Spain became only the second European team to win out of the nine World Cups held in the American continents after their brilliant organisation, passing range and collective excellence delivered glory by finding a way past the dogged Argentina in the final at the New York/New Jersey Stadium.
Event Context
Spain’s fluency and the instinctive understanding between their hugely talented players who know how to find each other with passes through defensive lines, and the pressing, had rattled France, who lost 2-0 in the semi-finals.
Luis de la Fuente could not start Williams in any of the games at this World Cup as he recovered from a muscle injury. On the grand occasion of the final, however, the super subs Williams and Ferran Torres, who had come on in the 62nd minute, turned provider and finisher.
Player Focus
Lionel Messi’s side had come through extra-time against Cape Verde and Switzerland and expended every ounce of energy to rally and beat Egypt and England. On Sunday night, they did not have a shot on target as they tried to somehow push the match into penalties.
The familiarity between the sides – it was Spain’s possession-based football honed under manager Luis de la Fuente versus Messi, the shining star of that playing philosophy at Barcelona – meant the 2010 champions, despite all their attacking initiatives, were hesitant to go all out in case it left the door open for the famous Argentina No.10 to slip through.
As the match wore on, Argentina players adopted rough tactics as they did rather effectively against England in the semis, and Spain found its 19-year-old star Lamine Yamal unable to break free on the right wing past a double block, including Argentina’s outstanding left back Nicolas Tagliafico.
The game turned once Spain’s coach sent in left-winger Nico Williams in the 75th minute, replacing midfielder Alex Baena. The 24-year-old Atletico Bilbao player and Yamal had rattled opposition by dominating either flank during the victorious Euro 2024 campaign, opening up space in the middle for the Rodri and Olmo-orchestrated attacks.
Argentina were reduced to 10 men after Enzo Fernandez was sent off following a second yellow card in the stoppage-time in regulation period, which made Williams even more potent. The goal in the 106th minute came off a move initiated on the right flank by Yamal, whose pass set up a deep cross that Williams headed back for Torres to volley home.
Williams’ crucial contribution in Spain’s second World Cup triumph should boost the career of the Pamplona-born player of Ghanaian origin. His performance as one of Spain’s super-subs – Mikel Merino and Torres being two others – will be huge vindication after Barcelona director Deco was critical of him last year.
An outstanding talent, Williams had an injury-plagued season and Deco was quoted as saying that despite his skills, Williams was not the kind of player Barcelona wanted to sign. The La Liga champions instead brought in England winger Marcus Rashford on loan.
It was ruled that Merino had fouled Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi in the build-up. Williams also set up a big chance for Merino with a precise cross in first half extra-time, three minutes before the goal, but his delivery was headed wide from close by Merino, the scorer of two late winners earlier in the tournament.
Team Analysis
As Argentina packing the midfield and employed a zonal formation to prevent Spain’s passes through the middle, as well as a low block, Spain was anxious to break the shackles. That was till the old-fashioned wing play started producing chance after chance. Yamal and Williams together stretched the Argentina defence, threatening the goal repeatedly. Brilliant saves by Emiliano Martinez kept it goalless, until Torres broke the deadlock.
Williams, whose direct play could at times appear to be out of synch with Spain’s close-knit team approach, would have even got his name on the score-sheet after he finally beat Martinez in the 96th minute with a shot from inside the box. But the goal was ruled out following a VAR check.
Match Outlook
It was expected to test the defending champions and it did. However, Argentina, despite an older squad and having exerted so much to come through the knockout rounds were determined to thwart Spain’s attacking play.
