Atlanta (AFP) – Spain boss Luis de la Fuente said his players have been stung by the criticism that followed a shock 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, but will put that right against Saudi Arabia on Sunday. The European champions arrived in North America as one of the favourites for the tournament. But with Lamine Yamal only able to make an appearance as a second-half substitute on his return from injury, La Roja were laboured in attack as the African archipelago of just over 500,000 people held out for a historic result.
“This generation of footballers is highly competitive and really fired up…It’s going to be a completely different story,” De la Fuente told his pre-match press conference in Atlanta on Saturday. “There is no drama or crisis. The bottom line is simply that we need to win tomorrow.” Despite the disappointment, Spain are now 32 competitive games unbeaten from open play, stretching back over three years. “This team has a lot of heart and always responds,” added De la Fuente. “I am sure tomorrow we will be better than what we showed the other day.”
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Yamal’s fitness has been the dominant topic of Spain’s World Cup so far. The 18-year-old rose to prominence with his performances as De la Fuente’s side romped to victory at Euro 2024. Yamal has since established himself as one of the world’s best players at Barcelona but suffered a hamstring injury in April that had kept him sidelined until his cameo off the bench against Cape Verde.
The winger is not yet ready to play 90 minutes, but the pressure is on De la Fuente to include him from the start with Spain badly lacking his spark in attack. “The most important thing is that he’s back,” said De la Fuente. “Seeing how he competes, how he is rediscovering that feeling, spirit, finesse which he had and has back now, that is the best possible news.” Yamal is expected to replace Barcelona team-mate Gavi in the starting line-up, while De la Fuente hinted there could also be other changes. Saudi Arabia also drew their opening game 1-1 with Uruguay.
© 2024 AFP
