Torres scores as Spain routs Poland 6-0

The playmaker came off in the 39th with an apparent thigh strain and was expected to undergo scans in Barcelona on Wednesday.

8220;The doctors will see,but he came off mostly as a precaution,8221; coach Vicente del Bosque said.

Team doctor Juan Jose Garcia Cota said 8220;it doesn8217;t appear to be a tear8221; but cautioned that only the tests will tell.

Xabi Alonso scored Spain8217;s third goal in the 51st before setting up Cesc Fabregas seven minutes later in the Arsenal midfielder8217;s second game back from a fractured leg.

Torres guided home Pedro Rodriguez8217;s pass in the 76th before Pedro scored in the 81st.

Spain,which has now won its last 11 games,goes into the June 11-July 11 tournament in South Africa as one of the favorites.

Torres had chances after coming on for Villa in the 66th minute in his first appearance since right knee surgery in April.

8220;The injury8217;s passed and now I8217;m able to help my teammates,so it8217;s time to enjoy it,8221; Torres said. 8220;Tomorrow I8217;m sure there will be a lot of optimism and euphoria but we know it will be difficult.8221;

Although Torres and Fabregas8217; goals offered reassurance over the recovering players ahead of South Africa,Iniesta8217;s early exit provided some anxiety.

The playmaker looked like he8217;d overcome his injury problems as his dribbling runs through the midfield led to both of Spain8217;s goals.

Iniesta,who hasn8217;t played a full 90 minutes for Spain since February 2009,ran into the area in the 12th minute before providing a cross that appeared to go in off defender Dariusz Dudka,although Villa was credited with his 38th international goal.

Villa,who is six goals shy of matching Raul Gonzalez8217;s record 44,was dangerous throughout and called for the ball just before Spain8217;s second goal,only for Iniesta to instead provide a lob for Xavi Hernandez,whose cross into the middle was turned in by Silva.

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas had a fairly quiet game,though he denied Poland in the 26th minute by getting a hand to Slawomir Peszko8217;s rising shot.

Spain dominated possession and Alonso extended its lead when his long shot took a deflection,giving keeper Tomasz Kuszczak no chance.

Fabregas,back after breaking his right leg in April,replaced Xavi in the 56th minute and scored with his first real touch,swiveling to send Alonso8217;s perfect through ball off Kuszczak and into the net.

The goals continued as Torres was perfectly placed to latch on to Pedro8217;s cross and steer the ball beneath Kuszczak. Pedro,who had replaced Iniesta,then scored his first goal for Spain with a delicate chip.

Del Bosque looks set to use a single striker up front for the June 16 opener against Switzerland with Torres still not fully match fit.

Spain,which recorded its biggest home win since an 8-0 win over Cyprus in 1999,will also face Honduras and Chile in Group H.

Spain,which leaves for Johannesburg on Thursday,hasn8217;t lost since its last trip to South Africa 8211; a 2-0 semifinal defeat by the United States at the Confederations Cup.

Lineups:

Spain squad: Iker Casillas,Alvaro Arbeloa Sergio Ramos,55,Joan Capdevila,Gerard Pique,Carles Puyol Carlos Marchena,72,Xabi Alonso,Sergio Busquets,Andres Iniesta Pedro Rodriguez,39,David Silva Jesus Navas,55,Xavi Hernandez Cesc Fabregas,56,David Villa Fernando Torres,66.

Poland: Tomasz Kuszczak,Kamil Glik Maciej Sadlok,54,Dariusz Dudka,Michal Zewlakow,Grezegorz Wojtkowiak,Slawomir Peszko,Rafal Murawski,Adrian Mierzejewski Adam Matuszczyk,45,Jakub Blaszczykowski Mateusz Cetnarski,87,Robert Lewandowski,Dawid Nowak Maciej Rybus,62.