Argentina showcased a footballing exhibition against Spain, crushing the 2010 World Cup champions 4-1 in an international friendly in Buenos Aires. Under new manager Sergio Batista, Argentina stars Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez each found themselves on the scoresheet, and shone in unison for the first time in many moons - something that sadly did not occur in South Africa earlier this year. ...

By Reuters from abc.net.au Real Madrid midfielder Kaka has undergone an operation on his left knee and could be ruled out for three to four months, the clinic which carried out the surgery said. ...

By correspondents in London, England from foxsports.com.au Spain striker Fernando Torres has pledged his immediate future to Liverpool, ending speculation that the FIFA World Cup winner could be heading out of Anfield. ...

When Alberto Contador rode down the World famous Champs-Elysee to win this years Tour de France, he completed a unique treble for the proud Spanish nation. ...

Contador closes in on victory - from foxsports.com.au Spaniard Alberto Contador took a huge step towards a third yellow jersey triumph after matching a series of attacks from Andy Schleck on the Tour de France 17th stage. ...

This generation of Spanish tennis players have frequently been referred to as the Spanish Armarda, a reference to the Spanish fleet that tried to overthrow England's Queen Elizabeth in 1588. While the actual Armada failed in their quest the 'tennis Armada' has been far more successful. As it stands today the Spaniards had some impressive statistics: 4 in the top 20, 7 in the top 30, 13 in the top 100. The Spaniards have dominated Davis Cup in recent years, claiming the title in 2008 and 2009 before failing to France in the 2010 quarterfinals on French hard courts without their world number one, Rafael Nadal. The power of Spain, despite Nadal's occasional absence, is that they have more than enough quality players to make up two teams - all of whom are keen to play for the glory of Spain. Let's take a little look at the Armarda... Rafael Nadal - World Number 1 Rafael Nadal, the King of Clay, is unquestionably the greatest tennis player Spain has ever produced. He recently claimed Roland Garros and Wimbledon consecutively for the second time in his career, taking his Grand Slam tally to eight just weeks after his 24th birthday. Nadal has 41 ATP level titles and is third in the 'all time' earning on the circuit behind Federer and Sampras. Rafa also has an incredible Davis Cup record with 16 wins to only 5 losses.One of Rafa's more impressive achievements is his head to head record against Roger Federer. Rafa leads 14-7. So dominant is Nadal on clay that he has claimed 10 victories over arguably the best player ever on clay. Federer and Nadal stand tied at 3-3 on hard courts, with Federer leading 2-1 on grass (all Wimbledon finals). Nadal's career and issues with his knees have been well documented. After a phenomenal 2008 season which saw him claim his first French-Wimbledon double, closely followed by the Olympic Gold medal, Nadal won his first hard court Grand Slam at the 2009 Australian Open before his usual dominance on clay courts. Despite this dominance his private life was falling apart as his parents divorced and he was struggling to overcome bilateral knee tendinitis. After being unable to find his form for the rest of 2009 and an early injury (again to the knee) in 2010, Nadal came roaring back to form when he hit the clay courts again creating history by winning 6 consecutive Monte Carlo titles, his 5th Rome title, the first 'Clay Slam', and three consecutive Masters Series titles. Some of Nadal's records include: - Winner of French Open 5 times in 6 years - Only player to complete Monte Carlo - French Open 'Clay Slam' 2010 - Most French Open consecutive wins (31) 2005-2009 - Most Masters Series titles (18) - Only Olympic Gold while holding Slam on all three surfaces (French 2008- Australian 2009) - Two French-Wimbledon back to back Slams (tied with Bjorn Borg) - Two French Open titles without losing a set (tied with Bjorn Borg) - Most consecutive clay court wins (81) - Only player to win Roland Garros, Queens and Wimbledon consecutively 2008. - Only player to win 400 matches in less than 500 total matches (401-91) Nadal, the golden child of Spain, also had a belt of asteroids named after him in 2003. Fernando Verdasco - World Number 10 Fernando Verdasco comes from a wealthy background, having access to a full time tennis coach from the age of 8 and two hard courts in his backyard. As a child he was diagnosed with ADHD but was unable to be medicated due to ITF doping rules. Verdasco is an offensive baseline player who frequently travels with his father. The pivotal moment in his career was his singles win in the 2008 Davis Cup final that secure the tie for the Spaniards. Verdasco battled to victory in five sets and has credited this win with improving his belief in his own abilities. Fernando then started spending time with the Adidas development program, being guided by Gil Reyes and Andre Agassi. In fine form Verdasco then played one of the greatest matches ever in the Australian Open semi final against Rafael Nadal. Verdasco then became a regular quarterfinalist at most ATP events despite struggling with a foot injury. This year Verdasco reached his first Masters level semi and final in Monte Carlo where he was thrashed by an in-form Nadal. He then went on to win the Barcelona title before again making the semi's in Rome where he was beaten by Ferrer. He was also runner up in Nice and lost in the fourth round to Nicolas Almagro. Verdasco is a well known pretty/party boy and has become the face of Calvin Klein's X Marks the Spot campaign. He also frequently parties, most recently in Ibiza, with best friend, and fellow player Feliciano Lopez. ...

Well it takes all kinds of people to frequent the football. This young man tried to capture more than his standing room only ticket allowed by jumping over the fence and snatching the Wolrd Cup Trophy. If it wasn't for the quick minds of the security this could have been very ugly. Check it out. ...

Bar their great victory against Serbia, the Socceroos 2010 World Cup campaign will be seen as a lost opportunity to build on the heroics that eventuated four years earlier in Germany. Here are the 10 lessons Australia must learn in their quest to ensure a positive World Cup showing in Brazil and beyond. 1. No guts no glory - The Socceroos were woeful against Germany in their opening group game, and rightfully payed the price for playing such conservative football. The fact that their only scoring chance throughout the entire match came from a set piece, clearly proves why a defensive mindset will cost any team, let alone a second tier side like the Socceroos.  A repeat of their adventurous and direct approach against Serbia however should see Australia regularly progress past the group stages. 2. Play possession football on the ground - No nation in recent years has come close to matching Spain’s dominance. Why? Maybe it has something to do with the way they use the football when in possession. Rarely do you see the Spanish play long high balls in comparison to nations such as Australia and England. Spain’s game is heavily influenced by their support play and their constant ability to keep the ball on the ground when passing. It is a simple yet effective way of not only playing beautiful football, but also giving yourself the best chance of achieving World Cup glory. 3. Australia needs discipline - From the moment New Zealand fell victim to Australia’s constant foul play in the Socceroos send off match before the World Cup, one could sense Pim Verbeek’s men would struggle dearly in South Africa. Having struggled to better the All Whites, the Socceroos physicality proved their undoing against the might of Germany, as they were humbled 4-0 thanks to a lack of discipline coupled with clinical attacking play from their opponents. Harsh as it was, even Cahill’s tackle was ordinary to say the least and should have never occurred in the first place, especially with Australia 2-0 down. A crackdown on bad player behaviour is a must if the Socceroos are to realise their ambition of becoming world champions. 4. Dutch philosophy must go - The ‘total football’ that has become synonymous with Holland has now died, given their ordinary performance against Spain in the World Cup final. The Dutch system will not deliver the Socceroos the success they crave on the world stage. A new road must now be taken and it must lead to the appointment of current Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa as Socceroos manager. Sure, Bielsa doesn’t speak too much English but he will make Australia understand the beautiful game, and most of all, apply it on the pitch. Although Bielsa’s success with Chile was achieved with a hugely talented roster, there is no doubt the Argentine can transform the Socceroos into an offensive force to be reckoned with. 5. Future Socceroos must target Spain or German leagues - Too often do we hear about promising Australian players wanting to ply their trade in the English Premier League. If any Socceroos player wants to further develop their skills as a footballer, than a trip to either the Spanish La Liga or the German Bundesliga will do wonders for a players evolution. Footballing wise, these two leagues are head and shoulders above any other in Europe and will provide the best platform for the Socceroos to develop the technical aspects of their game. ...

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World Cup befits Spain - by George Caulkin in Johannesburg from theaustralian.com ...