Spain win but still look for right recipe

MADRID, Jun 4: Spain rediscovered their scoring touch with a 2-0 win over African champions Egypt yesterday but question marks over style, tactics and the composition of the starting lineup remain.

Luis Aragones's side are now unbeaten in 21 games though they have yet to produce a really impressive performance and few players excelled in either last week's 0-0 draw against Russia or the Egypt match.

Raul, whose position in the team has come under question in recent months, did score his first goal for club and country since last October when he poked home a rebound in the 14th minute but the Real Madrid forward did little else of note.

Strikers David Villa and Fernando Torres continued to struggle in front of goal although when Jose Antonio Reyes came on in the second half the side looked far more incisive.

The Arsenal forward extended Spain's lead with a beautifully struck free kick just before the hour mark and strengthened his claim for a place in the starting lineup.

''It's difficult to get into the team,'' Reyes told reporters after the game. ''At the moment I'm starting on the bench but I'm doing all I can to earn a place when I get out on the pitch.

''I'm not going to settle for being 12th man and I'll be fighting hard to get in the side.''

After poor displays in 1966 and 1978, many Spaniards believed their time had finally come when they hosted the tournament in 1982. But then came one of their most spectacular failures as the team let the weight of expectation get to them. Spain scraped through the group stage after a 1-1 draw with Honduras and an embarrassing 1-0 defeat by unfancied Northern Ireland.

The hosts limped out in the second group phase after a goalless draw with England and a 2-1 defeat by Germany.

The 1986 finals also promised much but once again they got the jitters in the quarters and succumbed to Belgium in a penalty shootout.

Sixty years after their stormy quarter-final defeat by Italy, Spain suffered the same fate in 1994.

Losing 2-1 to the Azzurri with a few minutes left, Luis Enrique had his nose shattered when he was elbowed in the face by Mauro Tassotti in the area.

Blood streaming down his face and tears rolling down his cheeks, the midfielder appealed for a penalty but the referee waved play on and Javier Clemente's side were out.

A howling error by keeper Andoni Zubizarreta led to Spain slumping to a shock 3-2 defeat by Nigeria in 1998.

Although they notched up the biggest win of the tournament with a 6-1 pasting of Bulgaria, they still found themselves on the plane home after the group stage.

It was a return to controversy four years ago in South Korea and Japan.

Hopes were high after three group victories and a penalty shootout win over Ireland in the first knockout round.

However, things started to go wrong when striker Raul picked up an injury that prevented him playing in the quarter-finals and the team struggled to break down South Korea.

With the clock running down in extra-time, they appeared to have grabbed the 'golden goal' winner through Fernando Morientes only for Egyptian referee Gamal Al-Ghandour to rule the goal out, saying the ball had rolled out of play before Joaquin had crossed.

Several players kept their heads down during the shootout and Joaquin, by now carrying an injury, missed his spot kick, allowing South Korea to triumph.

''I'm convinced we would have made the final had it not been for the referee,'' said coach Jose Antonio Camacho.

REUTERS