David Villa (Part 2)

After Spain's unexpected exit from the Confederations Cup, David Villa faced intense media speculation linking him with several top clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United. Villa, however, silenced these rumors by expressing his desire to stay at Valencia and fulfill his contract. He emphasized his commitment to the club, stating that he never saw himself leaving Valencia and that the club's decision not to sell him removed any doubts he had about his future.


Villa made his first official appearance of the 2009-2010 season on August 20, 2009, scoring in a 3–0 Europa League qualifier against Stabæk. He continued his goal-scoring form with two goals against Real Valladolid on September 13, marking his first league goals of the season. A week later, he scored twice against his former club Sporting Gijón in a 2–2 draw, while also captaining the team. Despite expressing some discontent with Unai Emery's managerial decisions, Villa later clarified that his comments were made in the heat of the moment and did not intend to criticize the coach.


In 2009, Villa achieved prolific goal-scoring success, netting 43 goals in 54 games for both Spain and Valencia. This outstanding performance led to his nomination for the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year. Villa continued his goal-scoring exploits, reaching his 100th league goal with Valencia in a match against Villarreal on January 17, 2010. He secured another brace against Getafe in February and scored a memorable hat-trick against Werder Bremen in the Europa League, propelling Valencia to the next round.
On May 4, 2010, Valencia faced Xerez, and Villa, coming on as a substitute, played his last match for the club as he prepared to embark on a new chapter in his football career.


Villa assumed the role of New York City's inaugural team leader on 1 February 2015, simultaneously becoming their premier Designated Player. Just over a week later, during a friendly encounter against Scottish side St Mirren, he secured the squad's first-ever goal. On 8 March, he initiated the team's debut Major League Soccer (MLS) match against Orlando City, contributing to Mix Diskerud's opening goal and drawing a foul from Aurélien Collin, resulting in Collin's dismissal in a 1–1 draw.[citation needed] In their maiden home game at Yankee Stadium a week later, Villa initiated the scoring, securing a 2–0 triumph over the New England Revolution for the squad's inaugural competitive victory.


Moving ahead to 12 July, Villa netted twice in a thrilling 4–4 home draw against Toronto, despite faltering in a penalty attempt during the first half. His exceptional performances earned him a spot in the 2015 MLS All-Star Game on 29 July, where, with an assist from Kaká, he sealed the match-winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. Despite Villa's prolific 18-goal contribution in the 2015 MLS regular season, New York City failed to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs during their debut season.


Villa secured a spot on the roster for the 2016 MLS All-Star Game. He subsequently clinched the 2016 MLS MVP Award, recognizing him as the league's outstanding player, after scoring 23 goals in the season. Villa was selected to start against former Clásico rivals Real Madrid in the 2017 MLS All-Star Game. Despite a 1–1 draw, Real won 4–2 in a penalty shoot-out. On 6 August, Villa achieved his first MLS hat-trick in a 3–2 victory over the New York Red Bulls in Yankee Stadium, bringing his tally to 17 goals for the season, surpassing Nemanja Nikolić. Villa concluded the regular season with 22 goals, finishing second in the race for the top scorer award, just two goals behind Nemanja Nikolić, while New York City succumbed to Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference semifinals.On 29 April 2018, Villa scored twice in a 3–1 triumph over Dallas, marking his 400th and 401st career goals. This accomplishment placed Villa among the select few players of the modern era to exceed the 400-goal milestone in their illustrious careers.


As of the conclusion of 2006, Villa had solidified his role as a crucial component in Luis Aragonés' strategies, displacing Raúl from the team.[42] Playing a pivotal role in Spain's qualification for Euro 2008, he netted six goals, including a spectacular bicycle kick against Liechtenstein.[155] His stellar performance earned him a spot in the tournament, where he formed a formidable striking partnership with Torres, often celebrating goals together. Villa's standout moment came with a hat-trick in Spain's 4–1 victory over Russia, making him the first player to achieve this feat at a UEFA European Championship since Patrick Kluivert in 2000 and only the seventh overall.


After securing the hat-trick, Villa went out of his way to meet Torres, who was on the bench, emphasizing their collaborative efforts: "I had just scored a hat-trick, and I knew people would be talking about me, but I wanted them to see that I had benefited from Torres's work, just as he sometimes benefits from mine. In the subsequent match, Villa sealed a 2–1 win against Sweden with a goal in the 92nd minute. Rested for the following match against Greece, he returned to the starting lineup in the quarter-finals, contributing to Spain's 4–2 victory on penalties against Italy; Villa took the first penalty and scored.


Advancing to their first semi-final in 24 years, Spain faced Russia for the second time in the tournament. However, Villa suffered a thigh injury in the early stages of the match after taking a free kick and was substituted for Cesc Fàbregas. Although unable to participate in the final, where Spain defeated Germany 1–0 to secure their second European Football Championships victory, Villa's four goals in the four games he played earned him the top scorer title of the tournament. He was also honored with the Golden Boot and found a place in the UEFA Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament alongside his striking partner Torres.

References

1.  Soccerlens (11 July 2010). "The Meteoric Rise of David Villa". Sportslens.com. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
2. a b c d e f g h i j k "David Villa – Europe's Most Wanted" (PDF). David Villa Official Website. June 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 September 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
3. a b c d e f g h i j k Sid Lowe (12 August 2009). "David Villa: the born goalscorer the giants failed to net". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
4. a b c "David Villa Official Website – Sporting Life". David Villa Official Website. 2008. Archived from the original on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
5. a b Dan Silver (19 December 2008). "David Villa profile: 10 Things you need to know about the Manchester City target". Mirror. Archived from the original on 20 July 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
6. a b c d e f g h i "David Villa Stats, News – Valencia". ESPN Soccernet. Archived from the original on 17 February 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
7. ^ "Real Zaragoza 0 – 1 Deportivo La Coruña". ESPN Soccernet. 31 August 2003. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
8. ^ "Real Zaragoza 3 – 0 Murcia". ESPN Soccernet. 14 September 2003. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
9. ^ "Real Zaragoza 2 – 2 Athletic Bilbao". ESPN Soccernet. 4 December 2003. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
10. ^ "Real Zaragoza 4 – 4 Sevilla FC". ESPN Soccernet. 25 April 2004. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
11. ^ "Statistics 2004–2005". David Villa Official Website. Retrieved 13 September 2009.[permanent dead link]
12. ^ "UEFA Cup Qualifying 2004/05 Details". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
13. ^ "Barcelona 4 – 1 Real Zaragoza". ESPN Soccernet. 23 September 2004. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
14. ^ "Real Zaragoza 3 – 0 Sevilla FC". ESPN Soccernet. 31 October 2004. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
15. ^ "Valencia 2 – 0 KAA Gent". ESPN Soccernet. 23 July 2005. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2009.