The old Fernando Torres is back

Spain took a chance and started 28-year-old striker Fernando Torres in their second Euro 2012 Group C game against Ireland. This was a surprising decision because "El Niño" struggled to finish several scoring chances in the final 25 minutes of Spain's 1-1 draw against Italy.

But Torres, who appeared in just three of Spain's Euro 2012 qualifiers, only needed four minutes to score against Ireland and added a second goal in the 70th minute of a 4-0 win.

Torres joined Chelsea from Liverpool in 2011 for the very modest, British record transfer fee of £50 million.

Upon his arrival, the fans and the press wanted to give him every chance to adjust to his new team with as little extra pressure as possible. There were times near the beginning and end of last season when he scored a few goals and those were treated as a pure bonus from a player who hasn't been the same since leaving Atletico Madrid. Chelsea went on to win the UEFA Champions League for the first time in club history and Torres contributed quietly.

At the international level, Spain did not need "El Niño" Torres to score when they won the 2010 World Cup. The Spaniards haven't needed him to score a goal in a competitive game since facing Lichtenstein in September of 2010, so he decided to wait for his chance to shine.

He let some of that repressed skill out yesterday, taking the ball for his own in the box and scoring from a difficult angle and then again in a one on one chance against Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given. Finally the old Fernando Torres is back, just when Spain needs him the most.