Spain 2-0 England ......yawn
The revitalisation of England was given a dose of reality after they were beaten by Euro 2008 champions Spain.
England's Gabriel Agbonlahor shot just wide but Spain went ahead when David Villa wriggled through John Terry and Phil Jagielka before a clinical finish.
Fernando Llorente powered in a header to confirm Spain's superiority.
David Beckham came on for his record-equalling 108th England cap and set up Carlton Cole late on but the striker's effort was cleared off the line.
There was no repeat of the racist abuse some of England's players endured when these two sides met in 2004 and, instead, the focus could be on the football.
England coach Fabio Capello has made a point of picking players on merit rather than reputation and his stance nearly paid off immediately at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville.
Gareth Barry crossed from the left for Villa team-mate Agbonlahor but the striker volleyed narrowly wide.
Barry headed a Stewart Downing header wide before Heskey was cynically fouled when he would have been clean through on goal, although he was wrongly given offside.
The early England promise quickly evaporated as Spain found their passing rhythm as, at times, they toyed and teased England.
Everton's Jagielka was making his first England start and he facing Fernando Torres, of Liverpool, for a fourth time in the past month.
The centre-back had come out on top in their previous duels and, when Torres created a sight of goal for himself, it was Jagielka who flung himself to block the striker's shot and also clear after a David James fumble.
But Spain also have Villa and it was Jagielka's stray pass to Alonso which led to Spain's opener.
Alonso found Villa and he turned and wriggled past Terry and Jagielka before expertly sidefooting in.
The sight and danger of Torres and Villa highlighted England's lack of a proven goalscorer, despite Heskey's nuisance factor and Agbonlahor's pace.
Spain were in their stride and, after a Villa shot was blocked by Terry, Alonso struck a powerful shot but off target.
There is a regality, especially Xavi and Andres Iniesta, about the Spanish midfield as they stroke and spray the ball around.
The raft of substitutions at half-time included Beckham's as he drew level on 108 caps for an outfield player with Sir Bobby Moore.
And Beckham's beautiful crossfield ball found Shaun Wright-Phillips, whose shot was saved at the second attempt by Jose Reina.
England's misery was compounded when Llorente rose above Matthew Upson to force a header home from Xavi's diagonal free-kick.
Cole had an effort cleared off the line late on by Carlos Marchena but, if Capello wanted to know how far his side were from being world beaters, he found out there was plenty of work to do.
