Juanito pleased to score
23 Jun 2006 - 18:07:15
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- Juanito pleased to score
Spain goalscorer Juanito admitted the 1-0 victory against Saudi Arabia had not been pretty.
Coach Luis Aragones fielded an entirely new team for the match and the second-string side struggled at times, particularly in the second half.
After the match the Real Betis defender said: "The game didn't have a lot of importance because we had already qualified but it was a chance for the other players to impress.
"We all did the best we could and I was pleased with my performance because it isn't every day you can score a goal in a World Cup.
"We played well enough in the first half but lost too many balls too easily in the second when we took it a little easy.
"But they were not easy opponents. They made it difficult for us.
"I don't care who we get in the next round, though France are clearly the strongest side we can come up against.
"It's one more little step to (the final) in Berlin. We'll see how it goes."
Veteran Saudi Arabia forward Sami Al Jaber has announced his retirement after appearing in four World Cup finals.
He said: "This has been a great memory for me.
"All four World Cups I have been at have been special but I'm so pleased to sign off here (at the World Cup finals) with a goal (against Tunisia)."