Spain silenced doubters and critics alike with a resounding 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia on the second matchday of Group H. The fans enjoyed another near-sellout experience at Atlanta Stadium (the official count was 68,239), and an exciting four goals for Spain to make up for their goalless draw last Monday.
The way that Spanish manager Luis de la Fuente was tiptoeing around Lamine Yamal questions let us know he would be part of today’s squad. The moment he touched the ball, the crowd exploded with cheers. It took only seconds for him to make his presence known, with a feint, a deke, and when he dropped his defender to the ground, he stood over him, as if to let the world know, “I am here.”
Saudi Arabia, as a team, may be outranked by Spain, and their fans may be outnumbered, but the small contingent of Saudi Arabian fans was sure to make their voices heard. With drums, hand claps, and consistent shouting, Saudi supporters put the world on notice.
Spain was the first to strike in the 10th minute of play with a goal from youngster Lamine Yamal. Mikel Oyarzabal found open space down the left side. He attacked with pace and saw open space in front of goal. With just a few touches, the Real Sociedad man sent a low cross zooming across the keeper’s box to Lamine Yamal, who slid in with a quick one-timed touch.
“It’s difficult to defend Spain,” said Saudi Arabian manager Georgios Donis. “With a five-back, or even a 4-4-2, it’s still going against Spain.”
Saudi Arabia tried to contend with Spain in possession, but the Spaniards were too much defensively. Every time Saudi Arabia tried to build up play, the Spaniards sat high, almost daring Saudi Arabia to cross the halfway line. Spain didn’t press every time, but then again, they didn’t need to. They established themselves so high, often with seven to eight players, that Saudi Arabia crumbled under the pressure.
That pressure paid off after 20 minutes of play with a second goal. Oyarzabal pounced on a ball during confusion in the box and beat Al Owais to his left. However, their true tactical ability was evident in the follow-up goal by Oyarzabal. Pedro Porro set up play in the attacking third on the right side. He changed up play to Cucurella on the left side, who sent a one-timed lob to Dani Olmo, who headed the ball to Oyarzabal. The ball never touched the ground. In that moment, the entire stadium could feel the vibe; that tiki taka was back.
It was only mid-way through the first half, and the Spaniards had outshot their opponents 13-1. La Roja outpossessed the Green Falcons of Saudi Arabia a whopping 71% heading into the second half. The break was a chance for Georgios Donis to gather his men and send them into the second half with encouragement and inspiration. Something akin to Hervé Renard in Qatar 2022, when Saudi Arabia came out in the second half to beat Argentina against all odds. Whatever Donis said was not enough, as an own goal was conceded just four minutes into the second half.
“When there are players with individual attributes that excel one-on-one, they make a difference,” said Donis in reference to the impact of Lamine Yamal. Saudi Arabia’s manager was questioned consistently about Lamine Yamal as well as his formation choice.
Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Al-Hamdan was able to test goalkeeper Unai Simón for the first time late into the second half. The Green Falcons totaled three shots, with only Al-Hamdan’s landing on target. The forward, who plays alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr, was inserted into the lineup in the second half to spark some energy into his side. But even with today’s loss, the Saudi Arabians are still in it. Since every team drew a point on the first matchday, the final matchday is set to be an exciting decision day for Group H.
“We’re happy, but things need to keep improving, of course,” said Luis de la Fuente about looking like the Spain of old. “The most important thing is that there’s room for improvement. We corrected a few playing elements that didn’t feel well in the last game.”
“This is not our reality. We can do even better than this. The remarks that they (players) hear will make them react. The first half, we did amazing, the pressing and how vertical we played.”
Spain thought they had ended the match with a consolation fifth goal by Ferran Torres, but a lengthy VAR check reversed the decision. No matter. A 4-0 win and an Oyarzabal brace are a better consolation anyway.
Saudi Arabia will face Cabo Verde on Friday, June 26, while Spain will take on Uruguay at the same time.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Eyoel Fassil