World champions Spain aim to sign off for summer on a high note on Tuesday by winning a friendly away to Venezuela.
Vicente del Bosque’s team flew into Venezuela on Sunday in good heart, as a result of Saturday’s 4—0 romp against the United States.
“We played well this evening from the start with good combinations and ideas,” said Del Bosque after the exhibition in Boston.
“Now the plan is to finish the tour properly, with another good performance on Tuesday.” Del Bosque singled out Fernando Torres for special praise, after the Chelsea striker had ended a bad run by coming off the bench in Boston and scoring.
“That was an important goal for Torres,” said the taciturn Spain manager.
“He has not had an easy year. But he has a strong character, and he will continue to be an important player for us.” Torres, for his part, said: “I felt very comfortable as soon as I went onto the pitch, the sensations have been good.
“It has been a complicated year for me. I have only played twice for Spain, injuries have prevented me from being at a high level. But now I am happy. The team has won and everything has turned out perfectly.” Torres — who came on for Fernando Llorente — is likely to start on Tuesday, alongside Alvaro Negredo, another of the goal scorers in Boston.
Other men likely to come in are defenders Andoni Iraola, Carlos Marchena and Nacho Monreal, midfielders Bruno Soriano, Bora Valero and Jesus Navas, plus forwards Pedro and Juan Mata.
The principle objective of Del Bosque on the mini tour has been to restore harmony within the group, after the four acrimonious Clasico clashes between Barcelona and Real Madrid in April and May.
In addition, the Spanish federation will earn around 5 million euros (7.32 million dollars) from the two games. It is the third time that they have crossed the Atlantic since winning the World Cup 11 months ago.
The game will be played in the north—western port city Puerto la Cruz.
“We are really looking forward to facing the world champions. It is a very important game for us,” said Rafael Esquivel, president of the Venezuelan football federation.
The hosts will be without injured star striker Jose Rondon, who has just completed an excellent season for La Liga team Malaga.
