Del Bosque hails defensive display
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque praised the control shown by his side after two goals from Xabi Alonso secured a 2-0 win over France and a place in the UEFA EURO 2012 semi-finals. Alonso, winning his 100th cap, put the defending champions in front with a fine header from Jordi Alba’s cross after 19 minutes.
The midfielder then made the game safe in stoppage time from the penalty spot after Anthony Reveillere had upended Pedro Rodriguez inside the area. Despite not hitting their top form, Del Bosque was delighted with how his side restricted the French to just one shot on target
“The truth is we did well and controlled the game,” said Del Bosque. “Iker (Casillas) hardly had anything to do and that speaks of the good defensive performance of the team. If our defenders are good then we will be closer to winning the tournament because we will always create a chance.”
The former Real Madrid boss was particularly pleased with Alonso’s determination to make the run into the box that resulted in the first goal, and reiterated his belief that both he and Sergio Busquets offer important options going forward. Red full story on FIFA.com.
