Soccer:Spain's manager coach Vicente del Bosque has dropped Fernando Torres from the national squad for next Wednesday's friendly against Venezuela in Malaga. It will fuel suggestions that the underperforming Chelsea striker may struggle to get into Spain's Euro 2012 Finals squad.
The 27 year old scored Spain’s winner in the final of Euro 2008 against Germany but has seen his scoring touch almost completely desert him since joining Chelsea from Liverpool just over a year ago. “His performances recently have been a bit irregular,” said Del Bosque.
“It does not mean that he is not a special and charismatic player, who has represented his country many times. He is a lad we appreciate a great deal and it pains me to leave him out but I wanted to be fair to those lads who are pushing for a place.”
Del Bosque is without all-time top scorer David Villa but hopes to have him back for Euro 2012. It is an aspiration that probably isn’t shared by Republic of Ireland supporters. Spain won all eight of their qualifiers for Euro 2012 and finished top of Group I are in Group C for the finals along with Giovanni Trappatoni’s Irish team, Italy and Croatia.
The Spanish boss has recalled Valencia striker Roberto Soldado for the first time since June 2007. He also handed Athletic Bilbao’s 19-year-old forward Iker Muniain his first call-up to the senior squad and included strikers Fernando Llorente, also of Bilbao, and Alvaro Negredo of Sevilla.
Another notable absentee was Barcelona forward Pedro, a World Cup-winner with Spain in South Africa in 2010 whose season has been disrupted by injury.
Spain squad:Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Victor Valdes (Barcelona), Pepe Reina (Liverpool), Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Jordi Alba (Valencia), Andoni Iraola (Athletic Bilbao), Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Thiago Alcantara (Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Malaga), Xavi (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), David Silva (Manchester City), Iker Muniain (Athletic Bilbao), Roberto Soldado (Valencia), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Juan Mata (Chelsea), Jesus Navas (Sevilla), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla)
