Casillas saves Spain in the shootout (Allsport).
CASILLAS REIGNS IN SPAIN
By Paul Giblin, PA International, Madrid
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Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has become a
national hero if not a deity following his penalty-stopping display against the
Republic of Ireland.
The Spain goalkeeper saved an Ian Harte penalty during the game before
stopping efforts from David Connolly and Kevin Kilbane during the shoot-out to
see Spain through to the quarter-finals.
The sports press led the charge with the Real Madrid youngster's performance
grabbing all the front pages.
"Saint Casillas!" said Sport - "A heroic Casillas sees Spain into the
quarter-finals."
Marca's headline acclaimed "The Hands of God", before highlighting Spain's
fortune in qualifying. "We suffered as always but won as never before," said
their report.
El Mundo Deportivo kept it simple. "Hero" stands out as their one-word
headline.
On the inside pages, Casillas is once again canonised, this time as "Saint
Iker".
National newspaper El Pais also highlights Casillas with a more sedate front
page headline, "Casillas takes Spain into the quarter-finals".
This week's general strike in Spain also gets ample coverage, but World Cup
fever has taken over.
El Pais also stands out in that writer Santiago Segurola takes the brave step
of criticising coach Jose Antonio Camacho for playing Luis Enrique, Juan Carlos
Valeron and Ruben Baraja out of position.
"If that wasn't enough, Camacho compounded the situation with a series of
questionable if not mistaken changes," Segurola wrote.
However, his is a voice crying out in the wilderness. ACB continues the
religious theme, calling Casillas "Spain's guardian angel", while the
frequently outspoken La Razon booms "Iker of Spain places Spain among the best
in the world".
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