European champion Spain gave a real football lecture and categorically eliminated Austria 3:0 in their first elimination clash of the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
At the “SoFi Stadium“ in Los Angeles, Luis de la Fuente's boys left no doubt about their superiority. The big hero of the evening was Real Sociedad striker Mikel Oyarzabal, who scored twice (36' and 89'), and Tottenham defender Pedro Poro added a goal with header in the 66th minute.
With this victory, Spain broke a 16-year streak of no success in regular time in direct eliminations at the World Cup (since the 2010 final). In addition, the team recorded its fourth consecutive clean sheet at the tournament, and goalkeeper Unai Simon broke Walter Zenga's legendary record from 1990 for the most consecutive minutes without conceding a goal at the World Cup (now 519 minutes).
What did the camps of both teams say?
Spain's staff and players: “We were almost perfect“
Luis de la Fuente (Spain coach): “We knew how important this match was, especially in the knockout phase. We had in mind our previous matches and I can say that in every aspect we were almost perfect.“ Miquel Oyarzabal (striker and player of the match): Expressed great satisfaction with the efficiency in front of goal and defined the evening as a “very good day“ for the team, reinforcing his reputation as an indispensable figure in the attack. Lamin Yamal (Spain winger): The young superstar, who tormented the Austrian defense throughout the first half, was categorical in front of the media: “Spain is not afraid of anyone in this World Cup!“Austria camp: “The heat and class broke us“
Ralf Rangnick (Austria coach): The German admitted that his team's aggressive pressing did not work against the opponent's quick combination. He noted that his team gave it their best, but Spain is simply on another level. David Alaba (captain of Austria): The defender, who sacrificed everything and even cleared the ball from the goal line after a shot by Yamal, shared an interesting detail about his physical condition: “The hydration break in the middle of the first half took us out of rhythm and hindered us.“ The Austrians finished the match without a single shot on goal by Simon.Analysis and comments from experts
World sports analysts agree that Spain has shown its best face since the beginning of the World Cup precisely when it mattered most.
Steve McManaman (ESPN pundit): “The win over Austria was Spain's strongest performance at this World Cup so far.“ Tactical emphasis: The media notes that the midfield, led by Rodri and Pedri, literally “suffocated“ the Austrians, and Mark Cucurreia had a phenomenal game on the left wing, providing two perfect assists for Oyarzabal's goals. The stats: Spain have taken an impressive 23 shots (10 on target) with an expected goals (xG) of 2.84, compared to just 5 attempts for Austria (0 on target) and an xG of 0.32.What's next?
Spain are looking confidently towards the round of 16, where they will face Portugal. The road to “La Furia“ is getting more and more serious, but with this game they made a clear statement that the title is the #1 goal.
Sources: Al Jazeera Sport, ESPN Football, The Athletic / NY Times, FIFA Official Match Report, Sportal.bg