Spain put their World Cup rivals on notice with a dominant 3-0 win over Austria on Thursday thanks to a Mikel Oyarzabal double and another commanding defensive display to reach the last 16.
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Spain, who arrived at the tournament among the favourites and have yet to concede a goal, made a slow start with a draw against Cape Verde but Austria had no answer to their opponents’ relentless attack and impenetrable back line on a sunny day in Southern California.
While Spain’s attack, especially teenage forward Lamine Yamal, gets most of the attention, their defence continues to excel.
They did not allow a shot on target on Thursday, the first team to achieve that feat in a World Cup knockout match since Germany in the 2014 final against Argentina.
Spain will face Portugal or Croatia for a place in the quarter-finals.
“I don’t know who I’d prefer to play, I haven’t planned for each team,” Oyarzabal said. “Bring them on.”
The Spaniards started brightly, with Lamine repeatedly troubling Austria’s defense as La Roja pressed for an early breakthrough.
They thought they had gone ahead from a short-range shot by Marc Cucurella, but the effort was ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Alexander Schlager. The pressure finally paid off, though, when Cucurella whipped a precise cross into the area and Oyarzabal steered it into the bottom corner, igniting the largely Spain-supporting crowd.
Schlager kept Austria in the match before halftime, producing back-to-back saves from a free kick and the ensuing scramble to ensure his side went into the interval trailing by only one.
Austria’s best opportunity to equalise came in the second half when a lovely cross into the box was headed by Sasa Kalajdzic, but the ball landed harmlessly on top of the goal.
Austria, who squeaked into the knockout round with a last-gasp goal to draw with Algeria, struggled to create clear chances against a Spain side who remained composed in possession and disciplined at the back to continue their shutout streak.
Pedro Porro added Spain’s second in the 66th minute with a header into the middle of the net in front of a sold-out crowd that included Spanish actors Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem.
Oyarzabal struck again in the 89th minute for his fourth goal of the tournament following a defensive lapse by a visibly frustrated Austrian side.
Spain, World Cup winners in 2010, looked confident and assured against Austria and will take encouragement from the performance of 18-year-old Lamine, who looked to have shaken off the hamstring injury that had hampered him earlier in the tournament. The teenager said he was gradually rediscovering his rhythm after a lively display.
“Little by little, I’m starting to feel like myself again,” Lamine said. “Making the runs I need to make, the dribbles — everything.”
With Spain heading to Dallas for the last-16 match, Lamine said there was no margin for error.
“The crucial moment is now,” he said. “You can go home if you want, but that’s not what any of us wants, no Spaniard wants that, and we’re going to give it our all. Now it’s time to rest and think about the next match.”
Lamine said playing at a World Cup represented the pinnacle of the sport and that his focus was now on helping Spain go all the way.
“When a child dreams of playing football, they dream of playing for their national team and in a World Cup,” he said. “So, here I am. I’m thinking about advancing further and fulfilling my dream of winning a World Cup with Spain.”
Source: Khaleej Times