New faces bring drama to third place match (Extra)

By Brendon Hanley Jun 28, 2009, 17:41 GMT

Rustenburg, South Africa - Though it took 73 relatively drab minutes before a score came at the third-place match between Spain and South Africa, the two teams saw an extreme of emotions before the end of normal time.

Two little-used substitutes bagged a brace each and three goals were scored in the space of five minutes to end the regulation period 2-2.

And though familiar face Xabi Alonso, who started the match, netted the winner in the 17th minute of extra time to give Spain third place, the drama of the final stretch of the regulation period at Rustenburg's Royal Bafokeng Stadium was hard to top.

Katlego Mphela, who had played just one minute in the Confederations Cup before the match (as a last gasp substitute in the semi-final against Brazil), was the hero for the hosts, while Spanish double-scorer Daniel Guiza had only seen a quarter of an hour of action against Iraq in the group stage before this contest.

The speedy Mphela, who came on in the 64th minute to replace Steven Pienaar, started the scoring with a shaky control off his knee before blasting Siphiwe Tshabalala's cross into the roof of Iker Casillas' net.

In response, Spain struggled to break down the hosts, until Guiza, who replaced Fernando Torres just before the hour mark, dramatically evened the match in the 88th minute. He did well to chest down Santi Cazorla's cross from the right before slotting the ball through a host of South African defenders to beat the diving goalkeeper to his right.

With the score knotted at 1-1 with just moments to play, the two subs produced moments of unquestionable skill to cancel each other out yet again.

Guiza stunned the home crowd into silence just a minute after his first strike when he spotted Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune off his line and lofted a shot cum cross from the right wing that hit off the inside of the left post.

South Africa coach Joel Santana said the goal was 'unbelievable.'

There were questions about whether it was a cross, and even the Spanish players were wondering.

'He said it was a shot on goal,' said man of the match Xabi Alonso. 'But I am not so sure I believe him.'

Spanish striker Fernando Torres laughed it off as well, saying: 'He said it was intentional, so I have to believe him.'

He did add a serious note about Guiza, who has struggled to find playing time behind Torres and David Villa.

'He was the star of the game. When you play so few minutes and score two goals that put us ahead from one goal behind, you must be unlucky not to play more,' he said.

But the best was yet to come as Mphela outdid his Spanish counterpart with what was probably the strike of the event.

His free kick from 35 yards, which turned out to be the last kick of regulation, went over the wall before dipping into the top left corner of the Spanish net, beating one of the world's best goalkeeper's Iker Casillas.

'It was an amazing free kick,' said Torres after the match. 'It was a fantastic shot and congratulations to him because it was maybe the best goal in the tournament.'

When asked about the performance of the little-used Mphela, Santana was full of praise and promises for the future.

'He played exceptionally well,' said the Brazil-born coach. 'He came into a difficult game and scored two goals.

'His role was key, and I think in the future he will get a chance to start at centre forward in the World Cup, or at least in the friendlies over the next year.'