FIFA Confederations Cup: Fernando Torres hoping for game time against Tahiti today

Spain forward keen to give coach Del Bosque selection dilemma.

RECIFE: Spain forward Fernando Torres was on the outside looking in as his compatriots made a winning start in the Confederations Cup against Uruguay on Sunday when they won 2-1.

But now, the Chelsea forward says he intends to give coach Vicente Del Bosque a selection dilemma if he can get some game time for the world champions against minnows Tahiti today.

Torres has found himself relegated to the status of a squad player since Euro 2012, when Del Bosque decided he wanted to try to dispense with a designated centre-forward. However, he has accepted his fate knowing that he still scored three goals from the bench in Poland and Ukraine as the Furia Roja became the first country to land three consecutive major senior tournaments.

“I just hope I do get the chance to impress coach Del Bosque so that I can give him a bit of a selection dilemma,” Torres told Onda Cero radio.

“I thought we played really well against Uruguay and I think it is certainly very difficult for any side to play against us.



“We always want to win of course, but we want to do so with style.”

Del Bosque is likely to ring the changes for today’s game, meaning that Torres’ chances of starting are good despite the fine form of both Pedro Rodriguez, 11 goals for his country this season, and fellow scorer against the Uruguayans Roberto Soldado.

Nigeria, Uruguay set for decisive showdown

Despite contrasting results in their opening games, Uruguay and Nigeria both approach today’s encounter between the sides in Salvador knowing defeat could spell the end of their Confederations Cup ambitions.

Uruguay lost to Spain, before Nigeria surged to the Group B summit with a 6-1 demolition of minnows Tahiti, but the meeting of the South American and African champions was always destined to be pivotal.

With both teams expected to lose to world champions Spain and beat Tahiti, a win at Arena Fonte Nova would leave the victors in a very strong position to progress to the last four.

Speaking prior to the Spain defeat, Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez had described the Nigeria fixture as ‘our key match’, while captain Diego Lugano said the game was ‘our final’.

Striker Diego Forlan echoed their sentiments, although a draw would leave the qualification situation in the balance ahead of Uruguay’s final group game against Tahiti.

“Losing to Spain is something normal,” said the talismanic striker, who now plays for Brazilian club side Internacional. “Now we must forget that match and prepare ourselves to play against Nigeria.

“We knew before coming to Brazil that our most important game was against Nigeria and nothing has changed just because we lost to Spain.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2013.

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