1. At least the second goal helped to further demonstrate the technical gulf that was evident throughout.
2. England looked like the new kids on the block showing off Uncle Fabio’s plan for controlled possession, which worked fine until they actually tried to go anywhere outside their own half. Spain, by contrast, were comfortable on the ball throughout the team, could keep possession and attack at the same time, and were generally a cut above.
3. David Beckham was pretty awful on his record-equalling cap, one beautiful ball to Shaun Wright Phillips and a through-ball to Carlton Cole aside. He misplaced a lot of passes, particularly in his first 20 minutes on the pitch, and ran around a lot (in the headless chicken way rather than the drive the team on a la Greece way).
4. SWP was England’s best player by far, but that wasn’t saying a great deal.
5. Spain’s first goal was top class – pure brilliance from David Villa. The second was woeful – pure schoolboy defending from England and particularly Matthew Upson.
6. Another near David James howler as he dropped a simple catch. And then proceeded to jog back into goal with his hand in the air apparently oblivious to the continuing danger.
7. Gabriel Agbonlahor was largely ineffective on his debut (read entirely ineffective), but he wasn’t exactly playing in a side that was creating a lot of chances.
8. Stewart Downing finally delivered a dangerous set-piece for England. That free-kick nearly took Joan Capdevilla’s nose off as it smacked into the wall.
9. I thought Fernando Torres would get on the scoresheet, but I didn’t realise it would be Fernando Llorente Torres with his first goal for Spain!
10. During lulls in the game it was difficult not to hum the ‘Allo ‘Allo theme tune at the sight of Vicente Del Bosque.
