Teams: World Cup winners Spain & Sergio Batista’s Argentina
Result: a thrashing, though one Mr. Fabregas was heard to remark that it wasn’t quite as bad as the 4-1 scoreline suggests:
“We need to applaud them because they had four chances and scored four goals. It’s true that it wasn’t our best game, but neither was it a 4-1. We hit the post three times and had more chances. I think the result was too emphatic.”
Spain’s coach, Vicente del Bosque, started the game playing a number of “fringe” players, including Alvaro Arbeloa and Nacho Monreal in defence and Pepe Reina in goal. The previously quoted Fabregas got plenty of playing time too, something he wouldn’t normally see with the likes of the Barca midfield at Bosque’s disposal.