There was no repeat of the Cape Verde crisis,. the first half saw Spain as we know them, pulling Saudi Arabia apart as Lamine Yamal scored and Mikel Oyarzabal scored two – he might have had more. Job done for Spain, crisis over. The Saudis are still alive, too, and beat Cape Verde in the third group game and they can go through.
Luis de la Fuentes, the Spain coach, has been speaking,. also explaining why he changed his clothes at half-time: “We had an exceptional first half and a good second half as well, and above all, it allows us to maintain consistency and face the important matches ahead. Uruguay will be a difficult and very tough match.
“Rodri also had a fantastic game, both centre-backs were extraordinary. Lamine is in perfect condition to play full matches, and what can we say about Oyarzabal? He’d had a few minor issues, which we can’t reveal everything about, but he always delivers an exceptional performance.
“Because it was very hot despite the air conditioning,. I was more comfortable in more casual clothes … Nobody likes having their work and ability doubted. The players’ reaction is understandable. It was a statement of intent, a way to reclaim our place. give continuity to a project that’s been in the works for some time.”
Sid Lowe’s report from Atlanta has landed.
double quotation mark Lamine scored ten minutes into his first start since suffering a hamstring injury in April. Mikel Oyarzabal added two more in the first quarter. By the end it was four. it could hardly have worked out more nicely, Spain’s victory secured so early that the coach could use the occasion to offer opportunities to those that needed them, Mikel Merino and Nico Williams invited to join the party too. De la Fuente said that Spain wanted to be Spain again, and here they were.
Stat via Opta: “With two goals. an assist, Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal is only the second player on record (from 1966) to score or assist three goals in the opening 25 minutes of a World Cup match, after Hungary’s László Fazekas against El Salvador in 1982 (1 goal, 2 assists).”
Stat via Fifa: “Lamine Yamal (18 years. 343 days) has become the eighth youngest goalscorer in World Cup history, and the second youngest for Spain at the tournament. Only Gavi’s goal against Costa Rica in 2022 was scored at a younger age (18 years and 110 days).”
Let’s go off to the England camp.
double quotation mark Chalobah was on holiday with a friend in New York. He had been in Monaco the previous weekend for the Formula OneGrand Prix before popping along the Côte d’Azur to Cannes. then heading to the Big Apple on the Saturday. The plan after that was to go to Los Angeles.
The funny thing was Chalobah did not see the message from Tuchel straight away. “I was in Times Square,” he says. “I’d gone to the shops. It was when I got back to my hotel I saw Thomas had texted but it was two hours before. I didn’t see the message for two hours. I wasn’t on my phone. I was just walking around.”
That means Spain top Group H on four points, the rest – Saudi Arabia, Uruguay. Cape Verde on one point, the latter two to play later in Miami.
There was no repeat of the Cape Verde crisis,. the first half saw Spain as we know them, pulling Saudi Arabia apart as Lamine Yamal scored and Mikel Oyarzabal scored two – he might have had more. Job done for Spain, crisis over. The Saudis are still alive, too, and beat Cape Verde in the third group game and they can go through.
90+5 min: Ferran Torres probably knew his fate, and “after review”, that’s the score reduced to a mere four. That took its time, and looked offside. One for the Wenger daylight crew to consider.
90+3 min: Torres looks pensive as he waits for his big goals to be ruled in or out. This is a very long VAR wait. Jeers and boos ring out.
A tap-in, as Fabian Ruiz fizzes the ball across, and Torres taps in, and here comes a VAR check. It was tight.
90 min: Six minutes added on, and it’s walking pace at the moment.
89 min: This is a long break, medics aplenty dealing with Kanno, who has taken a nasty cut. is being bandaged up. He will be replaced by Al Ghannam. Or will he? No, it’s Nasser Al Dawsari who departs.
87 min: A collision, and sore heads for Kanno and Alaa Heiji, which leads to a break in play.
85 min: The Saudis venturing forward,. Spain seem happy to let them have it in a manner their high press of the first half did not allow. There’s well over 30 seconds of Saudi possession, surely a high over the whole game.
84 min: Fair to say that full-time is anticipated by both teams. It’s been a good workout for Spain, some faith restored though the lack of Lamine Yamal, even though he wasn’t at his best, in the second half suggests they need their key man fit. firing.
82 min: Al-Owais makes a fine save. to prevent an own-goal from Al Tambakti, though there was already a flag on the play.
80 min: An actual save to make for Unai Simon, as Al-Hamdan shoots, speculatively to say the least.
79 min: Pino. Ferran Torres try to link on the attack, neither yet to replicate the movement of Oyarzabal in the first half. The gas has been stepped off, admittedly.
78 min: Niall Mullen gets in touch: “While I don’t want to stereotype the Saudi side. I’m not sure many of them would be willing to sit in the dentist’s chair.” The reference was to root-canal work rather than a Singapore Sling.
77 min: Up in the posh seats, Gianni Infantino is sat with Michel Salgado, Spain, Real Madrid. Blackburn Rovers legend.
75 min: Spain recycle possession, and Fabian Ruiz’s ball is hoiked clear. Saudi looking to keep the score down even if “goal differential” is not as an important as it might be. It is useful in the count-back for the third-place matches.
73 min: De La Fuente looks on, stone-faced. Job done on his big birthday. His squad is so full of talent, and has shown that Cape Verde might just have been an aberration. Spain lost their first game of the 2010 World Cup by losing to Switzerland.
72 min: Pam gets in touch: “Enjoying the MBM. Keep up the good work. Re Justin Kavanagh’s 59th minute comment: Vozinha. Cape Verde on the other hand can channel MLK verbatim “I had a dream.””
Will it continue in Miami?
71 min: Spain change: Pedri has gone off, as Fabian Ruiz arrives, not a bad replacement to have.
70 min: Kari Tulinius gets in touch: “This match reminds of two prior World Cup matches involving Saudi Arabia, an 8-0 loss to Germany in 2002. a 5-0 loss to Russia in 2018. While both teams went on to do well, they weren’t as impressive as the result suggested. It feels crazy to think that about this Spanish side, but that’s how I feel watching them. Germany got to the final in 2002, so Spain shouldn’t worry too much what I think.”
69 min: Here’s the boos, as it’s a hydration break. For the Saudis, just over 20 minutes to go of being sat in the dentist’s chair.
67 min: The Saudis are sat in back four now, bit still sat as deep as the Marianas Trench. Now that Williams is on, they have retreated yet deeper.
66 min: Unai Simon watches the ball drift over him to Porro. He could have played this game in a Mickey Mouse costume and got away with it.
65 min: What a ball from Merino but Ferran Torres cannot make the best of it. He has a couple of ghosts to bury from the Cape Verde near-calamity.
64 min: Peter Oh returns: “I’d also like to request statistics on Adidas Trionda bursts. Could this ball be the new King of Pop?”
62 min: Spain subs: Merino and Nico Williams replace Baena and Dani Olmo. For the Saudis, Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat has come on, as has Alaa Heji, Al Amri. Al-Burakain are the two going off.
60 min: Spain’s possession is more sterile in that first half. There’s a concern as Rodri takes a bashing from Kanno, who is booked, though it looked a complete accident.
59 min: Justin Kavanagh gets in touch: “Nice to read of Rodri indulging his Uruguayan dreams. On that note, I think most of these overrun Saudis will look back on their visit to the home of Martin Luther King Jr.,. reflect “I had a nightmare.”
57 min: Spain will have their eyes on Uruguay now. They play Cape Verde later in Miami. Just £420, those.
55 min: The Saudis are looking to their final match now. That’s against Cape Verde, in Houston, and a quick ticket check suggests you can be there for a mere £336.
54 min: Nigel in Toronto is looking for a statistician: “Hi, John, I agree with Andre Street. Does someone know how many shots have gone high compared to previous World Cups at this stage?”
53 min: Pedro Porro, playing like a winger, bursts into the space that was once Yamal’s, chasing Cubarsi’s pass. will have hoped to do rather better with the shot.
51 min: Rodri gets in touch,. is feeling pessimistic: “As many Uruguayans, I didn’t expect us going further than R32, (no way of us beating Argentina nowadays). But after Spain first game, I naively dreamed that if we could get a better goal difference. tie the last game, when Spain might be saving legs, we could top the group. And then, with a lot of luck, we could even go far.. As they say, dreaming is free. They also say it’s the hope that kills you, but it was nice while it lasted. Now, back to reality and Sunday house cleaning (not a metaphor about the Uruguayan squad, but the actual chores).”
50 min: Cucurella accepted the applause but that’s yet another OG at the World Cup.
The corner drifts to the back post,. Cucurella smashes a volley, off Al Owais and Tambakti deflects in, unable to stop it rolling in.
48 min: Has Pedri taken a knock? He soldiers on having ridden a strong tackle that concedes a corner.
47 min: No hat-trick for Oyarzabal, then,. Yamal has had his runout, and scored his first World Cup goal, too.
46 min: Two Spain subs: Oyarzabal and Lamine Yamal off, and Yeremy Pino, Ferran Torres on. For the Saudis, Al Juwayr off, as is Abdullah Al-Khaibari, and on comes Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Mohamed Kanno.
That first half belonged to Mikel Oyarzabal, though Alex Baena has impressed. Victor Munoz, the new Liverpool buy, is missing with an injury.
Andre Street gets in touch: “That ball, I read someplace it was popping. But is it inflated with helium?” Lot of shots flying high, that’s for sure.
In truth, Spain have left some goals behind despite their commanding lead. Yamal has his first goal and Mikel Oyarzabal has got two. The Saudis have been chasing shadows and must be grateful there’s air con.
45+3 min: A Saudi counter,. it’s Yamal who chases down Al Harbi, who made another of those long runs from deep. Then Rodri has to hoof clear.
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