Chelsea FC: Fernando Torres And Cesar Azpilicueta Named To Spain World Cup Squad
Chelsea FC striker Fernando Torres and defender Cesar Azpilicueta have been named to the final Spain World Cup squad traveling to Brazil. Azpilicueta was all but guaranteed to make the trip and is an automatic choice in the La Furia Roja starting eleven. Fernando Torres on the other hand was considered a long shot to make the squad and was facing stiff competition for one of the eventual four forward spots.
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Alvaro Negredo of Manchester City, Roberto Soldado of Tottenham Hotspur, and Fernando Llorente of Juventus were all supposedly considered for the spots but it appears Vincente Del Bosque opted for experience over what the other three target men offered. The inclusion of David Villa after a solid season at Atletico Madrid is also somewhat surprising but the veteran striker showed that he still has much to offer.
Del Bosque also gambled on another Atletico Madrid forward and supposed Chelsea target Diego Costa who is still struggling to fully recover from a hamstring injury. If Costa does indeed make a full recovery then it is assumed that he will be the first choice striker but there could be more surprises in store from the Spain boss.
Fernando Torres likely made the squad based on what Del Bosque knows he is capable of in a Spain kit over his current form. He did score for Chelsea when he was on the pitch but he becomes a different player with more confidence when he is representing his country. Torres may be struggling to score consistently for Chelsea but he may have another Golden Boot performance for Spain in the works.
Final 23-man Spain squad:
Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Napoli), David de Gea (Manchester United)
Defenders: Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Javi Martinez (Bayern Munich), Raul Albiol (Napoli), Juanfran Torres (Atletico Madrid).
Midfielders: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Koke Resurreccion (Atletico Madrid), David Silva (Manchester City), Juan Mata (Manchester United), Santi Cazorla (Arsenal)
Forwards: Pedro Rodriguez (Barcelona), Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid), David Villa (Atletico Madrid), Fernando Torres (Chelsea).
Source: ESPNFC.com
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