New York, July 18 (IANS) European champions Spain have combined attacking quality with one of the strongest defensive displays in FIFA World Cup history to reach their first final since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010.
Luis de la Fuente’s side will now face defending champions Argentina at MetLife Stadium on Monday , looking to add a second World Cup crown to their golden-era achievements.
Spain’s journey has been built on balance. While Mikel Oyarzabal has emerged as the team’s leading scorer with five goals, teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has dazzled on the wings, and captain Rodri has controlled the midfield. Behind them, goalkeeper Unai Simon and a disciplined backline have conceded just one goal in seven matches, the best defensive record in the tournament.
Spain’s campaign began with a surprise goalless draw against World Cup debutants Cabo Verde. Despite dominating possession and creating 27 chances, La Roja were frustrated by goalkeeper Vozinha, who produced a string of outstanding saves to deny them.
The result raised questions early in the tournament, but Spain quickly responded in style.
They crushed Saudi Arabia 4-0 in their second group game as Yamal announced himself on the World Cup stage with his first tournament goal. The teenage forward became one of Spain’s youngest-ever World Cup scorers, while Oyarzabal struck twice before an own goal completed an emphatic victory.
Spain sealed top spot in Group H with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Uruguay. Alex Baena scored the only goal after capitalising on a goalkeeping mistake, while the defence stood firm once again to preserve another clean sheet.
The knockout rounds showcased Spain’s growing confidence.
In the Round of 32, they comfortably beat Austria 3-0, ending a long wait for a World Cup knockout victory. Oyarzabal scored twice from Marc Cucurella’s crosses before Pedro Porro added a third with his first international goal. The clean sheet also saw Unai Simon break Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga’s long-standing World Cup record for the most consecutive minutes without conceding.
Spain needed patience in the Round of 16 against Portugal before substitute Mikel Merino struck a dramatic stoppage-time winner to secure a 1-0 victory and extend the team’s remarkable run of clean sheets.
Merino again proved to be Spain’s match-winner in the quarterfinal against Belgium. Fabian Ruiz had given Spain the lead before Charles De Ketelaere ended Simon’s incredible run without conceding. However, Merino came off the bench and scored with just his second touch to seal a hard-earned 2-1 victory.
Spain then produced arguably their best performance of the tournament in the semifinal, defeating France 2-0 with a commanding display. Oyarzabal converted a first-half penalty for his fifth goal of the competition before Porro finished off a flowing move after the break. Yamal also found the net, although his effort was ruled out for offside.
Spain head into the final unbeaten, having recorded six wins and one draw while conceding just once. Their disciplined defence has matched an attack capable of producing goals from across the pitch, with Oyarzabal, Yamal, Merino, Baena, Fabian Ruiz and Porro all making decisive contributions.
Now, only defending champions Argentina stand between Spain and a second FIFA World Cup title. Monday’s final will also pit the tournament’s best defence against its highest-scoring attack, setting the stage for one of the most intriguing title deciders in recent World Cup history.
–IANS
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