“It's all about rondos. Rondo, rondo, rondo. Each. Single. Day,” Xavi Hernández as soon as mentioned, however no person anticipated it inside the opposition's penalty space. And but right here was Spain's new era, European champions like his, doing precisely what he demanded – “Pum-pum-pum-pum, all the time one contact” – only a few metres from Ugurcan Cakir's aim. Which, when the entire excellent sequence lastly performed out in Konya, Turkey, is the place the ball concluded its journey.
The query now's the place they may conclude their very own. Can they, like Xavi's era, probably the most profitable in historical past, comply with the European Championship with a World Cup? Watching them play on Sunday evening, 9 months earlier than the match's opening on the Azteca stadium, the reply can solely be sure. Watching the second of the six objectives they scored, particularly.
For 75 seconds Spain had the ball. Each participant bought it, taking 66 touches between them, the ball labored from one finish to the opposite with out Turkey getting any. Solely labored doesn't really feel like fairly the correct phrase. A symphony, El País referred to as it, which is what the sports activities every day AS referred to as it too. Marca mentioned to hold it within the Prado. When Pedri performed it to Marc Cucurella on the left of the field, his ball, delivered first time, discovered Nico Williams inside the world. One contact in to Mikel Oyarzabal. One contact in to Mikel Merino. One contact in to the online. Pum-pum-pum-pum, and Spain have been 2-0 up.
That they had been taking part in 21 minutes. Spain led inside six when Pedri dropped the shoulder, glided previous Hakan Calhanoglu and guided a shot into the nook. And that had been coming: Cakir had made two excellent saves already. Spain had taken 5 pictures heading in the right direction by the point they bought the second; by the top, they'd scored six, may have gotten 10, they usually had referred to as it an evening on the hour, one thing like perfection achieved already. Merino was ready for his teammates to complete scrawling on the ball, Pedri had scored twice, Oyarzabal had three assists and Lamine Yamal two, the forwards offering for the midfielders.
“For these of us who love soccer, it's a pleasure to see them play; Spain have the qualities to emulate what they did between 2008 and 2012,” Turkey's coach, Vincenzo Montella, mentioned, and that was earlier than the match. After it, everybody else was inclined to agree. Euphoria could not all the time be advisable, but it surely was unavoidable. “We thought we'd by no means see something just like the Spain of Casillas, Xavi, Villa or Iniesta, however this era that Luis de la Fuente leads seems able to outdo what their colleagues did between 2008 and 2012,” Marca wrote. “It's not possible to flee the favorite's tag forward of subsequent summer season.”
Victory in Turkey put Spain prime of their qualifying group with two wins from two, 9 scored and none conceded. However it wasn't the truth that they received, it was how they did it, that it's no fluke, no one-off. It was their second-highest away victory – the earlier was in Liechtenstein in 2017 – and the twenty seventh aggressive recreation with out a defeat, statistically talking: Portugal beat them on penalties within the Nations League. Earlier than that, the final defeat was in Scotland, initially of De la Fuente's reign, which had appeared destined to be transient. As an alternative, they received the Nations League in 2023 and the European Championship in 2024. Few had anticipated success then; now they do.
There could by no means have been a greater European champion facet. Spain received all seven video games and beat Italy, Germany, France and England en path to the title. When it was put to Morata pre-tournament that Spain now not have the sort of gamers that may aspire to the Ballon d'Or, in order that they couldn't actually anticipate going a lot past the quarters, he insisted: “Rodri may simply have received it final 12 months; all he lacks is advertising. I all the time inform him that. Now we have Pedri, who's totally different. And I'm positive Nico and Lamine might be there sooner or later.” When he left the Olympic Stadium in Berlin with the medal round his neck, there was a smile, a reminder: seems the captain has a watch for a participant.
Rodri did win it. Dani Carvajal was fourth. Fabián Ruiz, largely forgotten 18 months in the past, is nominated this 12 months. Lamine Yamal is a candidate. Euro 2024 confirmed they have been adequate, a month altering all the things, externally not less than. Internally, they all the time believed, they mentioned. Moreover, there's a gasoline, too, in making fools of individuals; doubters drive you. “We would not have had ‘names' however we have been satisfied we had gamers who have been prime three on the planet, and we have been clear that whereas there have been groups with very good people, as a gaggle we have been stronger,” Oyarzabal mentioned.
There was a guiding philosophy too, shared by generations. De la Fuente famous on Sunday evening that he has recognized many of those gamers “since they have been youngsters … and now they're superstars”. He has all the time mentioned they're one of the best on the planet; right here, they seemed prefer it, the extent virtually absurd, the soccer performed ridiculous at instances. “Unimaginable,” De la Fuente referred to as it. “I'm very proud to handle a gaggle like this, at skilled and private stage. There's a mannequin, an concept, that was established years in the past within the federation and we're persevering with that. What we're reaching now's the fruit of a few years of labor.”
And but there may be an evolution, too: a depth, a spread, issues which have modified for the higher, seen in Berlin and past. If Spain's second aim in Konya would have delighted Xavi, Spain's ideologue, a defender of their footballing religion, it wasn't all about that. That was evident in Germany final summer season and in Turkey on Sunday evening. Spain broke by too, unstoppable when up and working. Ferran Torres's aim was born of an extended ball.
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“We all know we've got the power to play with the ball, to mix, to be associative, but additionally that we've got the gamers with the pace to counter, to transition,” De la Fuente mentioned. “What we do is give them the situation they're most comfy with they usually do it. In the event that they didn't have these qualities, it could be not possible. They interpret it completely.”
If Euro 2024 confirmed they have been adequate, there are parts that counsel an enchancment since then. Lamine Yamal, a 16-year-old the evening Spain reached the ultimate, already doing outrageous issues, is older. His development exhibits no signal of slowing, the stress seemingly one thing he welcomes, with different dimensions added to his recreation, beginning with ever larger duty. On Sunday evening there have been moments when it was much less about fantasy, extra about physique, opponents crushed by pace and power, too.
If he's not one of the best participant on the planet, maybe a teammate is: there could also be nobody wherever taking part in like Pedri. Over these two internationals, De la Fuente has performed him within the deeper function Hansi Flick discovered for him and from the place he dominates all the things. Merino has successfully swapped with him: no, he's not about to turn out to be the No 9, however that shift has been good for him, new roles realized. And behind them Dean Huijsen, who made his debut in March, presents a variety of passing and a willingness to step out of defence which is felt in each line. Carvajal and Rodri are nonetheless to return to their finest after harm, and there may be time. “It is a workforce that has a capability to enhance and do issues effectively that escape my creativeness,” the coach mentioned.
Expectation is inevitable; it's also an additional stress. It might carry the chance of leisure too. Can win just isn't will win; generally it's the reverse.
Not right here, they hope. “This era is insatiable,” De la Fuente mentioned. “We might be prudent, we all know there's a lot to be accomplished nonetheless. Soccer modifications from one week to the subsequent. However this group won't ever take its toes off the bottom, you'll be able to relaxation assured on that.
“Now we have one of the best footballers on the planet, however we additionally select good individuals. They know they've an opportunity of reaching crucial issues and they'll by no means let that chance move them by due to an extra of vainness, conceitedness or something prefer it.”
