ST. GALLEN, Switzerland (AP) -- Fernando Torres scored as Spain eased to a 4-1 victory over Korea on Wednesday for a second straight friendly victory for the defending champions ahead of the European Championship.
Torres showed his class in the 11th minute by heading home Benat Etxebarria's perfect cross with his back to the goal at the AFG Arena in St. Gallen, the Chelsea striker's first goal for Spain in nearly one year.
Spain was in command despite coach Vicente del Bosque having to do without the bulk of his Barcelona players and using several of the players he cut from the final 23-man squad for the Euros. The team's silky smooth passing game still never lost a beat with David Silva and Juan Mata guiding the attack.
Xabi Alonso and Santi Cazorla, who both scored in the second half, came close to adding to Torres' opener before Korea equalized in the 43rd as former West Bromwich Albion player Kim Do-heon gathered a clearance that came straight at him to unleash a rising shot beyond diving goalkeeper Pepe Reina.
But Spain went ahead quickly after the restart because of a pair of Korea hand balls, with Alonso converting a 52nd-minute penalty before Cazorla stroked a free kick under the defensive wall and into the net soon after.
Alvaro Negredo, who replaced injured striker David Villa in the Euro 2012 squad, added the last goal in the 80th with a low shot that beat `keeper Kim Jin-heon.
Goalkeeper Iker Casillas replaced Reina in the 82nd to secure his 95th victory with Spain to set a new international record.
The nine Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao players still missing from the squad will join the team on Friday in Madrid before Spain looks to follow up friendly wins over Serbia and Korea against China in Seville on June 3.
Spain opens Euro 2012 against Italy on June 10, with Ireland and Croatia also in Group C.
Korea, meanwhile, opens its 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign next month with matches against Qatar and Lebanon.
1 | Korea to ease entry rules to boost tourism, domestic spending |
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