Powered by the spark of Lamine Yamal, Spain cruised to a commanding 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in Group H, with Mikel Oyarzabal delivering a statement performance by finding the net twice. After a disappointing first outing at the World Cup, Luis de la Fuente\u2019s team looked sharper from the start and quickly settled into a rhythm that never allowed the Saudis to gain control.<\/p>\n
Yamal broke the deadlock in the 10th minute, and Oyarzabal\u2014who had failed to record a single touch in Spain\u2019s goalless draw with Cape Verde on Monday\u2014struck twice in quick succession. The goals came before halftime, leaving Spain\u2019s match effectively decided long before the second half began.<\/p>\n
A goal shortly after the break came via an own goal, but it did little to change the momentum. Spain then made a series of adjustments, using the comfortable lead to freshen up their lineup and give their scorers a rest.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery match is different even if the game plan is similar,\u201d said de la Fuente. \u201cWe studied the previous game, and we all agreed we needed more direct, vertical attacking play to go deeper. We saw that today, and from minute one we were trying to suffocate the opponent.\u201d<\/p>\n
De la Fuente marked his 65th birthday with a win, while Yamal\u2014whose only recent action in the past two months came as a substitute against Cape Verde\u2014helped inject energy into a Spain side that returned to Atlanta Stadium.<\/p>\n
The atmosphere lifted instantly when Yamal received his first touch. He spun past his marker, then cut a teasing ball across the area that was eventually cleared by Abdulelah Alamri, the same player who had scored for Saudi Arabia in their 1-1 draw with Uruguay.<\/p>\n
Spain\u2019s first real breakthrough began with Oyarzabal teeing up the opening goal by sending a pass into the danger zone, and Yamal arrived at the back post to slide it in for his first World Cup goal.<\/p>\n
After struggling in their first match, the early strike eased Spain\u2019s pressure, and they began to open up the Saudi defense at will. Their second goal arrived from a corner.<\/p>\n
Dani Olmo worked the ball back into a congested area, and Saudi Arabia couldn\u2019t clear their lines. Aymeric Laporte then nodded the ball down to Oyarzabal, who drove it into the net.<\/p>\n
Three minutes later, Spain made it 3-0 with another well-crafted finish. Pedro Porro floated a pass into the box, and the ball stayed in the air until it found the back of the net.<\/p>\n
Marc Cucurella\u2019s hooked pass found Olmo, who powered a header into the six-yard box. From there, Oyarzabal met it with a volley tap-in, underlining that when Spain provide him the right service, he is capable of delivering what the team needs.<\/p>\n
Oyarzabal has already scored six goals in Spain\u2019s six qualifiers, and he came close to completing a hat-trick when a shot from a wide angle bounced off the bar. With Spain smelling further opportunities, they continued to press for the final blow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re so happy to have turned things around,\u201d Oyarzabal said. \u201cI didn\u2019t have that many touches of the ball in the last game or such a good performance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say I\u2019m trying to prove myself,\u201d he added. \u201cI\u2019ve always said I\u2019ve felt appreciated and valued by the people whose opinions matter most to me\u2014my teammates, the coach, and everyone we work with.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the second half, Spain made changes by replacing Yamal and Oyarzabal, yet they still carried the same attacking threat. When the Saudi goalkeeper denied Cucurella\u2019s volley from a corner, the ball ricocheted off defender Hassan Altambakti and crossed the line.<\/p>\n
Even with their lead assured, Spain kept generating chances, though it was understandable that they eased off slightly on a day when even Cape Verde\u2019s 40-year-old goalkeeper, Vozinha, would have found it difficult to deal with this improved version of Spain.<\/p>\n
Spain move to four points in the group, while Saudi Arabia remain on one point after two matches. Cape Verde and Uruguay, the other teams in Group H, meet later on Sunday in Miami.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Powered by the spark of Lamine Yamal, Spain cruised to a commanding 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in Group H, with Mikel Oyarzabal delivering a statement performance by finding the net twice. After a disappointing first outing at the World Cup, Luis de la Fuente\u2019s team looked sharper from the start and quickly settled into […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2167,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Spain vs Saudi 4-0: Oyarzabal Doubles as Yamal Shines","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Spain set the tone in Group H with a ruthless 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia. Yamal sparked it early as Oyarzabal bagged two.","mma_seo_breadcrumb_text":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_url":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_hide_ui":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_labels":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n