Last Updated on 12/08/2022 by てんしょく飯
On December 6, Spain faced Morocco in the first round of the Qatar World Cup Final Tournament. After 120 minutes of scoreless play, the Spanish team was defeated 0-3 in the penalty shootout, as none of the kickers were successful.
The “invincible armada,” which had entered the tournament as one of the favorites to win the tournament, sank in Doha.
In the final match of the group stage, Spain had suffered a 1-2 reverse loss to Japan and finished in second place.
Therefore, there was a sense of tension at the press conference held the day before the tournament. I gave every player a homework assignment a year ago: to kick at least 1,000 penalties for the club. I am convinced that they have done this, and that the penalty shootout is not a lottery, and the result is not solely based on luck,” he insisted, but just like four years ago, when they were beaten by Russia in a penalty shootout (3-4), they disappeared in the last 16.
In their first match of the tournament, Spain scored seven goals (7-0) against Costa Rica, setting a World Cup record for the most goals scored in a single match. In a match in which young players such as Gabi and Pedri, who will lead the next generation, were active, Spain made more than 1,000 passes (1003) in 90 minutes and achieved a ball possession rate of 81.8%, both the highest figures in the country’s history.
Hence, expectations for a victory were high. However, after drawing against Germany in their second match, they lost to Japan in a come-from-behind loss, as mentioned above. Without a whitewash, the team was defeated with a sense of emptiness.
This is a team in the process of growth, where young players are valued. Nevertheless, the loss to Morocco, which was regarded as a “lower-ranked” team, has led to widespread disappointment in the domestic media. The daily newspaper Marca noted that “Luis Enrique has chosen an exciting young team despite the questionable lack of experienced players. The result against Costa Rica “gave dreams to the whole of Spain and raised their profile as favorites to win the tournament,” and the following is a description of their subsequent performance: “From the second game on, they were the favorites to win the tournament.
From the second game on, the prospect of being the favorites began to cloud. Luis Enrique’s team dominated possession but failed to add to their lead and could only take one point from Germany. Then, in the third game against Japan, the collapse began completely. They continued to dominate in ball possession, but their finishing work was lackluster. In the last 16, there was no more firepower left, and history repeated itself.
Spain was eliminated from the tournament amidst a spate of problems. It will be interesting to see how far the still-developing team can improve for the World Cup in four years.
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