Raúl record stands out in Reykjavik
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Article summary
Iceland 0-0 Spain
Raúl González won his 100th cap for the visitors as the sides settled for a draw in the Icelandic capital.
Article body
Iceland 0-0 Spain
Spain captain Raúl González was the main attraction in Reykjavik tonight after winning his 100th international cap in a goalless draw with Iceland.
Zubizarreta mark
The Real Madrid CF forward has been playing for Spain since October 1996 and is already his country's all-time top scorer with 44 goals. In terms of appearances, he is still some way behind goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta, who played 126 times between 1986 and 1998. At 29, time is on his side and Raúl at least has a potential 12 more appearances in UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying, which begins for Spain next month.
Paired together
It was a difficult friendly encounter for Luis Aragonés’s men, the first since their early exit from the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Iceland were without FC Barcelona forward Eidur Gudjohnsen but went closest to scoring in the first half through midfielders Jóhannes Karl Gudjónsson and Hannes Sigurdsson. Spain improved when wingers José Antonio Reyes and Joaquín Sánchez came on after the interval but the end product was still lacking. The teams will meet again in UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying Group F. The Spanish will stage the first match on 28 March next year before the return fixture on 8 September.
