Spain were held to a goalless draw by World Cup newcomers Cape Verde in their Group H opener in Atlanta. With over 70% possession and 27 shots, they couldn't find the net. Afterwards, Luis de la Fuente told reporters there was no reason to panic.
Spain were held to a goalless draw by World Cup newcomers Cape Verde in their Group H opener in Atlanta. With over 70% possession and 27 shots, they couldn't find the net. Afterwards, Luis de la Fuente told reporters there was no reason to panic.
Spain had the ball for most of the night, but the scoreboard stayed stubbornly blank. They dominated possession and rattled off 27 attempts, yet Cape Verde's deep-sitting defence and goalkeeper Vozinha kept everything out. The 40-year-old made seven saves on his country's World Cup debut, including a stop from an Aymeric Laporte header in first-half stoppage time.
De la Fuente turned to his bench in search of a breakthrough. Lamine Yamal, back from injury, played the final 20 minutes, and Nico Williams came on in the 87th. Neither could break the deadlock.
Spain's coach refused to call the result a crisis, pointing instead to a run of form stretching back to March 2023. "This [Spain] team is reliable, whatever happens," he told his post-match news conference. "We're a team with extraordinary reliability. We haven't lost in 32 matches. We'll be better in the next game, for sure."
He praised the opposition's shape but maintained his players were the better side. "We lacked movement and freshness, but when the ball just won't go in, it won't go in," he said.
De la Fuente also pushed back on criticism of his team selection, explaining that he had held Yamal back until the second-half hydration break. "Obviously, they're two players who can make the difference, but the players on the pitch are very good, too," he said of Yamal and Williams.
Captain Rodri echoed the message. "We knew we had to be patient," he said. "They sat back; we created chances, we couldn't score. It's tough against such a physical team. The positive is they hardly created anything, but we have to improve in front of goal."
Cape Verde manager Bubista hailed his goalkeeper. "He [Vozinha] was the best player on the pitch, and he is to be congratulated," he said, adding that his team had been "very good in defensive terms."
Spain fired in 27 shots without scoring, among their worst returns in a scoreless World Cup match, matching the total they managed against Paraguay in 1998. Cape Verde had six shots; Spain held 74.3% of possession.
The draw adds to a worrying trend: Spain have not won any of their last four World Cup matches, matching their joint-longest winless run, from 1982 to 1986. The result lifts the underdogs and turns the spotlight onto Spain's remaining group fixtures.
Spain return to Atlanta on Sunday to face Saudi Arabia, then travel to Guadalajara to take on Uruguay. De la Fuente expects his attack to sharpen as fitness improves. "I'm sure they'll improve, in the next match and in the ones after that," he said of Yamal and Williams.
