from the middle comes down onto Torres' foot, he connects on the half-volley but sends the ball over net, possibly slipping a little on the soaked pitch.
90+4. min.
That's it in Stuttgart
Even after missing so many chances and becoming impatient at the beginning of the second half, Spain turn around a 1-0 loss to a 3-1 win with two goals from Fernando Torres.