Del Bosque works to keep Spain motivated

Source: Agencies | June 27, 2009, Saturday |

Print Edition

VACATION, not a third-place game at the Confederations Cup, was on the minds of Spain's players.

"We're not playing in the final and I don't know why a third-place game is played, really," Spain defender Joan Capdevila said.

Spain will play South Africa in Rustenburg tomorrow after the United States beat the European champion 2-0 to deny it a chance to collect a second major trophy in two years.

The task for coach Vicente del Bosque will be to keep Spain motivated with nearly all players coming off a long season.

"You have to play, it's staged this way. Whenever you have a chance to reach the final and you don't, it's hard," Spain defender Carles Puyol said. "We're motivated to finish third but we're also motivated to go on vacation."

Puyol is one of four Barcelona players that played two games per week nearly all season on the way to becoming the first Spanish club to win the league, domestic cup and Champions League in the same season.

Striker Fernando Torres said he would be available on Sunday.

"I always want to play with the national team," the Liverpool striker said. "This team won't concede to anybody. We have to play it as if it was a final. We have to defend our country's pride and finish third."

Soccer

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Del Bosque works to keep Spain motivated

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