2 hours ago
Spain will depart from Santiago de Compostela astatine 10am connected Friday greeting bound for Chattanooga, via Nashville, but 7 of nan 8 men who made their debuts successful nan last mentation crippled earlier nan World Cup will not beryllium connected committee pinch them. Nor will nan seleccion beryllium flying westbound pinch a triumph aft they bid adios pinch a 1-1 tie against Iraq astatine Estadio Riazor. Which whitethorn not sound very bully – and it really was not very bully either, a 22-minute cameo from Mikel Merino astir nan champion point astir it – but is nary origin for alarm.
Luis de la Fuente’s broadside will still beryllium among nan favourites successful nan US, Canada and Mexico and rightly so; this was not really his side, astatine slightest not recognisably so.
If anyone came for clues arsenic to what Spain will beryllium for illustration astatine nan World Cup, they did not find them successful La Coruña. How could they erstwhile it played retired for illustration this? When nan 5th and last group of players to study for work astatine their Las Rozas HQ, 25km northwest of Madrid, had only arrived astatine 4th to 9 connected Wednesday night, 24 hours and 15 minutes earlier footwear off? When location were 11 substitutions made? When of nan coach’s preferred XI, it’s plausible that only 2 aliases possibly 3 started here? And erstwhile nan players who astir apt astir enjoyed this, for whom it astir mattered, aren’t going to nan US astatine all?
Ten of nan men who did recreation to nan US, were not included. It was not conscionable those that had played nan Champions League last – Fabián Ruiz, David Raya and Martín Zubimendi – who were near out. De la Fuente took attraction of Nico Williams, who had played conscionable six of nan past 15 nine games, and Lamine Yamal, who has not made an quality since 22 April because of a torn hamstring, was besides near out. Lamine remains nan large mobility for everyone. Rodri, Pedri, Mikel Oyarzabal, Marc Cucurella and Víctor Muñoz sat successful nan stands too.
Down connected nan pitch, only Pedro Porro, Aymeric Laporte and possibly Dani Olmo are earthy starters. Two of those that began nan lucifer – Marc Bernal and Jon Martín – are not going to nan World Cup, and 7 of those sitting connected nan subs’ chair astatine footwear disconnected are not either, pinch De la Fuente giving an opportunity to nan support squad, invited to subordinate Spain successful training complete nan past week. Every 1 of them was fixed a game. Along pinch Marc Pubill, that made 8 debutants successful a azygous night, which will beryllium a bully quiz mobility 1 day.
Spain person a settled squad and a settled side, pinch fewer positions still to beryllium fought for, truthful this felt a small superfluous. If this was an opportunity for Joan García to make a declare connected nan goalkeeping spot, a nationalist statement correct now, Iraq’s extremity did not fortify his case. If it was an opportunity for Gavi, aft a play of injury, it did not do nan Barcelona midfielder immoderate harm. He was his accustomed engaged beingness and it was nary astonishment erstwhile he was booked.
The building of nan broadside looked a small different too, nan 4-2-3-1 a spot much defined than it mightiness beryllium successful nan US, wherever it’s apt to look for illustration 4-3-3. In nan absence of Lamine, Williams and Muñoz, nan wingers were Álex Baena and Ferran Torres, men pinch a inclination to travel inside, lacking nan directness De la Fuente embraced to specified effect astatine nan Euros, truthful that excessively offered small insight.
One point that will person pleased nan caput coach was nan easiness pinch which Laporte took work for bringing nan shot out. He was nan 1 intercepting and stepping retired to commencement nan move that gave Spain nan lead connected 15 minutes. An incisive guardant walk divided Iraq, breaking done nan first statement of pressure, and recovered Olmo who, conscionable arsenic swiftly, moved it connected different line. Borja Iglesias fto it tally done his legs and Torres took it on, dashing done from nan right, excessively accelerated for Zaid Tahseen, and scoring pinch a debased finish.
This, possibly predictably, was a Spanish speech and was soon accompanied by olés and Mexican waves but much goals did not travel and nor did overmuch football. Iraq equalised done Merchas Doski. If he meant it, it was outrageous. The position, retired connected nan near wing, suggested a cross; nan plaything and nan interaction pinch nan shot did not. García sewage a spot of his correct manus connected it but could not support it out. At nan different extremity Torres deed nan barroom and Olmo volleyed complete but location were nary much goals earlier half-time erstwhile Spain made 5 changes. Jesus Rodríguez had been connected conscionable 18 seconds erstwhile he dashed done and changeable wide.
Three much changes were made connected 59 minutes, each of them debutants: Atlético Madrid centre-back Pubill, who is going to nan US, and Beñat Turrientes and Javi Guerra who are not. Seven minutes aft that came a much important introduction: Merino, whose 28 minutes connected nan last time of nan Premier League play were nan only clip he had played since January, was introduced to return different measurement towards afloat rehabilitation, wearing nan captain’s armband. He was past followed by Leo Román and Rodríguez but nary goals.
They won’t beryllium connected nan formation to Nashville but 26 men will and they will onshore successful nan US pinch a week still to hole and arsenic favourites.
