Spain, Uruguay reach Confed Cup semi-finals

Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama (left) challenges Spain`s Fernando Torres during the soccer Confederations Cup group B match between Nigeria and Spain at the Castelao stadium in Fortaleza, Brazil, Sunday. (AP-Yonhap News)

World Cup winners Spain defeated Nigeria 3-0 with two goals from Jordi Alba and another from Fernando Torres on Sunday to set up a semifinal showdown with Italy in the Confederations Cup.

Although the final score was emphatic, it could have been much closer if Nigeria had accepted some of their many clear chances in the first half. At times Spain looked vulnerable to the African champions' fast breaks.

Thursday's rematch in Fortaleza will be a chance for Italy to get even for a humiliating 4-0 loss to Spain in last year's European championship final.

“For us, Italy is a challenge in front of us as we try to get to the final,” Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said. “I imagine for Italy it's very important because the loss is fresh in their minds from the European final, and I am sure they are thinking of revenge.”

Alba, a left-sided defender, scored in the third minute to set the wide-open tone for the match. The goal capped off a series of one-touch passes with Pedro backheeling a clever ball to Andres Iniesta, who found Alba. His low shot beat keeper Vincent Enyeama.

Torres scored with a header in the 62nd minute, and Alba picked up his second in the 88th as Nigeria sought to score.

Alba was named man of the match. He said it was a first for him.

“This is new for me,” he said. “This kind of award usually goes to the types who regularly score goals.”

With this win, Spain extended its unbeaten string to 25 matches. But it was on the defensive more than usual against the young Nigerian side _ particularly in the first half.

Nigeria played fast-flowing football in the first half creating about as much possession, just as many chances and regularly beat the World Cup winners to loose balls.

“Nigeria was tough for us,” Alba said. “Not just the first half, but the whole game. I have to praise them for playing like that against a team like we have.”

Spain had played Nigeria only once before, losing 3-2 in the 1998 World Cup.

Only poor finishing let Nigeria down, with Joseph Akpala and Sunday Mba squandering chances before the break.

Spain's striker Roberto Soldado could also have had two but for sprawling saves by Nigerian keeper Vincent Enyeama. Cesc Fabregas also hit the post.

Nigeria's Gambo Muhammad missed an open goal in the second half with Spanish keeper Victor Valdes out of position, a prime example of the team's poor finishing.

“I think we have so much anxiety in front of the goal line,” Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi said. “The good thing is we are creating chances, but we're not finishing. And that's something we need to work on. Hopefully it is going to come quickly.”

Tahiti loses again at Confed Cup, Uruguay wins 8-0

Moments after Tahiti succumbed to its third rout in three matches, the fans in Brazil really started to cheer for the team that never stood a chance.

The South Pacific islanders enjoyed overwhelming support throughout the Confederations Cup, but the adulation reached a climax Sunday following Tahiti's 8-0 loss to Group B rival Uruguay.

That's when the substitutes walked onto the field at the Arena Pernambuco carrying Brazilian flags and unfurling a large green and white banner with “Obrigado Brasil” printed on it. In English, that means “Thank You Brazil.”

“We've been really pleasantly surprised by the love shown to us by the Brazilian public. They've supported us to the end,” Tahiti forward Steevy Chong Hue said. “And we'd like to thank them from the bottom of our hearts.”

Tahiti, a team of mostly amateur players who won the Oceania Nations Cup to qualify for the World Cup warm-up tournament, has been the adopted team of the Brazilian public. The purveyors of the “Beautiful Game” have been won over by Tahiti's attack-minded pluckiness against insurmountable odds in matches against Nigeria, Spain and Uruguay.

In those three matches, Tahiti was outscored 24-1.

“We've been routed three times. We've been defeated,” Chong Hue said. “But what was important for us was to represent our country and our values.”

For Uruguay, the point of Sunday's match was to win and reach the semifinals. They did that, getting four goals from Abel Hernandez and two from second-half substitute Luis Suarez.

The World Cup semifinalists, who left strikers Diego Forlan and Edinson Cavani on the bench, will play Brazil in the semifinals on Wednesday in Belo Horizonte.

“Fortunately for us, what had to happen, happened,” Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said.

Hernandez scored a first-half hat trick and added a penalty in the second half. Diego Perez and Nicolas Lodeiro also scored for the South American champions.

Hernandez's first goal, a header which came 1 minute, 19 seconds into the match, is the fastest to be scored in the history of the World Cup warm-up tournament, according to FIFA.

But Tahiti goalkeeper Gilbert Meriel stopped the final score from getting worse by saving a penalty from Andres Scotti in the 50th minute.

One minute later, Scotti was sent off with a second yellow card.

Tahiti even managed to create a few chances, perhaps the best when Marama Vahirua, the team's only professional football player, shot at Uruguay goalkeeper Martin Silva in the 34th for an easy save.

“My players really played with their souls, with all their hearts. This is what was important for us,” Tahiti coach Eddie Etaeta said. “At the end of the game today, they made a point of thanking the Brazilian public ... This is what we will take back with us from Brazil.” (AP)