Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has insisted it is time to double down rather than react to Monday night’s shock draw against Cape Verde. La Roja, who entered the World Cup as one of the favorites to win, could not find a way to get past Cape Verde, who were playing for the first time.
Overall Spain were unable to find space in the final third, as evidenced by Mikel Oyarzabal’s unwanted touches. Still, La Roja, who had 27 shots but only six on target, had their chances, and de la Fuente was keen to send a message that the solution remains the same.
“The solution lies in continuing to have the same ideas and keep improving them in a more subtle way. But, well… as Rodri explained, this kind of match creates a lot, but it lacks the freshness that this kind of match requires,” he told Marca.
“That idea is what got us this far, what made us European champions, why we have been undefeated for so long, to continue to bet on that idea, and also to continue to bet on the recovery of key players that we need to recover, who will play a key role in our progress in the competition.”
“We lacked a bit of passing speed” – de la Fuente
Continuing on, de la Fuente was impressed with his opponent and felt that a little more sharpness would have opened the door.
“They are a very organized team. We knew they would play in a low block, so it was very difficult to create space. We still created chances, but we didn’t have enough passing speed to create them. When the ball doesn’t go in, it doesn’t go in. We had shots, we had chances, and we wanted to finish the game quickly. We know this is going to be very difficult, and we know it’s going to be very difficult to win here.”
“This kind of competition is very close and difficult. Each team has different characteristics and they do what they have to do well, despite their limitations. The team we played was clearly worse than us, but they did what they had to do very well and defended very well. If they had scored in the first half, the game would have been different. “But they do what they do very well. So in every game, to beat our rivals, we have to perform at a very high level and with absolute precision, and of course they did that. “It taught us that we have to keep growing, we have to keep improving. ”
He insisted that his team can be trusted to progress and grow into the competition.
“All the noise and drama is fine, but this team is definitely reliable. By the way, today we went 32 games unbeaten. The numbers show that this team is a very reliable team. We’ll be better in the next game, that’s for sure. And we know how difficult this kind of competition is. When you lack that subtlety, that freshness, that last pass accuracy, well, this is what happens.”
“But there’s nothing that makes us question it, nothing that distracts us or causes us undue worry, other than it’s an area of improvement that we need to keep working on. That’s it. No matter what is said or not, we are sticking to our path and that is the path that has brought us here after months of doing things well and continuing to do it.”
Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams fitness
In the final stages of the game, coach de la Fuente brought on Lamine Yamal for the final 25 minutes and Nico Williams for the final five minutes. Both players have been recovering from hamstring injuries over the past two months.
“The goal is to gradually give them playing time so they can gain confidence and rhythm and be in better shape for the upcoming games.”
Gavi selection selection
But if there was one decision that drew criticism, it was the choice to play Gabi on the left, away from his natural position in central midfield.
“I expected Cape Verde to sit deeper, not as deep as they did, but their retreat was very deep. It is a result of our absolute superiority and the constant sense of danger that we created. This pressure led to the movement of our wingers cutting inside and the movement of our full-backs. Because of the width and depth they provided, they forced all 10 defenders, including the goalkeeper, back into the box. But simply put, at times they lacked the touch they needed and that decisive pass could have led to some of the goals we created. ”
All eyes will be on De La Fuente’s starting lineup for the next game against Saudi Arabia on Sunday, and whether any of the three wingers Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Victor Munoz will start. In Spain, de la Fuente certainly had a lot of enthusiasm for his selection.
