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Spain set up a mouth-watering World Cup semi-final against Germany with a 1-0 win over Paraguay at Ellis Park, Johannesburg. More
90+4 That's it! That's the whistle! Spain are in the semis, where they face Germany, and Paraguay are heartbroken. So after all that talk of South American dominance, only Uruguay are left in the last four.
90+2 The ball is flung into the box, Ramos heads it away and Santana kicks him in the face as he tried to volley. Ouch. Ramos is down. The ref fairly refuses to punish Santana - the boot wasn't so high, Ramos was stooping - but the Madrid defender needs help...
90' Pedro on the right, Spain have men over, inside to Villa who must make it two but for once the finish is weak and Villar clings on!
89' GREAT SAVE CASILLAS! He makes up for a terrible spill from Santana's low shot by smothering Santa Cruz's follow-up!
87' Santana with a clear elbow into the face of Busquets and somehow only sees yellow. I'm not a fan of reds for high arms but that was horrible, Casillas rightly angry.
84' SPAIN SUB: Puyol comes off, limping a bit, Marchena replacing him.
82' GOAL SPAIN! VILLA! On the break they carve Paraguay apart, Iniesta dances through the middle, slipping Pedro through, his shot hit the post, the rebound dropped to Villa who was very lucky as his finish hit BOTH posts before trickling over the line.
79' Alcaraz heads Capdevila's cross away from Villa. Throw taken short, the cross is swung in by the Spain left-back again AND ALCARAZ MISSES IT but over Villa's head and away!
75' SPAIN SUB: Pedro on for Alonso.
75' JUST WIDE FROM XAVI! Fabregas tried to play it through, his effort was blocked and Xavi popped up on the edge of the box and hammered it past the static Villar - and the post.
72' PARAGUAY SUB: Santa Cruz on for the fading Valdez, who is knackered.
70' Morel is booked for a foul on Cesc.
65' Paraguay sub: Barreto off for Vera.
64' Caceres was booked a while back, for protesting the penalty. Busquets it turns out was also booked, for his protests following the non-award of Spain's second penalty. I think.
63' Alonso to Fabregas who slips it wide to Iniesta WHO CURLS IT TOP RIGHT BUT TIPPED AWAY BY VILLAR!
61' Second chance for Alonso... BUT THE KEEPER SAVES IT! And Fabregas flies in and surely he takes him out but no penalty! Hacked behind for a corner! Brilliant save!
61' Xabi Alonso to take the penalty... And he rifles it into the left of goal BUT NOOOO! He has to take it again! They're celebrating but there was an encroachment from the Spanish. Good call.
59' Penalty Spain! Straight from the punt Villa raced through and Alcaraz tripped him! Madness!
59' SAVED BY CASILLAS! Cardozo blasted it to the right but Casillas guessed right and it was a decent height for him.
57' Ramos heads behind for Paraguay's first corner of the game. Morel swings it in... and there are bodies everywhere and the ref points to the spot! Penalty! Pique was practically holding Cardozo's hand and he's lucky to see only yellow!
56' SPAIN SUB: As expected Torres comes off. Poor AGAIN. But who's this? Fabregas? Seems that Del Bosque figures putting Villa more central is the key.
51' Morel gets caught in possession, leaving Alcaraz in a right pickle and Villa could be in but a heavy touch sends him too far wide and he fails to keep a cross-shot in!
46' No changes at half-time and the second period is underway!
45+2 Goalless at the break and Paraguay have looked far the more likely! Would the real Furia Roja please stand up!
45+1 Spain's defence generously opens up for Valdez and he bustles in but panics and shoots to early, spooning it high and wide!
41' Long ball aimed for Cardozo who misses it AND VALDEZ ON THE LOOSE BALL WITH THE CHESTED TOUCH AND HE DRILLS IT HOME! But the flag is up! Offside! Cardozo was off but Valdez wasn't - Cardozo was adjuged to be interfering as he moved towards the ball.
35' Valdez races forward and pings it wide left to Morel, they have men over and he digs out a super cross far post FOR SANTANA FLYING IN BUT IT JUST MISSES HIS HEAD AND GOES WIDE!
29' Taken quickly, Capdevila has it, he knocks it in for Xavi, it bounces awkwardly but he flicks it up and fires in a super volley that dips over the keeper but lands on the roof of the net! Great effort!
8' Casillas takes too long to make a clearance from the backpass and Valdez slides in to block it but luckily for Spain it flies wide!
7' Busquets finds Xavi, who gets away from Caceres, now Alonso tries a bit of a Hollywood ball but it strikes Caceres and is out for a corner. Taken short, Alonso with the cross AND RAMOS ON THE EDGE OF THE SIX-YARD BOX BUT HE FLICKS IT WIDE! The wrong side of the far post, Spain's first chance and oddly from a high ball.
1' Cardozo with a flick sets Santana in and he drives low from the edge of the box but straight at Casillas! Should have done better, it opened up for him!
1' The final last-eight clash of this World Cup is underway!
18:35 Teams - Paraguay: 1-Justo Villar; 2-Dario Veron, 14-Paulo Da Silva, 21-Antolin Alcaraz, 3-Claudio Morel, 8-Edgar Barreto, 11-Jonathan Santana, 15-Victor Caceres, 16-Cristian Riveros, 18-Nelson Valdez, 7-Oscar Cardozo /// Spain: 1-Iker Casillas; 15-Sergio Ramos, 3-Gerard Pique, 5-Carles Puyol, 11-Joan Capdevila; 14-Xabi Alonso, 8-Xavi, 6-Andres Iniesta, 16-Sergio Busquets; 9-Fernando Torres, 7-David Villa.
90' Pedro on the right, Spain have men over, inside to Villa who must make it two but for once the finish is weak and Villar clings on!
89' GREAT SAVE CASILLAS! He makes up for a terrible spill from Santana's low shot by smothering Santa Cruz's follow-up!
82' GOAL SPAIN! VILLA! On the break they carve Paraguay apart, Iniesta dances through the middle, slipping Pedro through, his shot hit the post, the rebound dropped to Villa who was very lucky as his finish hit BOTH posts before trickling over the line.
79' Alcaraz heads Capdevila's cross away from Villa. Throw taken short, the cross is swung in by the Spain left-back again AND ALCARAZ MISSES IT but over Villa's head and away!
75' JUST WIDE FROM XAVI! Fabregas tried to play it through, his effort was blocked and Xavi popped up on the edge of the box and hammered it past the static Villar - and the post.
63' Alonso to Fabregas who slips it wide to Iniesta WHO CURLS IT TOP RIGHT BUT TIPPED AWAY BY VILLAR!
61' Second chance for Alonso... BUT THE KEEPER SAVES IT! And Fabregas flies in and surely he takes him out but no penalty! Hacked behind for a corner! Brilliant save!
61' Xabi Alonso to take the penalty... And he rifles it into the left of goal BUT NOOOO! He has to take it again! They're celebrating but there was an encroachment from the Spanish. Good call.
59' SAVED BY CASILLAS! Cardozo blasted it to the right but Casillas guessed right and it was a decent height for him.
51' Morel gets caught in possession, leaving Alcaraz in a right pickle and Villa could be in but a heavy touch sends him too far wide and he fails to keep a cross-shot in!
45+1 Spain's defence generously opens up for Valdez and he bustles in but panics and shoots to early, spooning it high and wide!
41' Long ball aimed for Cardozo who misses it AND VALDEZ ON THE LOOSE BALL WITH THE CHESTED TOUCH AND HE DRILLS IT HOME! But the flag is up! Offside! Cardozo was off but Valdez wasn't - Cardozo was adjuged to be interfering as he moved towards the ball.
35' Valdez races forward and pings it wide left to Morel, they have men over and he digs out a super cross far post FOR SANTANA FLYING IN BUT IT JUST MISSES HIS HEAD AND GOES WIDE!
29' Taken quickly, Capdevila has it, he knocks it in for Xavi, it bounces awkwardly but he flicks it up and fires in a super volley that dips over the keeper but lands on the roof of the net! Great effort!
8' Casillas takes too long to make a clearance from the backpass and Valdez slides in to block it but luckily for Spain it flies wide!
7' Busquets finds Xavi, who gets away from Caceres, now Alonso tries a bit of a Hollywood ball but it strikes Caceres and is out for a corner. Taken short, Alonso with the cross AND RAMOS ON THE EDGE OF THE SIX-YARD BOX BUT HE FLICKS IT WIDE! The wrong side of the far post, Spain's first chance and oddly from a high ball.
1' Cardozo with a flick sets Santana in and he drives low from the edge of the box but straight at Casillas! Should have done better, it opened up for him!
18:35 Teams - Paraguay: 1-Justo Villar; 2-Dario Veron, 14-Paulo Da Silva, 21-Antolin Alcaraz, 3-Claudio Morel, 8-Edgar Barreto, 11-Jonathan Santana, 15-Victor Caceres, 16-Cristian Riveros, 18-Nelson Valdez, 7-Oscar Cardozo /// Spain: 1-Iker Casillas; 15-Sergio Ramos, 3-Gerard Pique, 5-Carles Puyol, 11-Joan Capdevila; 14-Xabi Alonso, 8-Xavi, 6-Andres Iniesta, 16-Sergio Busquets; 9-Fernando Torres, 7-David Villa.