Eliminated during three minutes of disbelief, when Costa Rica came back to Germany and awoke from lethargy to a spain that threw away all the good feelings in the World Cup in Qatar.
Spain owes one to Germany after an unforgettable grotesque chapter in the Khalifa International. In a World Cup in which he was already seated at the favorites table, His football did not allow him to classify himself and he had to do it from the unproductive German comeback because the Red he failed in his role after exhibiting so much superiority that he fell into an unforgivable relaxation.
Luis Enrique foresaw it, who revolutionized his eleven with up to five changes, seeking freshness and insisting on the figure of Rodri as central, sole survivor in a completely changed defense. He searched the depth with Bucket and Overflow by Nico Williams. Before a defense of five he had to open the field.
From the overwhelming dominance of possession in the first act, Spain accelerated when Pedri upped gear and mobility Gavi appeared between spaces. Only from the mistake, in a bad ball out of Pau Torres or a serious miscarriage of Busquetswith Ito’s shot to the side of the net, Japan felt the option of being able to do damage at the beginning.
The relaxation came caused from the advantage on the scoreboard by the hunger for success of Alvaro Morata. I had already tried the goalkeeper Gondawhen he found the measured center of Azpilicueta to nod, brand free, at will, chopped down to place his name at the height of Atom. Three goals in his first three games in a World Cup.
Con unai simon walking again through the wire in avoidable starts of play that not only scares the fan, but also awaken rivals. The first traces of awakening Japan arrived with a Kubo race against the world, bringing out harshness in a message to a rival who felt classified.
Spain’s weakness
An unknown weakness with Luis Enrique in command, appeared in a few minutes of uncertainty at the start of the second act. As soon as Japan went to plan bwith touches by his coach Hajime Moriyasu, He came out to bite and brought out all the unsuspected shortcomings of Spain. The goalkeeper’s slow reaction to Doan’s centered shot led to the equalizer.
In two minutes that go down in the black history of the World Cups in SpainJapan turned the score around. The VAR took longer to validate his second goal than the ‘blue samurais’ in giving a slap of reality to the Red. Balde’s cross from the wing, Unai not daring to take a step forward and fighting heartily for a ball that seemed to have gone over the end line before it hit. Tanaka mark at pleasure.
The evils went beyond what happened in the Khalifa International. Japan was first. for a few minutes Spain was eliminated. Costa Rica was behind Germany and the first time they saw themselves behind on the scoreboard, the punishment was capital.
Panic was felt. Luis Enrique’s changes returned to the initial plan, the entry of Marco Asensio, Ferran Torres and until the debut of Ansu Fati in search of a goal that he first needed and then, when Germany reactedwould have saved the honor but complicated the path. And Spain was unable even though it wanted to.
Marco Asensio with a left-footed shot that knocked Gonda down and a chance forgiven by Dani Olmowere the only dangerous actions of a team that passes from the exhibition against Costa Rica to doubt as a punishment for the lack of competitive attitude.
spain will not come across Brazil in the hypothetical rooms, but not by speculation. Their reality was worse against Japan, which meets with Croatia. Morocco will measure the reality of the selection of Luis Enriqueprepared for the wave of criticism that is coming.
