Spain fell to their heaviest defeat in ten years, losing 4-1 to a revitalized Argentina in this friendly international in Buenos Aires. With less than a quarter of an hour gone the hosts were already two up, Messi chipping Reina to open the scoring, and Higuaín running through to add a second from Tévez's pass. With ten minutes to go to the break it got worse for Spain, Reina slipping as he lined up to clear, allowing Tévez to run past him and force the ball in to the net. And luck was against them as well, Villa hitting the woodwork twice before the interval. Del Bosque changed his front three at half time, and with Xavi on the park too a few minutes later things settled down. Romero did well to tip a long shot from Cazorla on to the bar, and Llorente got one back after Pedro set him up with six minutes to go. Cazorla had another effort cleared off the line by a defender, but then Agüero got on the end of a long Heinze cross to head past Valdés and complete the scoring. A defeat which brought Spain back down to Earth after their World Cup success, but in the end it was only a friendly. (07.09.10)