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46 for Villa and a century for Xavi – Spain’s main men reach landmarks in win over Czech Republic
David Villa’s second half brace turned around a half time deficit to give Spain a 2-1 victory over Czech Republic. Far more significant than maintaining Spain’s 100% start to Euro 2012 qualification, Villa’s double saw him move clear of Raul Gonzalez as La Roja’s all-time leading goalscorer.
With Villa’s 45th and 46th strikes for his country in only his 72nd appearance, he not only overtook Raul as the country’s leading goalscorer, but obliterated the Madrid legend’s ratio, cementing his strike rate above the coveted goal every two games mark. With such an impressive ratio, it would be easy to jump to the conclusion that he is a ‘flat-track bully’ but Villa’s record-breaking haul has encompassed key strikes in decisive matches such as his solitary strikes against Portugal and Paraguay at the 2010 World Cup. Villa netted five of only eight goals scored by Spain on their way to the trophy in addition to four goals at Euro 2008 and three at the 2006 World Cup. Perhaps Villa’s most startling statistic is his consistency, having approached or exceeded the goal every other game ratio for his entire domestic and international career.
Not to be outdone, in the same match Barcelona teammate Xavi Hernandez racked up his 100th appearance for Spain in a little over 10 years since his debut against the Netherlands. On that occasion La Seleccion suffered defeat at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, but the same opponents would ultimately provide Xavi with his greatest moment as he captained Spain to the 2010 World Cup. During the tournament, Xavi attempted 669 passes – over 100 more than his nearest challenger - with a staggering completion rate of 89% and with another customary display of metronomic passing on Friday, he became only the fourth player to reach a century of appearances for Spain. His 100th cap moves him to within two of Raul in third place and should he feature in Spain’s next three encounters, against Lithuania, USA and Liechtenstein, he would hold the Spanish record for number of appearances by an outfield player.
Whilst their often mesmeric play is a joy to behold, perhaps the most refreshing quality the pair possess is their humility. In an era of excess and egos it is refreshing to see two players maintain such visible enthusiasm along whilst continuing to set standards at the very highest level. Rather than reflecting on an impressive personal feat, Villa was more circumspect, choosing to focus on the benefit to the team: “I am happy because the goals helped the team get the win… The important thing is that we are close to qualifying for the tournament.” Similarly, upon reaching an historic century of appearances for Spain, Xavi made the humble observation: “I never believed I would arrive here but with work anything is possible.” As well as being an exemplary player, Xavi’s sentiments set a shining example to aspiring youngsters.
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