by ABC sports wire
25/4/99; 1:50:06 PM
Spain wins World Youth Cup
Spain has won soccer's World Youth Cup thrashing Japan 4-0 in the final.
The victory is Spain's first FIFA championship after it lost 1-0 to Brazil
in the 1985 youth final.
Pablo Gonzalez scored twice and Jose Javier Barquero and Gabriel Francisco
Garcia de la Torre also found the net for the Spaniards.
On its way to the final of the 24-nation tournament, Spain had beaten
Brazil on its first outing and was the only side not to lose a single
match, drawing just once, against Zambia.
After winning its opening round group, Spain put out the United States 3-2
in the second round, knocked out African champions Ghana on penalties in
the quarter-final and beat Mali in the semi-final.
Croatia won the FIFA Fair Play award after being ousted in the second round
by Brazil.
The best player award, voted by accredited journalists, went to Mali's
Seydou Keita, followed by Nigeria's Pius Ikedia and Spain's Pablo Gonzalez.