Spain prove tiki-taka’s a winner as Uruguay suffer

The imperious Andres Iniesta was Spain's best player as the World champions eased past the challenge of a fading Uruguay. Picture: AP

First-half goals from Pedro and Roberto Soldado put Spain in complete control and the final 2-1 scoreline, after Luis Suarez pulled one back with a stunning free kick in the 88th minute, failed to reflect a one-sided encounter.

The ageing Uruguayan side may be a pale reflection of the team which reached the 2010 World Cup semi-finals and won the Copa America the following year, but they are still not to be taken lightly.

But, like many before them, they found themselves unable to get the ball off Spain and were then quickly hassled out of possession when they did have it.

Edinson Cavani, top scorer in Italy’s Serie A this season, barely saw the ball and Suarez was also a lonely figure.

“It’s very difficult to generate any kind of danger when you don’t touch the ball,” a bemused Suarez told reporters. “Spain are the best team in the world and they’re contenders to win the World Cup.”

Germany’s double shock in the Champions League semi-finals, with Bayern Munich ousting Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund eliminating Real Madrid, has led to suggestions of a shift in the balance of power.

Bayern’s 7-0 aggregate win over Barcelona, in particular, was hailed in some quarters as the end of tiki-taka.

But there seemed plenty of life left in Vicente del Bosque’s side, who were so dominant at one point in the second half that the crowd got bored and started booing.

Several players stood out during Sunday’s match, the first international in Recife’s Arena Pernambuco. Goalkeeper Iker Casillas returned to captain the side and his 800th professional appearance was his first competitive game since January.

Roberto Soldado, the Valencia forward who was the only one of Spain’s starting 11 not to play for Barcelona or Real Madrid, capped a fine performance with his sixth goal in 10 outings.

Andres Iniesta was imperious in midfield. “It’s our good luck he’s Spanish but the whole team were spectacular,” said Sergio Busquets. “We all have the same philosophy and the same system.”

Iniesta echoed the thoughts of coach Del Bosque and said Spain should have won by more. He said: “At the end 2-1 it looks like the result is tighter but I think given the way we played we deserved to score more goals.”

The win took Spain’s unbeaten run to 23 matches since their 2-1 defeat by England in November 2011.

Meanwhile, Nigeria opened their Group B campaign with a 6-1 demolition of Tahiti, but the game was most memorable for the wild celebrations which followed Jonathan Tehau’s headed goal for the Tahitians to make the score 3-1.