As the time ticked away at the end of Spain vs. Cape Verde, nerves understandably reached their natural crescendo. The giants of the sport tried to force the issue and anxiously pushed for what they felt was rightly theirs while the brave underdogs valiantly defended as if their lives were on the line.
When referee Adham Makhadmeh blew his whistle confirming the shocking 0-0 draw, Mercedes-Benz Stadium burst with elation at Cape Verde’s jubilant success: The minnows pulled it off. David had bloodied Goliath. The entire world seemed to celebrate the moment – everyone, that is, except for La Roja and its fans.
What will surely be one of the great moments in this World Cup was the result of a bit of luck and a lot of heroic defending, sure, but much of the blame – or credit depending on where you’re standing – lays at the feet of the Spanish contingent.
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Spain has more than enough talent on the squad to beat Cape Verde, and despite the absence of two of its best players, the team should have come out on top. But an array of issues ultimately lost La Roja the three points – and more worryingly, point towards some potentially bad habits that could cost this team a chance of lifting its second World Cup.
