Quarter-final 4: Paraguay v Spain, Saturday 3 July 2010 at 18:30 GMT

[m_vaughan]

Tough game and once again goes to show how no match in the World Cup is easy. Having said that Spain will need to improve ahead of the Germany. Del Bosque really needs to bench Torres.

First ever semi-final appearance for Spain:happy

 

[ZexyZahid]

Paraguay played way better then I had expected. The Cardozo penalty should have taken again. The Spanish players ran into the penalty area before he shot the ball.

And at the other end a penalty to Villa shouldn't have been given, because you could see a couple of seconds ahead that he was going to dive. It felt like it was a retribution from the referee. Finally the referee called it right to let the penalty to be retaken again when the Spanish players ran in early.

After Villar stopped again a penalty should be given. He basically tackled Fabregas with his two hands and that was a penalty.

But this all shouldn't have happened when the Cardozo penalty would have been retaken again.

Anyway, a Spain vs Germany semi-final sounds nicer then Paraguay vs Germany.

Torres is really out of form, but I think Del Bosque will stick with him.

 

[m_vaughan]

Del Bosque says Spain needs to improve to be able to beat Germany. Like Duh! He is the one who is being so stubborn with his decisions. One of my favourite coaches of all time but the fact is his Spanish side despite being better than Aragones', is not even half as convincing.

His changes today were good though. Cesc and Pedro did well as subs.

@ZZ Agree with everything you said regarding the penalties.

 

[khalek]

Referring has been so crap in this WC so far but 55th-66th minute of the game was very exciting and dramatic and as expected Villa somehow finds a way to get a goal to help his side get into the semis. Without Villa, Spain would have gone back home long time ago. 44 goals from 64 matches for Villa for Spain, that is just tremendous record.