FIFA 2009 Confederations Cup Recap: Spain beats Iraq 1-0
Spain defeats Iraq 1-0 on David Villa’s 2nd half goal
Spain struggled to get any offensive against an Iraqi side that played very defensively. Unlike Sunday’s match against New Zealand, the score remained 0-0 heading into halftime. It looked like Iraq might be able to hold the reigning European Champions scoreless but David Villa’s goal off a header in the 55th minute was the gamewinner. Overall, Iraq didn’t have a lot of chances and after conceding the goal didn’t seem likely to mount any offensive. The win continues Spain’s great run in the last 2 years as they are the number one ranked team in the FIFA World Rankings. Up next for Iraq is New Zealand, and Spain will face hosts South Africa. Spain has already clinched their spot in the semifinals while Iraq still has a chance.
| MATCH STATS | ||
| Spain | Iraq | |
| Shots (on Goal) | 13(5) | 3(1) |
| Fouls | 12 | 10 |
| Corner Kicks | 6 | 1 |
| Offsides | 3 | 2 |
| Yellow Cards | 2 | 1 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 1 | 4 |
June 17, 2009 - 5:20 PM
I thought the current european champs would win this match easily… the same way I thought Brazil would demolish the egyptians…
International teams are becoming much more competitive as years go by.
I foresee a future in which it will be almost impossible to predict game results.