It was clear from the look on the faces of players for the Spanish national team as the betting favorites for this year’s World Cup returned to Chattanooga this week and resumed their practices at Baylor School.
The scoreless draw against World Cup newcomer Cape Verde in their Group H opener Monday at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium was just as shocking to La Roja as it was to soccer fans around the planet, and they were taking the humbling result seriously.
Coach Luis de la Fuente’s team, which was No. 2 in the most recent official FIFA rankings entering the World Cup, could not find a way to break down a deep defensive block that invited the Spaniards to attack the 67th-ranked Blue Sharks — only for veteran goalkeeper Vozinha to put on a show that skyrocketed his fame. After entering Monday’s match with 40,000-plus followers on Instagram, Vozinha’s seven-save performance astronomically blew up that number as the 40-year-old keeper was at nearly 15 million by Friday morning.
“We started slow. We lacked finesse, rhythm, freshness, and intensity in our passes,” de la Fuente said in the postgame press conference. “This team doesn’t get complacent, but we were all thinking the goal would come.”
(READ MORE: Spanish national team enjoying home base in Chattanooga for FIFA World Cup)
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises was that La Roja could not find the back of the net despite the remarkable performance by 23-year-old Pedri, who showed why he is one of the world’s best midfielders.
After all 48 teams in this World Cup had played their opener earlier this week, Pedri led all players with 1.23 expected assists and 18 passes into the opposing box. Meanwhile, he created five scoring chances against Cape Verde, won the ball back nine times, won six possessions in the final third of the field, won six duels, and had three successful dribbles and accurate crosses.
While Spain’s draw may have felt like a loss to some, the team’s unbeaten streak did extend to 32 consecutive matches since its most recent defeat, 1-0 to Colombia in an exhibition at London’s Wembley Stadium on March 22, 2024. Spain has outscored its competition 82-28 in the streak while producing 23 wins and nine draws.
Despite the early reality check, La Roja remains confident of not only advancing to the 32-team knockout phase but making a run at the country’s second World Cup championship as 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal, who has been dealing with an injury to his left hamstring since late April, appears close to being back to 100% healthy.
The chance to show the results of having regrouped comes against 61st-ranked Saudi Arabia at noon Sunday, with that match also at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Saudi Arabia is coming off a 1-1 draw with No. 16 Uruguay on Monday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
“The first day after the draw against Cabo Verde was tough because it’s hard for everyone to not win,” Spain forward Nico Williams said in a radio interview Thursday from Baylor. “We are a family, and we know that no matter what happens, we are going to win the next match. Nobody can doubt this national team.”
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Spain defender Marc Cucurella, who is Real Madrid’s newest transfer signee, did acknowledge to the media Thursday at Baylor that the team has become more alert after its early scare, saying it has to be “100% focused in every game” because “any team can beat you.”
And there are more chances for surprises in this super-sized World Cup, hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, due to the field’s expansion by 16 teams over recent editions of the quadrennial tournament.
Spain was among the final 16 teams both four years ago in Qatar and in 2018 in Russia, but one win and two losses in group play at the 2014 event sent La Roja home from Brazil earlier than hoped for. Worth noting, though, is that the country’s first World Cup title was won four years before that in South Africa despite Spain dropping its opening match 1-0 to Switzerland, which did not score again in the tournament.
There is no loss to overcome in this case, but there are some doubts — at least from outsiders — to dispel in the return to competition this weekend.
“I am perfectly fine with the noise and the criticism, but this team is reliable no matter what,” de la Fuente said. “This is a team that, based on the numbers, is extraordinarily reliable. We will be better in the next match, that is for sure. We know how difficult this type of competition is. There is nothing that generates any doubt or distraction for us. We will continue on the path that brought us here.”
Cape Verde and Uruguay will meet at 6 p.m. Sunday in Miami to add further definition to the standings, and the Group H finales are set for 8 p.m. Eastern on Friday, June 26. Spain-Uruguay will take place at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico, with Cape Verde-Saudi Arabia at NRG Stadium in Houston.
As for Yamal, one of the game’s top playmakers is set to double his playing time from the opener, when he made an immediate impact after entering in the 71st minute against Cape Verde. And in addition to being physically ready for more minutes, he’s confident his team will show it’s headed in the right direction — with hopes for an ultimate destination of MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which will host the World Cup final in a month.
“On Sunday, we will go to achieve that victory, and of course we will bring out our playing style and show who we are,” Yamal said in a TV interview this week. “Together we will overcome everything. I am also sure that we will be together on July 19.”
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.