David Villa
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won 3-2 at the Tivoli Neu - the stadium where he scored his hat-trick against Russia during Euro 2008. Failing to score in Spain's next match against Korea Republic, he opened the score sheet in Spain's next match against Poland, a match where Poland lost 6-0, recording their worst defeat in 50 years. In Spain's first 2010 FIFA World Cup match, Villa was chosen as a lone striker, however, he could do nothing to prevent the country's shock defeat at the hands of the Swiss. Five days later, Spain defeated Honduras 2-0, where Villa scored both goals, but wasted his chance to complete a hat-trick when he was awarded a penalty kick and side-footed the ball just wide of the post. It was the first time in fourteen attempts Spain ever missed a penalty in a World Cup during the run of play. Villa helped secure Spain's place in the Round of 16 after scoring the first goal in a 2-1 win over Chile, with a long-range shot into an empty net after Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo ran out of his area to prevent Torres from scoring. With this goal being his sixth between the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, he became Spain's top scorer in World Cup matches, one goal ahead of Emilio Butragueño, Fernando Hierro, Fernando Morientes and Raúl González, all of whom have five. The Spanish media has often compared Villa with Raúl, to the point where Villa was accused of taking the #7 jersey away from the Real Madrid player. In March 2009, Villa spoke out saying, "I have not taken anything away from anybody, I was
Succeeding Raúl as Spain's number 7
simply playing well for my club and the national coach gave me an opportunity. Too much has been said about the number issue. I’m not looking to cause any controversy. In fact, Raul and I were in the national squad together in the past. I haven’t forced anybody out." When questioned on whether the whole uproar created over Raúl's omission was affecting him personally, he said, "I’ve never liked it because I think it has been damaging for the both of us. We’ve always got on well together whenever we’ve met up for international duty, so I’m not concerned. I just work hard for myself. All I want is to be in the squad for every game, to have the Spain badge on my chest and to score as many goals as I can." Speaking of Raúl's record with the Spanish national team as the nation's leading top scorer, Villa said, "I've got 25 goals but he's got 44 and is still playing. I'd be delighted to reach that tally as I'd help the national team achieve great victories and, in many years' time, I could see my name on a [scorers' list] that another young lad was trying to beat. That would be great." In February 2010, Bernd Schuster was asked if Raúl did not favour Villa moving to Real Madrid, to which he responded with "I have a cough", this caused many to believe that he was implying the rumour to be true. Villa firmly ridiculed that idea by saying "It is impossible that a player with as much class on and off the pitch as Raul would speak poorly of me. I have always had a good relationship with Raul, even though we have hardly met on international duty. Before the Euros, the club told me what my asking price was, and I thought they