The Spain forward is happy to create space and chances
for his country's main striker rather than lead the attack
This might sound like just about the stupidest thing
you've ever heard but bear with it for a moment. It's not quite as
absurd as you might think. Ok, here goes ... Fernando Torres
is Spain's Emile
Heskey. On the face of it there is no comparison. Last season the
Spaniard scored 18 Premier League goals despite missing much of the
season through injury. Heskey got three. In his three years in
England, Torres has scored 56 times; Heskey would have to go back
nine campaigns to rack up as many. Meanwhile, the Englishman has
scored seven at international level, while his counterpart has
24.
It is at international level, though, where there is a curious
parallel developing between the two. Neither has scored at the
World Cup. In fact, Torres has not scored for Spain since last
summer, and Heskey has not scored for England since June last year.
But he did at least score during qualification, which is more than
can be said for Torres.
It should not have been so long. Torres wasted two wonderful
opportunities against Honduras; Heskey failed to take his chance
against the USA.
Not that anyone was surprised, or even especially angry. Most
imagined Heskey would miss, and scoring goals was officially not
his job. When Torres missed, the surprise was greater. But here's
the thing: scoring is not his job either.
"David [Villa] is the goalscorer," Torres said. "He's the one
whose responsibility it is to score [for Spain]. When I was 17 I
would get annoyed if I didn't score but not any more."
For a man with more than 150 goals to his name, it was a
startling remark, and Torres does care about getting goals himself.
It could also be dismissed as an attempt to ease the pressure – and
questions certainly have been asked about the Madrileño's
form and finishing.
Yet the sentiment was not entirely misplaced. Both Torres and
Heskey have found themselves in a situation in which they are,
rarely for a forward, judged not so much on their own performances
as that of the man alongside them.
Though the doubts lingered, and are ever greater now, England
fans long learnt to value Heskey for something other than goals,
Gérard Houllier once brandishing the figures to underline his
importance, even if those figures did not include goals scored. Now
Spanish fans are having similar discussions about Torres.
He has twice undergone operations this year. This might be a
World Cup but he is undergoing a kind of pre-season; against
Honduras he started a match for the first time in three months.
"The most important thing," he said, "is that I'm progressing." The
most important thing is that Spain are. And although superficial
judgments suggest otherwise, Torres is a central reason why.
It is the performance of the men alongside them that means
Heskey and Torres have such different horizons; and that, in turn,
says something about their displays. Wayne Rooney failed to score;
Villa has scored three times. Or to put it another way: Heskey
failed to help Rooney score; Torres helped Villa score – an
interpretation that comes as a comfort to Torres, something to
which he can cling in his drought.
Heskey was dropped from and ultimately had to head for home with
the defeated squad; Torres will be included as Spain face Portugal
tonight believing that they can reach the final on
11 July. The reason is simple: even without getting goals,
Torres has proven fundamental.
The Liverpool striker was absent from the starting line-up in
Spain's 1–0 defeat in the opening game against Switzerland. When he
has been included, Villa has scored three times, mostly coming in
from the left. Against Chile, it was Torres's power and pace that
presented Villa with the chance – if it can even be called a
"chance" – to score.
The move was reminiscent of Villa's first at Euro 2008, a goal
he greeted by pointedly celebrating with Torres, the provider.
The roles remain. "Torres generates a lot of space for me –
anyone can see that," Villa says.
"Torres hasn't scored goals yet; he lacks pace and his finishing
needs to improve, but he is very valuable," says Vicente del
Bosque, Spain's coach. "He ties up the defenders, is a constant
threat and opens spaces. He always offers himself, especially at
the hardest moments, and causes problems with his power and
pace."
Javi Venta, the Villarreal defender, adds: "When Torres plays,
Villa plays better. He has more freedom, greater mobility."
The former Spain midfielder Victor Muñoz defines it in a phrase:
"Torres makes the pitch longer."
Torres adds: "Look at Villa's figures, they're incredible. He's
the Seleccion's goalscorer and always has been." Well, not
always. The last time questions were raised about Torres's
goalscoring ability, during Euro 2008, he silenced them in style.
By scoring the most important goal in the country's history.