Spain demolishes Austria and extends its streak without goals against

Spain beats Austria 3-0 and advances in the World Cup with a defensive record.

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.

RelatedYamal shines in his World Cup debut and Spain thrashes 4-0

“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.

The feat of Cape Verde and its goalkeeper Vozinha in the World Cup

The 40-year-old goalkeeper almost caused a historic surprise against Argentina.

The Cape Verde goalkeeper, Vozinha, achieved his goal: for his mother to see him play in the World Cup. And with his performance, he went much further.

An unforgettable performance

The Blue Sharks did not win a single game, but their debut was unforgettable. The African team, the smallest in territorial area to reach a World Cup, drew goalless against Spain and then added two more draws to qualify for the round of 16. There they fell 3-2 against Argentina in extra time, with a goal and an assist from Messi.

Vozinha, 40 years old, grew bigger. Against the best player in the world, he made at least four key saves in the last 60 minutes: a point-blank shot that he absorbed with his body, a free kick that he brushed with his hand, a low shot in stoppage time and a powerful shot in extra time. Each intervention kept his team alive.

Cape Verde, with a population equivalent to 1% of Argentina’s, will receive 11 million dollars from FIFA. More than money, the Blue Sharks earned a place in world football memory.

Continue reading

Mexico vs England schedule remains at 6:00 p.m.

FIFA considered moving the game forward due to a storm, but in the end there was no change.

FIFA decides to maintain the Mexico vs England schedule

The uncertainty about the schedule of the round of 16 match between Mexico and England at the 2026 World Cup ended this Friday. FIFA had evaluated advancing the opening whistle to 12:00 p.m., central Mexico time, to avoid the risk of an afternoon thunderstorm. However, after several deliberations, the organization determined that the match be played at 6:00 p.m., as originally scheduled at the Mexico City Stadium.

The possibility of the change generated annoyance in the Tricolor coach, Javier Aguirre. In a local interview, he called the potential modification a “kick in the gut.”

“FIFA rules, it’s garlic and water. The whole plan, all the work will have to be changed, not that it’s going to hell but almost because you’re swallowing up six hours that you had scheduled. I don’t like it at all,” reproached the Mexican strategist.

On the English side, forward Marcus Rashford maintained a more composed posture before traveling from Kansas City to the Mexican capital. He told the media that competing at noon “is not ideal”, but assured that the British squad has the capacity to adapt thanks to its rigorous preparation, which does not change regardless of the time of the match.

With this decision, the duel between Mexico and England will be played at its original time. Both teams will have to adjust their plans based on confirmation from FIFA.

Continue reading

Gilberto Mora shines in the World Cup; Manchester United withdraws from the bid

The Xolos youth player dazzles in the World Cup while two English giants fight to sign him.

Gilberto Mora has become one of the Mexican revelations of the World Cup. At just 17 years old, the Xolos de Tijuana midfielder is a regular in Javier Aguirre’s lineups. He has taken advantage of every opportunity to demonstrate his talent and establish himself as a key player in the Tricolor.

The future of Gilberto Mora

After his performance against Ecuador, when he left the Mexico City Stadium to applause, doubts arose again about his next step. The young man will come of age after the tournament, and several European clubs are following him.

However, Manchester United decided to curb their interest. According to the Mirror newspaper, the English team analyzed the cost of his incorporation and considered that the operation would become too expensive after his World Cup appearance.

Despite that, the outlook for Mora is encouraging. The same report indicates that Manchester City and Chelsea are leading the dispute to sign one of the greatest promises in Mexican soccer. His performance in the World Cup has been fundamental for the team, and his future seems promising on the international stage.

Continue reading