JOHANNESBURG – There is still more than a week to go and three games to be played to determine the World Cup champion, but Spanish star Sergio Ramos has already wrapped up one title.
“He is still the best-looking player [in the tournament],” Spain teammate Cesc Fabregas said. “It doesn’t matter how his eye looks.”
Ramos was left with a nasty gash above his right eye after being accidentally kicked in the face by Paraguay’s Jonathan Santana during Spain’s 1-0 quarterfinal victory at Ellis Park on Saturday night.
While the incident worried Ramos’ legion of female admirers, soccer fans took the incident as an indication of the new hardened edge running through the Spanish side.
Despite Santana’s boot catching the 24-year-old Real Madrid player full in the face, Ramos was back on his feet within a minute and sprinted back into the action.
“He showed a lot of bravery,” midfielder Xabi Alonso said. “But that is no surprise. He is a tough man, a hard player, and he puts everything on the line for this team.”
Spain surged its way to the 2008 European Championship title with a brand of soccer that won international acclaim for its fluidity and attractiveness. Things have been a lot tougher at the World Cup. Since an opening game defeat to Switzerland, Vicente Del Bosque’s team has been forced to fight for its life.
With Paraguay employing a rugged and physical style, this was the kind of game in which previous Spanish squads may have backed down. Instead, Spain survived a bizarre series of events early in the second half to clinch victory thanks to David Villa’s 83rd-minute strike.
Oscar Cardozo missed a penalty kick and a chance to give Paraguay the lead after 59 minutes after aiming his shot within easy reach of goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Just a minute later, Spain was awarded a penalty of its own, only to have Alonso’s effort stopped by Paraguay keeper Justo Villar.
“We showed a lot of spirit,” midfielder Pedro said. “We haven’t shown everything we can do yet in this tournament but here we are in the last four. What we have shown is that we can fight very hard and overcome difficult situations. We have answered questions about ourselves.”
Spain is firmly established as one of the tournament favorites but faces a tough challenge against Germany in Durban on Wednesday after the Germans thrashed Diego Maradona’s Argentina 4-0
Victory at Euro 2008 has given the Spanish an extra confidence and an ability to lift themselves even when they are not producing their most attractive style of soccer.
“We have come here to win the competition,” said Ramos, with bruising over his eye and a dressing covering a deep cut. “We don’t want to settle for anything less.
“We are about putting our team first and sacrificing ourselves if we have to. I didn’t think about putting my head in there when he [Santana] swung his boot. It was instinctive. We do what we have to do.”
