Lamine Yamal comes to Spain's rescue with his first major World Cup performance

BarcelonaOnly Pelé had managed to score the first goal of a World Cup match at eighteen years old or younger. Until Lamine Yamal arrived. The Rocafonda genius was responsible for scoring the first goal of Spain's thrashing against Saudi Arabia in Atlanta (4-0), a match where Luis de la Fuente's team shook off the bad feelings from their weak debut against Cape Verde. If against the Africans Spain couldn't score a single goal, against the Saudis they already had three in 25 minutes. Between Lamine Yamal and a brilliant Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain thrashed in a match that gradually faded as the minutes went by, as Luis De la Fuente's team had quickly finished the job. In fact, Lamine Yamal was substituted at halftime to protect him, because the future of the national team in the World Cup depends heavily on him.

Although the Maresme player is not yet at 100% after the injury he had a few months ago, De la Fuente started him. Logical. Spain needed to react, as they lost a good part of the credit accumulated over months against Cape Verde. It was a complete stumble against a weak opponent, so the coach preferred to take a risk by starting the Mataró footballer, who had already had some minutes in the debut. And the impact was total. He generated danger, attracted defenders, and created space. The player, playing on the right wing, did not have his best game, as he is not yet at 100%. But Lamine at half gas is still spectacular, and attacking the far post on a cross from Oyarzabal, at eighteen years old, he scored the first goal of the match. He celebrated it with a grin from ear to ear, aware that everyone expected a lot from him in his World Cup debut. And it seems he will not disappoint. Only Pelé, who at seventeen years old scored the 1-0 in a Brazil-Wales match in 1958, had scored the first goal of a World Cup match at eighteen years old or younger. Lamine Yamal played 45 minutes and, at halftime, the Spanish coach prioritized giving him a rest to look after him. The job was already done.

His starting status was not the only change in the Spanish team, as the Terrassa-born Dani Olmo, Baena and Pedro Porro also came in, in place of Marcos Alonso, Gavi and Ferran Torres. Cubarsí and Pedri continued to start in a change that rethought the wings, with Porro and Lamine on the right, and Baena and Cucurella on the left. And it was immediately clear that the criticism received this week had spurred on a team that had devoured the Saudis. Although the Arab team had drawn a good point against Uruguay, today they were easily defeated by an opponent that moved the ball well, exerted high pressure and opened up the field. The first goal arrived after a recovery, with Oyarzabal opening up the field and sending a cross to Lamine.

Oyarzabal also shone, author of the assist for the first goal and two goals. The Basque player had already sealed the match before the hydration break, with two cunning plays where he poked at a Saudi defense that was too slow. Spanish attacking talent was combined with Saudi errors, especially with the offside line. The result was 25 minutes of an offensive onslaught from a Spain that, with this result, was able to make two substitutions at halftime: Yéremy Pino and the Barça player Ferran Torres came on for Lamine Yamal and Oyarzabal. The substitutions did not change the script of the match and, quickly, Real Madrid's new signing, Marc Cucurella, finished a cross and scored the 4-0 with the collaboration of Tambakti, who scored an own goal. La roja did not stop looking for the fifth goal, with a very active Ferran Torres inside the area but lacking accuracy. The Valencian forward is having bad luck in this World Cup, and when he finally scored into an empty net in the last minute, he was offside by a few centimeters.

It was a calm victory where Unai Simon had little to do. Pau Cubarsí also didn't have much to do, but when he did, he handled it, showing all his character. And Pedri played quite well, always careful not to get a yellow card that would have kept him out of the next match. In fact, De la Fuente decided to protect him too. And he substituted the Canary Islander, as well as Olmo and Baena, and brought on Mikel Merino, Fabián Ruiz, and a Nico Williams who is still out of rhythm. The Athletic winger seems far from his Euro 2020 version. Spain, however, got the job done without needing him and already knows they will advance from the first phase. The last match will be against Uruguay, where they will fight for first place in the group in a match where, once again, all eyes will be on Lamine Yamal.