A wall called Spain
Spain confirmed that it is a serious candidate for the title by beating Austria 3-0 in the round of 16 of the World Cup. Mikel Oyarzabal scored a double and Pedro Porro added another goal. La Roja not only attacked forcefully, but also kept a clean sheet for the fourth consecutive game.
Luis de la Fuente’s team has accumulated 519 minutes without conceding goals in World Cups, a record that surpasses Walter Zenga’s mark (Italy 1990). Austria didn’t even have a shot on goal; Unai Simón had no interventions.
“Great game, almost perfection but we have to continue improving,” declared De la Fuente. “Satisfaction kills you.”
Oyarzabal opened the scoring in the 36th minute after a pass from Marc Cucurella. In the second half, Porro scored his first international goal with a header. Oyarzabal himself sentenced the 89 with the assistance of Cucurella.
Lamine Yamal, Barcelona’s young promise, generated four shots on goal and was applauded. The audience included actors Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem. Austria, which had not won a knockout match since 1954, fought but did not cause concern.
“I think they showed us their best performance,” Austrian coach Ralf Rangnick said. “If you want to win the World Cup, you need to beat Spain.”
De la Fuente insisted on continuing to improve: “We have to adjust the high pressure and be more effective.” Oyarzabal agreed: “Happy to help, but I hope we have a lot of time here.”
Spain awaits a rival between Portugal and Croatia; will play in Dallas on Monday. He has accumulated 35 competitive matches without losing since March 2023, with a European and Nations League title.




