Spain waits on Lithuania pitch but is in firm control of fate

Spain's soccer team traveled to Kaunas in Lithuania on Sunday without knowing if the European Championship qualifying match scheduled for Tuesday would be played or not. On Monday a Uefa delegation will inspect the playing surface at the Darius-Girenas stadium, which was already showing the effects of the harsh Baltic winter during Lithuania's friendly game with Poland on Friday.

Spain, where the media is calling the surface a "potato field," has said it could play the game in September, with defender Álvaro Arbeloa explaining that the "most worrying thing would be if someone was injured."

"It isn't good for us or for them. The pitch isn't for playing on, it's not in condition," coach Vicente del Bosque told a news conference in Kaunas on Monday.

"We aren't going to completely change our style of play," Del Bosque said. "But if we can't play it short we'll play it long looking for the knock downs. We have the players to do it. We will adapt to the

situation."

Having shaken off a lethargic first-half approach to Friday night's Group I match in Granada to come from behind to beat the Czech Republic 2-1, Spain, the champion, is in full control of the qualification phase. Having now won four out of four, Del Bosque's team could lose the return match against the Czechs and still be sure of winning the group by collecting two wins and a tie in the other three games: the Lithuania match and meetings with Liechtenstein and Scotland in the fall.

David Villa scored twice, including a penalty after man-of-the-match Andrés Iniesta was fouled inside the box, to take him to a record number of goals for Spain, 46, two ahead of Raúl. Jaroslav Plasil gave the Czechs a shock lead on 29 minutes with his team's only shot on goal of the evening.