Rossi scores hat trick for Villarreal against Tottenham

New Jersey-born forward Giuseppe Rossi scored three goals to lead Spain’s Villarreal to a 4-1 exhibition victory over England‘s Tottenham on Thursday.

Rossi scored in the 21st, 31st and 69th minutes at White Hart Lane. The 23-year-old was born in Teaneck to Italian parents and opted to play for Italy’s national team instead of the United States’. While he was on the Azzurri’s preliminary 30-man World Cup roster, he was cut when it was pared to 23.

Tottenham, returning home from a U.S. tour, played for the first time this summer with several of its World Cup players: Brazilian goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, and England’s Michael Dawson, Aaron Lennon, Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch. Giovani Dos Santos, on Mexico’s World Cup team, scored for Spurs in the 56th minute.