Villa’s goals lead Spain over Honduras 2-0

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — David Villa scored two goals as Spain got its World Cup pursuit back on track with a 2-0 victory over Honduras on Monday.

Villa beat three defenders in the 17th minute before goalkeeper Noel Valladares got a touch to the Spain striker’s rising shot but not enough to keep it out.

Villa scored his 40th international goal in the 51st when his shot from the edge of the area deflected off a defender to go over Valladares. But Villa missed a penalty kick in the 62nd at Ellis Park, sending it wide right.

Spain has three points and can still win Group H with a victory over Chile, which earlier beat Switzerland 1-0 to lead with six points. Switzerland has three points and Honduras has zero.

Villa single-handedly took the pressure off Spain, a favorite coming to South Africa, with a superb individual effort that helped ease the frustration of a 1-0 defeat to Switzerland.

He dribbled between Honduras players before cutting past Osman Chavez to send a right-footed shot into the far corner of the net as he slipped to the ground.

Jesus Navas picked Villa out for the second goal, with the striker’s shot glancing off Chavez into the top of the net.

Villa’s fifth career goal tied him with four Spain players as the country’s leading scorer in World Cup play and moved him within four goals of Raul Gonzalez’s record 44. But he shot No. 41 wide on a penalty kick in the 62nd after Navas was tripped inside the area.

Honduras barely remains alive in the tournament after also losing to Chile 1-0 last week.

Spain got back to its classy style and attacked from the start in front of 54,586 fans. It created a handful of chances inside the seventh minute, when Villa’s long-range shot beat the outstretched Valladares but went off the crossbar.

Ramos headed Joan Capdevila’s cross over the net while free at the far post in the 11th.

Spain’s defense provided goalkeeper Iker Casillas with some nervous moments soon after. Casillas rushed to catch a high ball before blocking Amado Guevara’s shot just before Villa’s first goal.

Navas’ speed kept Honduras off-kilter, while Fernando Torres uncharacteristically missed three clear chances in the first half.

Torres, making his first start since right knee surgery in April, headed over the crossbar before sending a shot high in the 33rd. He then wasted Villa’s fine pass from inside the area at the close of the half.

Chile beats 10-man Switzerland at World Cup

PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (AP) — Substitute Mark Gonzalez scored on a header in the 75th minute Monday as Chile beat 10-man Switzerland 1-0 to move closer to a spot in the final 16 at the World Cup.

Gonzalez headed home a pass from fellow sub Esteban Paredes, who had gotten around the staunch Swiss defense and crossed to Gonzalez at the back post. Gonzalez’s downward header beat goalkeeper Diego Benaglio.

Before Chile scored, Switzerland set a World Cup record in the 69th minute by going 551 minutes without allowing a goal, breaking the mark of 550 held by Italy at the 1986 and 1990 tournaments. Chile has won both its games in Group H.

“This is for my family and for all the people who have supported us in Chile,” Gonzalez said. “This was a great moment for me and for our team.”

Switzerland played a man down since the 31st minute when midfielder Valone Behrami was sent off with a straight red card for rough play.

Swiss sub Eren Derdiyok nearly equalized in the 90th minute but drove his shot wide from in front of the net as Switzerland put on late pressure.

The win gives Chile six points and first place in the group. Switzerland, which upset European champion Spain 1-0 in its opening match, has three. Honduras and Spain, each without points, play later Monday. A draw between those teams will put Chile into the second round as Latin American teams continue their strong performances.

“We are in a good position, and we have one more game to prove ourselves even more,” Gonzalez said.

Chile had all the first-half pressure even before Behrami’s ejection for hitting two Chileans in the face within seconds.

Alexis Sanchez appeared to give Chile the lead in the 49th minute, but was clearly offside. He nearly scored in the 55th minute on a break but was thwarted from the right side by Benaglio.

The match started in a sea of red – Chilean and Swiss fans in their predominant colors, and many empty seats, which are mostly red at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Costumes included a woman dressed in a full-length cow outfit and dozens of Chilean flags.

Portugal beats North Korea in 7-0 rout

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo finally scored.

So did Raul Meireles, Simao Sabrosa, Hugo Almeida, Liedson and Tiago (twice).

Portugal put on the most dominant performance of the World Cup on Monday, knocking in a flurry of second-half goals and routing North Korea 7-0, a win that puts Portugal on the brink of advancing to the round of 16 and means the Koreans won’t make it out of group play.

“It was a great day for Portugal and Portuguese football,” coach Carlos Queiroz said

“The players are really happy with the way they played, the attitude for the game, the beautiful football, the beautiful goals.”

Those goals came in bunches.

Simao, Almeida and Tiago all scored early in the second half, after Meireles’ 29th-minute goal gave Portugal the lead.

Liedson, substituting for Almeida started another run with a goal in the 81st.

Ronaldo ended his goalless streak the 87th minute, and Tiago added his second goal two minutes later.

One of the world’s best and most highly paid players, Ronaldo had not scored for his nation in a non-friendly match since the 2008 European Championship.

“To score seven goals in a World Cup is not easy,” said Ronaldo, who gave his man-of-the-match award to Tiago. “My teammates played very well.”

The win moves Portugal into second place in Group G with four points, two behind Brazil. The Ivory Coast has one point, and North Korea can’t advance in the tournament after two straight losses.

“This is a great result for us,” Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz said. “We have to continue now.”

North Korean state television aired live coverage of the Portugal match, in what was believed to be a first for a national team soccer game taking place abroad.

Talk about bad timing.

North Korea had early chances, but trouble began when Meireles latched on to a clever pass by Tiago and gave Portugal its first goal of the tournament. The score seemed to deflate the Koreans, while the Portuguese finally began to show some of the Latin flair that has made them an outside favorite to win their first championship.

“Tactically speaking, we fell apart and we couldn’t block their attacks,” North Korea coach Kim Jong Hun said. “It was my fault for not playing the right strategy and that is why we conceded a lot of goals.”

Meireles assisted on Simao’s goal in the 53rd minute, which went through the legs of North Korea goalkeeper Ri Myong Guk. Almeida scored three minutes later from a powerful header, and Tiago knocked home a pass from Ronaldo in the 60th.

Liedson scored off a defensive error, before Ronaldo ended a 16-month goal drought for his country with a simple finish after the ball fell to him.

“It was important to score goals today,” Tiago said.

Played in a steady downpour, the wet field at Green Point Stadium caused errant passes as many players lost their footing.

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AP

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