Twenty magical minutes from Spain to break the curse and bid for the World Cup

BarcelonaThe last time the Spanish national team had overcome a World Cup knockout match was in 2010, the year they were proclaimed champions in South Africa. Since then, 'la roja' had either fallen in the group stage or in the first knockout match. Sixteen years later, the team broke the curse by defeating Austria (3-0) to reach the round of 16, where they will face the winner of the match between Portugal and Croatia, which was played this morning. Oyarzabal at the half-hour mark and Pedro Porro and – again – Oyarzabal in the second half tipped the scales in favor of a team that played from less to more but ended up thrashing and dispelling the doubts they had shown at the start of the competition.

The hydration break, so criticized by viewers in this World Cup, was a godsend for a Spanish team that had started the match without many ideas. It was from the 25th minute onwards that a more dynamic version of 'la roja' was seen, with an inspired Lamine Yamal who did not hesitate to take on his marker. Spain needed the best version of the winger from Rocafonda to shake up a defense that until then had been very comfortable. It is evident that he is not yet at 100% and that he needs more match practice after a two-month injury. But someone with so much quality and so uninhibited on the pitch can make a difference nonetheless. But everything has its limits and the blaugrana player sinned excessively with individual actions, as if he were more concerned with scoring his goal than with collective play.

Indeed, Lamine, who played 85 minutes, did not score despite having a couple of very clear shots. But he did set the pace for a very passive team in the early stages, which struggled against the more physical approach of the Austrian team and which needed the intervention of Cubarsí, a defender who is having a luxury World Cup, to keep a clean sheet in the early stages. The state of the pitch, dry and a bit bumpy, did not help much, as it did not favor quick ball movement. Between this and the fact that most of the combinations were made far from the area, Austria did not mind giving away possession because their defenders always had time to regroup and organize themselves. Until the 25th minute.

De la Fuente hit the right note, which was basically to demand more dynamism from his men. With Lamine stuck to the right wing and attracting two or three footballers, Olmo used to be free in the three-quarters zone. In fact, the Barça midfielder had the first really dangerous chance, when he turned around and was able to face the goalkeeper. A defender reacted in time, but it was the first warning that things had changed. Olmo opened the door to a footballing hurricane that resulted in eight chances before half-time, a shot against the post and a heroic save by Schlager. Cucurella scored a first goal, disallowed for a foul on the goalkeeper; but he would be the protagonist in the goal that did count, by Oyarzabal, who finished all alone at the penalty spot from a good low cross from Real Madrid's new signing.

Austria's sterile substitutions

Ralf Ragnick, the Austrian coach, tried to shake up the team with two changes at halftime. Aware that he could no longer defend, he tried his luck by changing the two midfielders to seek a more vertical, end-to-end game. A risky gamble, an all-or-nothing approach, reinforced later with the introduction of forwards Kalajdzic and Arnautovic, two giants who tried to hunt down aerial balls served by their teammates, sometimes in desperation. Spain never felt threatened despite having less possession, but they were very grateful for Pedro Porro's goal, who headed in a cross from Baena to score the second goal and avoid last-minute scares, such as a fall by Arnautovic for which Austria claimed a penalty or a shot by Chukwuemeka that went just wide.

De la Fuente took his time to make changes, as he wasn't entirely sure. And he risked little, maintaining defensive solidity and only changing the forwards. It didn't quite work out for him, as neither Ferran nor Mikel Merino shone in the twenty minutes they played. Spain didn't need them, but it's a warning for future rounds: if unit A fails, alternatives are scarce. With everything said and done, and with Austria making a last desperate attempt, Oyarzabal sealed the score by heading in another cross from Cucurella. It's Oyarzabal's fourth goal in the World Cup and the 16th he has scored for Spain in the last 15 matches. When you play accompanied by Lamine, Pedri, or Olmo, life tends to be simpler.