It s hard for Spain, the semi-main force, to win. Is it too heavy a burden to go to the World Cup without losing 30+ points?

Sports Weekly All-Media Reporter Wu Yifan

Take the first step, see you at the World Cup! Spain defeated Georgia 4-0 in an away game and basically secured a spot in the World Cup. Without Pedri, Rodri, Yamal and Nico, Spain, with only half the main force, is still unstoppable. Undefeated in 30 games, should De La Fuente find an opportunity to build up his character before the World Cup?

Spain has theoretically reached the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. I say "theoretically" because mathematically it doesn't exist yet. Spain will face Türkiye, its last opponent in the World Cup qualifiers, in Seville in a few days. In the first round of the match between the two sides, Spain swept Turkey 6-0 away from home, so this time it will be guaranteed to qualify directly as long as it does not lose more than 7 goals. In the words of the editor of "AS" newspaper: It is harder to win 7 games against Spain than to steal the ball from Pedri's feet.

As you said, how can you steal the ball without Pedri? In this training session, not only Pedri is absent, but Yamal, Rodri, Nico Williams and Wyson are also absent. Morata, captain of the European Cup winning team, also finally faded out after a period of silence. There is no pressure on the Spanish team, which has a lackluster star quality, to qualify. Georgia suffered a 1-4 defeat to Türkiye in their last game and lost hope of competing for second place in the group. Coach Sagnol has also changed his goal to prepare for the 2028 European Cup.

Although the game was in Tbilisi, Spain basically did not save face for the host country. It led 3-0 in the first half and fully controlled the rhythm of the game. Baena, who served as the left winger in this game, performed outstandingly, and most of the offensive opportunities were initiated from his feet. In the opening 10 minutes, he passed a good ball to Ferland, whose shot hit the Georgia defender. The referee watched the replay and finally awarded a penalty kick. Oyarzabal set the tone by scoring the goal.

The second ball did not keep the audience waiting for too long. Spain made a blitz attack in the middle and passed forward with two consecutive kicks. Midfielder Suvimendi appeared in the center position and calmly scored the ball against goalkeeper Mamardashvili. The entire scoring process was so high-end, from the connection between passing and running to the final shot handling, it was a masterpiece, so much so that Sagnol sighed lightly after watching it and was completely impressed. Spanish reporters said Suvemendi's foot skills are comparable to Romario's. In the past few months since he moved to Arsenal, his goals have indeed increased again and his self-confidence has become stronger. After another 12 minutes, Ferran Torres received a cross from Oyarzabal and scored the ball from close range.

In fact, these players all encountered some difficulties in their respective clubs, but they became prosperous as soon as they returned to the national team. Oyarzabal played 25 times under De La Fuente and scored 15 goals, which is far higher than his scoring efficiency at Real Sociedad, which is amazing. Although he was born as a winger, after changing his position in the penalty area, he completely mastered the skills of a top center: grabbing points, containing, and opening up space, and he did not lose Spain's unique center forward tactics. In the second half, he also beat the opponent's central defender and scored a beautiful header. If nothing else, he will be the main player in the World Cup. After all, there is no established contender on the bench: Borja Iglesias this time, maybe Omo Rodion next time.

Another player who is basically certain of his position is goalkeeper Unai Simon. As long as he is not injured, the main position will always belong to him. De la Fuente's arrangement may make David Raya's fans angry. In terms of performance and achievements in the club, why? Look at Neuer and Ter Stegen, every team has a two-goal controversy. And it has to be said that Unai Simon is indeed blessed with luck. He almost failed in this game. Kubasi almost scored an own goal, but the goalpost and Llorente successfully saved the ball. Not only did Spain win all five of their World Cup qualifying matches, they also didn't concede a single goal.

Due to the recent public hype about the national team's "overuse" of players, De La Fuente was very passive and simply stopped calling any players who were slightly injured. In addition to Yamal, Real Madrid's Huisen was also sent home. The central defenders in this game were matched by Laporte and Kubasi. Since Georgia could only muster enough strength to launch a counterattack every 10 minutes, and it was mainly concentrated on the side of Kvaratshelia, the pressure on the Spanish defense line was not great. Coupled with Polo's recent good form, it seems that the right back position does not have to wait for Carvajal.

Since losing to Scotland in March 2023, Spain has achieved an unbeaten record of 25 wins and 5 draws in 30 official games. In the middle, it has won 2 UEFA Nations League and 1 European Cup. The state is surprisingly stable. Now the problem is once again handed to De La Fuente. The players in his hands are in such good condition that it seems inappropriate not to bring any of them to the World Cup next year. Moreover, some people in the media in Spain feel that it is too heavy a burden to play in major competitions with such a long undefeated record. But in the current situation, it seems that it is not easy to save one's character after a defeat.