The disappointing 0-0 against Cape Verde accelerates the return of the Barcelona star from the first minute
Nothing happened, but something happened. Nobody expected the draw against Cape Verde and this, much more than the situation in the group, created a patina of disappointment on a group that seemed very happy. A bad match cannot significantly change the mood, but an alarm bell has sounded. On the other hand, even Andres Iniesta, the champion who gave Spain the world title in 2010, was quite harsh: “I’m very disappointed. I don’t want to disrespect Cape Verde, who fought and defended with everything he had. But the Spain he has enough qualities to win. The lack of clarity in decisive moments is striking. In matches like this you don’t need fifty chances: you have to take advantage of the few that happen. And Spain didn’t do it. You can dominate possession as long as you want, but if you don’t score, frustration and pressure arise. There was no killer instinct and for me that’s the most worrying thing because in a World Cup these are exactly the matches that define your tournament.”
Waiting for Yamal
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In fact, Iniesta hit a fundamental point. There Spain he continued to play following his style, but from a ball possession of 74.2% he only extracted two or three big chances. Cape Verde did not suffer that much and the most clear demonstration comes from an almost incredible fact: the African team committed only one foul in the entire match. A. It means that the dribbling wasn’t working, that the Cape Verde defense read many actions in advance and that not even Lamine’s entry Yamal it changed the game. Yep, Yamal. And now? The recovery plan included a portion of the match lasting around twenty minutes for him on his debut (and in fact he came on in the 71st minute), a full portion (probably the second) against Saudi Arabia and a match as a starter against Uruguay in the match that will close the group. Luis De la Fuente, however, could change something. In the twenty-four minutes he remained on the pitch (including injury time) Yamal touched 36 balls, just six less than Gavi (71 minutes played), nine more than Oyarzabal (who played the entire match and even had zero touches in the 30th minute). He was searched for by his companions who, given the difficulty in penetrating the Cape Verde bunker, relied on the best burglar. Lamine made five crosses, the highest number among the Spaniards, and attempted five dribbles: two successful and three unsuccessful, demonstrating a brilliance that needs to be rediscovered. There were twelve turnovers: the Barcelona champion often forced the play, because time was passing and there was the feeling that the Spain couldn’t score.
The condition
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In general, from an athletic point of view, Yamal is more or less at 50%: quick and reactive in the short term, but struggles to consistently propose himself at the rhythms that are congenial to him. Everything normal after a long inactivity. In the conference Mikel Merino spoke about his partner: “Lamine is a special player, who also affects the way the opponents move. He attracts two or three markers to himself and this creates more time and space for us in other areas of the pitch. With his level, Yamal can decide any match at any time.” From a mental point of view, however, Lamine is already 100%. When he entered he never gave the impression of carrying the waste of the injury with him. The love of the people certainly gives him great motivation. When he started to warm up, the crowd went crazy and the roar when he entered was similar to the one that usually accompanies goals. Leaving the stadium, when asked about his physical condition, Lamine replied that he felt very good. Now he just wants to prove it on the pitch.
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