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International Matches - Under 20

Under 20 international tournament

Spain's under 20 side finished runners-up to Argentina in the COTIF invitation trophy after losing 0-2 to the South Americans in the final. The tournament took place in Alcudia, Valencia, with Spain losing their opening group game to Japan, but then beating Saudi Arabia and Argentina to set up a semi-final against Korea. (23.08.12)

A Spanish under 20 side are playing in a friendly tournament in Alcudia, Valencia, in preparation for next year's under 20 World Cup, which will take place in Turkey. Coach Santi Denia called up a squad of 21 players, based largely on previous youth international teams, including the under 19 side which recently won the European finals. Spain are grouped together with Japan, Saudi Arabia and Argentina, with the top two in the group going through to the semi-finals against two teams from the other group, comprising Ecuador, Korea, Turkey, and hosts the Community of Valencia. (24.07.12)

Spain 0 - Argentina 2

Spain: Ortolá; Iván López (Joaquín García 74'), Isra Puerto, Varela, Insua; Íñiguez (Miravent 41'), Castro (Fede Vico 41'), Nono (Carlos García 74'), Bustos (Rubio 52'), Vadillo; Hernández (Galán 67').
Argentina: Benítez; Magallán, Lucas Rodríguez, Beloso, Kranevitter, Cavallaro (Fragapoane 61'), Alan Ruiz (Vega 78'), Valle, Villalba, Fernández, Icardi (Andrada 74').

Goals: 0-1. 20. Alan Ruíz; 0-2. 36. Lucas Rodríguez.

Spain finished runners-up to Argentina in this invitation trophy after losing 0-2 to the South Americans in the final. Santi Denía's team had already beaten their rivals in the group stage, but this time Argentina were at full strength, and they raced in to a two goal lead at the break with strikes from Alan Ruíz and Lucas Rodríguez. Once again though it was a hard fought match, with both sides ending with ten men after Magallán and Vadillo were both sent off.

Spain 1 - Korea 0

Spain: Blanco; Arroyo, Salva Ruiz, Borja López, Insua (Isra Puerto 41'); Castro (Nono 48'), Miravent (Carlos García 63'), Joaquín García (Vadillo 48'), Galán (Bustos 41'), Fede Vico (Íñiguez 75'), Iker Hernández (Rubio 63').
Korea: Seokmin; Jeimin, Changhoon, Youngchan (Song 59'), Jaemoon (Ku 78'), Hyun, Seugjun (Han 59'), Yongjoon (Jang 32'), Sangwoo (Lee 70'), Yeongjun, Sangmin.

Goals: 1-0. 56. Alvaro Bustos.

Spain are through to the final of the COTIF invitation trophy, where they will meet Argentina again after the South Americans beat Turkey in the second semi-final. With games coming thick and fast, Santi Denía made many changes for this match against South Korea. However they still dominated for most of the first half, with Fede Vico in particular hitting the bar. After the restart the coach brought on brought on Betis midfielders Vadillo and Nono, and within a few minutes they opened up the defence, allowing Sporting's Alvaro Bustos to score what was to prove the opening goal.

Spain 1 - Argentina 0

Spain: Ortolá; Iván López, Isra Puerto, Varela, Insua (Borja López 54'); Íñiguez, Castro (Fede Vico 41'), Nono (Carlos García 80'), Bustos (Iker Hernández 54'), Rubio (Miravent 67'), Vadillo (Salva Ruiz 80).
Argentina: Valle; Rodríguez, Beloso, Kranevitter, Giannetti, Fragapoane (Simeone 62'), Carvallaro, Icardi (Andrada 51'), Ruiz, Benítez, Fernández (Gómez 72').

Goals: 1-0. 55. Nono.

Spain made it through to the semi-finals of the COTIF invitation trophy after beating Argentina 1-0 in their last group match. The South Americans were already sure of a place in the last four but they put up a hard battle, the referee dishing out no less than 13 red cards, including two for Betis defender Varela. It was another Betis player though who saw them through, Nono's free kick bouncing through a crowded goalmouth past keeper Valle a quarter of an hour in to the second half.

Spain 3 - Saudi Arabia 0

Spain: Blanco; Iván López (Arroyo 51'), Isra Puerto, Varela (Salva Ruiz 73'), Borja López; Íñiguez (Nono 41'), Castro (Fede Vico 51'), Miravent (Carlos García 73'), Bustos (Vadillo 62'), Rubio (Iker Hernández 62'), Joaquín García (Galán 73').
Saudi Arabia: Ahmadali; Madu, Talalali, Almuwallad, Mahdi (Kanno 73'), Asiri (Alioufi 65'), Saleh Mohammed (Khubrani 36'), Ahmed Hassan (Khalid Hadi 41'), Majed Abdullah, Mohammed Qasem (Amaarali 57').

Goals: 1-0. 10. Iñiguez; 2-0. 44. Castro; 3-0. 81. Galán.

Spain won their second match, and now have to beat Argentina in two days time if they are to progress to the semi-finals. Villarreal's Iñiguez gave Santi Denia's side an early lead, and the Saudis were left with ten men when Talalali picked up a second booking on the half hour mark. Half time substitute Nono set up Aitor Castro for the second soon after the restart, and Vadillo passed in for Galán to finish things off near the end.

Spain 1 - Japan 2

Spain: Ortolá; Iván López (Arroyo 51'), Salva Ruiz (Borja López 41'), Insua, Íñiguez de Heredia (Varela 41'); Nono, Carlos García (Castro 41'), Fede Vico, Vadillo (Joaquín 69'); Galán (Rubio 51'), Iker Hernández.
Japan: Fujishima; Futami, Obu, Kuruyama, Kitazume, Masuda (Kumagai 69'), Watanabe, Hasegawa (Sunagawa 53'), Muto (Wada 69'), Kawata, Nakagawa.

Goals: 0-1. 03. Kawata; 0-2. 37. Kawata; 1-2. 55. Vadillo.

Spain lost their opening match in this invitation tournament, two first half goals from Kawata leaving them with too much to do after the break. Vadillo got one back from an Iker Hernández cross, but despite spending most of the game in Japan's half they were unable to get past a well disciplined defence.

Full squad:

Keepers: Rubén Blanco (Celta), Adrián Ortolá (Villarreal);
Defenders: Francisco Varela (Betis), Pablo Insua (Deportivo), Oscar Arroyo (Espanyol), Iván López (Levante), Israel Puerto (Sevilla), Borja López (Sporting Gijón), Salva Ruíz (Valencia);
Midfielders: Alvaro Vadillo, Carlos García and José Antonio Delgado "Nono" (Betis), Fede Vico (Córdoba), Albert Miravent (Espanyol), Aitor Castro (Real Sociedad), Joaquín García (Sevilla), Alvaro Bustos (Sporting Gijón), Pablo Iñiguez de Heredia (Villarreal);
Forwards: Borja Galán (Atlético Madrid), Iker Hernández (Real Sociedad), Alejandro Rubio (Sevilla).