Ever since winning their third continental title at Euro 2012, Spain have generally struggled in tournament play. Over the three World Cups and two European Championships since then, La Furia Roja have advanced beyond the round of 16 on just one occasion. Heading into Euro 2024, Spain were generally regarded as a potential dark horse pick capable of going deep but not necessarily likely to win an unprecedented fourth title.
That being said, Spain clearly showcased their title credentials in their opening Group B match, beating Croatia 3-0 with a dominant performance. All three goals were scored in the first half with Álvaro Morata opening the scoring in the 29th minute, this was soon followed by Fabián Ruiz extending Spain’s advantage. In first-half stoppage time, Dani Carvajal made it three to round off a 45 minutes that proved why Spain cannot be overlooked when it comes to being title contenders.
There should be no question that Spain have arrived at the tournament with a point to prove. This was an extremely impressive performance from almost every single member of Spain starting 11 - arguably Rodri and his surrendered penalty notwithstanding; even then, Unai Simón saved Bruno Petković’s spot-kick.
That, in fact, is a good place to start. Spain’s defensive unit, goalkeeper Simón included, turned in a clinical performance that will surely make any opposing attacking player think twice upon further viewing. Despite having a sizeable chunk of possession in the final third, there wasn’t anything Croatia could do to create a truly notable goalscoring opportunity in the second half. The Spanish backline of Carvajal, Robin Le Normand, Nacho, and Marc Cuccurella kept their Balkan opposition’s attacking threat stifled almost at all times. While it remains to be seen how they’ll hold up against more potent attacking threats in later rounds, this was certainly a good sign for the rest of the tournament.
Further up front, Lamine Yamal lived up to all the hype surrounding his debut in a major international tournament. At just 16, the Barcelona winger has just had a season in which he has clearly established himself as not only the future of the Catalan club as well as his national team, but before too long perhaps the present as well. It was from a cross sent in by Yamal from which Carvajal scored Spain’s third goal and throughout the entire match, Yamal posed a significant danger to Croatia’s defense. There’s every possibility that during this tournament, Yamal will cap off a truly remarkable season with a standout showing in Germany. To say that Yamal’s future is bright would be a colossal understatement.
From a tactical standpoint, Croatia played directly into Spain’s hands. As Croatia pushed forward, they ended up being left vulnerable at the back, allowing Spain to create goalscoring opportunities. Spain’s first goal was an example of this: it came off a counter-attack from a botched long ball forward by Croatia. Cucurella took possession and played it to Rodri who in turn tapped it to Fabián. Finally, Fabián put Morata through on goal; Morata duly finished it off. Sequences similar to this one did take place on multiple occasions during the match and could easily have resulted in further goals.
While it’s true that Croatia aren’t really regarded as contenders to win it all, this match clearly showed that Luis de la Fuente’s team can’t be written off by any means. Despite not having the sheer star power of France, England, or even Germany, this Spain team boasts a deep, cohesive squad that on their day can stand up against anyone. Perhaps the major thing that might hold them back would be their recent tournament history. However, it must also be kept in mind that in the majority of the tournaments to date, the title hasn’t gone to the team most favored to win it all.
The shadow of Spain’s legendary team of 2008-12 - perhaps the greatest international football team of all time - has continued to loom large over every Spain team since. However, this current team seems to have everything needed to finally emerge from that iconic squad’s shadow and craft a legacy of their own. Could that happen at this very tournament? Early signs are definitely promising.
No comments:
Post a Comment