Why is Spain a threat to win the World Cup? Let Luis de la Fuente explain the reasons
“Would you rather play the USMNT or Belgium?”
The question, which was posed to Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente in the aftermath of a 1-0 win over Portugal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, July 6, almost seemed like one that was about to be ignored.
It was obvious that de la Fuente wasn’t going to insult any team. There was a humble tone in his voice, and the answer he gave conveyed more of a threat than anything else he could have answered.
“It doesn’t really matter,” de la Fuente said via a translator. “Anybody who we face is a team that will be worthy, because they’ve done what was needed to get there, and it will be even more challenging than what we’ve met so far.”
That’s the kind of statement you can make when you’ve just set a record as the first team to record six straight shutouts at the World Cup (a streak that dates back to the 2022 World Cup).
To get to that point and advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since winning its only World Cup title in 2010, Spain ended Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career thanks to a stoppage time game-winner from Mikel Merino.
Even the last-minute nature of the victory was a source of confidence for de la Fuente.
“These are the kinds of circumstances that have marked us as a group. We have the competitive spirit and the football commitment that will keep us fighting to the very end,” he said.
For the rest of his postgame press conference, de la Fuente offered a long list of reasons to support Spain as a favorite that can’t be counted out of beating Belgium in the quarterfinals or winning the entire tournament.
Here’s everything de la Fuente said:
Why was Mikel Merino‘s goal so impressive?
Merino, a 30-year-old Arsenal forward whose club season was abbreviated by a foot surgery, didn’t enter the match until the 85th minute.
He scored five minutes later with help from Fernan Torres, who made the assist after having also entered as a substitute.
“He’s one of the best in his position worldwide, and he has given us a fantastic result and a fantastic goal,” de La Fuente said. “I want to express the importance of substitutes that came in later in the game. Not just today, but the contribution in other games has been enormous.”
De La Fuente said he held Merino in hopes of protecting him for when the team would need him most since it wasn’t even a given his health would allow him to play in the World Cup.
The move paid off, putting Merino on the field at the perfect time.
Merino made it clear that he never doubted de la Fuente’s substitutions.
“I’m really thankful to Luis, he’s someone who has given me his full confidence since the first game,” Merino said Monday. “As a player, the only thing I try to do is give that back to him with my play, with commitment, with respect. The relationship I have with him goes back 10 years, and that confidence as a player, you can’t do anything but give it everything you have.”
Why is Spain’s defense so good?
Spain, which is also on a 35-game unbeaten streak, has an undeniably strong defense.
Goalkeeper Unai Simón is the most recognizable facet of that strength. His performance Monday extended his record to 609 minutes without conceding a goal. But he’s not the full story.
“The recognition is for (Simón) of course, but the recognition is for all of his teammates as well,” de la Fuente said. “There’s solidarity, there’s generosity, there’s sacrifice. And everybody runs for one another. The team is impressive, we’re very powerful defensively because we’ve got a very orderly squad. We cover for one another.”
How good can Lamine Yamal be?
Prior to kickoff, fans were comparing Lamine Yamal to one of the beatiful game’s greats.
Just like Ronaldo, the 18-year-old right winger went without a goal on Monday.
Yamal’s resume is much shorter than that of Ronaldo, who made his World Cup debut at 21 years old in 2006.
For de la Fuente, Yamal didn’t need to score to show promise. The manager called it “one of the best games of his career,” emphasizing that it added to Yamal’s growth because it forced him to be uncomfortable. And de la Fuente expects more greatness to come.
“Lamine had fantastic situations. Always creating uncertainty, always a threat. For me, this was one of the most important games in the very short, but brilliant history of Lamine,” de la Fuente said. “There’s much that we have to look forward to in this World Cup and in the future. We need Lamine, and he’s going to continue to perform at this level.”
When is Spain vs. Belgium?
Belgium will face Spain in the quarterfinals on Friday, July 10 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
- When: Friday, July 10
- Where: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- TV – English : FOX – Fubo
- TV – Spanish: Telemundo – Fubo
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is Spain a threat to win the World Cup? Let Luis de la Fuente explain the reasons
