Soccer: Kiwis dazzled by Spanish fireworks

The opening 17 minutes of New Zealand's third Confederations Cup campaign brutally underlined the yawning gap between the best team in the world and one just outside the top 80 - the 5-0 shutout testimony to that.

The firecracker start by tournament favourites Spain at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium left the shell-shocked All Whites in a forlorn attempt to pick up the pieces.

At 0-3 after 17 minutes - all three goals superbly scored by striker extraordinaire Fernando Torres - the game, as a contest, was over.

Pride was all the bewildered New Zealanders had to play for. When they soon fell another goal behind and, inside 50 minutes, even further back the already big ask for credibility became an even taller order.

To their credit, and staring at the possibility of the biggest loss by an All Whites team - the 7-0 drubbing against Uruguay in 1995 - they rallied, held the European champions scoreless for the remaining 40 minutes and even created a couple of half-chances for themselves.

While there were suggestions the Spanish, playing their first match at a Confederations Cup, eased back, others quickly scoffed at that, insisting the world's best, in any sport, never give a sucker an even break.

The opening minutes were a footballing lesson in the beautiful game.

Paid the compliment of having to play the best team coach Vicente del Bosque could put out, some star-struck New Zealand players were quickly exposed.

Any scraps of hard-won All Whites possession were just as quickly given away, allowing the Spaniards to mount wave after attacking wave with Joan Capdevila and Albert Riera on the left in particular making life a misery for Jeremy Brockie and David Mulligan.

The Torres hat-trick came from balls all played in from that side of the pitch and directly as a result of the Spaniards playing with the flair and understanding most can only dream about.

At times the Spanish gave the impression this was little more than a training exercise, their short-passing game a treat to behold and one which left their opponents chasing shadows.

That All Whites coach Ricki Herbert went to his bench, replacing Brockie with Jeremy Christie after just 27 minutes, was an indication of his frustration in watching his team fall 4-0 behind but, worse, giving every impression there was more to come ...

It was a reality check of the highest order.

One could only have sympathy for goalkeeper Glen Moss, left stranded and with no chance with any of the goals.

"That was as hard a game as I have had," said Moss later. "They weren't messing around. They came flying at us from the start and didn't let up."

The second half, apart from Andy Boyens' schoolboy howler when he completely missed an attempted clearance and gifted David Villa his 48th-minute goal for 5-0, was more encouraging but without ever seriously threatening to breach the fluid but resolute Spanish defence.

Hardworking All Whites midfielder Simon Elliott, the oldest player on the pitch, did all in his power to rally the troops. To a degree he achieved that as the players found enough confidence to live on the ball and at least attempt to get some forward momentum.

In the end, the die cast in that opening salvo proved a winning one and showed that the Spaniards, yet to win a senior Fifa title, made the most of their 59 per cent share of possession to hand out a footballing lesson.

That first title might not be long in coming.

"The guys are obviously disappointed," said Herbert. "Some of the goals we conceded were individual errors. We have to take it on the chin. It is fantastic to have these opportunities.

"We will grow from this. The smiles will be back on the faces tomorrow when we prepare for South Africa and Iraq who have always been the real targets for us."