Aymeric Laporte (L) of Spain in faces Dailon Livramento of Cape Verde during a group stage match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday in Atlanta. Photo by Ronald Wittek/EPA
June 15 (UPI) -- Coach Luis de la Fuente said Spain "lacked freshness" in a stunning scoreless draw with heavy underdog Cape Verde on Monday in the 2026 World Cup.
The Spaniards dominated possession 74% to 26% and held advantages of 7-1 in shots on goal and 734-205 in accurate passes in the Group H stunner at Atlanta Stadium.
"We lacked freshness, a bit of finesse," de la Fuente told reporters. "I think the first game also took its toll on us a bit."
Cape Verde goalie Vozinha, 40, was impenetrable, with a deluge of stops. Barcelona winger Ferran Torres nearly gave the Spaniards a lead on two occasions. He hit the cross bar in the 39th minute and had a shot saved by Vozinha in the 45th.
