By Brendon Hanley Jun 28, 2009, 15:37 GMT
Rustenburg, South Africa - European champions Spain clinched third place at the Confederations Cup with a 3-2 extra-time victory over hosts South Africa in Rustenberg on Sunday.
Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso struck a 107th-minute winner for Spain after the match had ended 2-2 in a dramatic end to regular time at the Royal Bafokeng stadium.
Alonso's curling free-kick evaded everyone and sailed past a surprised keeper Itumeleng Khune to give Spain the consolation prize.
South Africa took the lead through substitute Katlego Mphela and were heading for victory until Spain's own super sub Daniel Guiza struck twice in the last three minutes.
But the drama wasn't over, and with many of the home crowd leaving the stadium Mphela struck a direct free-kick into the top of the net in the third minute of stoppage time to take the match into extra time.
Spain dominated the early exchanges and the first goalscoring chance came after just five minutes when David Villa cut in from the left before unleashing a powerful shot that Khune did well to tip the ball around a post.
However, South Africa slowly began to find their feet in the game and Bafana's first opportunity of note went to Matthew Booth nine minutes later, but the giant defender saw his header sail wide of the far post.
Villa was denied again on 21 minutes by a last-ditch Tsepo Masilela tackle while a minute later MacBeth Sibaya did well to cut out a Fernando Torres shot from eight metres.
In what was now an evenly-matched encounter, Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas was the next to be called into action on 32 minutes, when Siphiwe Tshabalala tried his luck with a shot from distance.
Casillas could only parry the well-struck effort into the path of Booth, who put his shot just wide from 8 metres.
Tshabala ran at the Spanish defence once more three minutes later but this time Casillas collected comfortably.
There was also still time for Spain's Albert Riera to flash a shot from a tight angle across goal before referee Matthew Breeze called time on an entertaining first period.
Spain started the second half the brighter and Sergio Busquets had the ball in the net after Khune could only parry David Villa's shot from 30 metres but the Barcelona midfielder was adjudged offside.
Vicente del Bosque replaced the tiring Torres and Villa with Guiza and David Silva shortly before the hour mark in an effort to give the European champions added impetus up front.
The move almost paid immediate dividends when Riera was released in the 62nd minute, but the Liverpool star failed to connect property with his shot, allowing Khune to save well at his near post.
The goalkeeper was also in the right place two minutes later to block a shot from Santi Cazorla as South Africa weathered a bout of sustained Spanish pressure.
South Africa coach Joel Santana made some changes of his own in an effort to break the deadlock, bringing on Mphela for Steven Pienaar and Elrio Van Heerden for Teko Modise.
The move certainly paid off as it was was Van Heerden's cross on 73 minutes that found Mphela, who controlled the ball with his knee before blasting it into the roof of the net in front of the stranded Casillas.
Spain pushed forward in the final stages in search of an equalizer but as in their 2-0 semi-final loss to the United States seemed out of ideas and tired.
But just as it looked like the Bafana would hold out for a confidence-boosting victory ahead of next year's World Cup, Guiza struck with just two minutes of regulation time remaining, chesting down a Cazorla cross from the right before slotting it through three defenders and past Khune.
Guiza looked to have won it a minute later when his speculative cross cum shot from the right left Khune stranded as it went in off the post to leave the home crowd stunned.
Incredibly, there was still enough time for South Africa to equalize and send the match into extra-time as Mphela made it 2-2 with a dipping free-kick from all of 35 metres deep into added time.
Casillas was the saviour for Spain in extra-time, saving with his leg from Mphela and then stretching to tip a drive from Parker round the post, until Xabi Alonso settled it for Spain.
Holders Brazil meet the United States in the final later Sunday at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.
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