Chapter 624: Advancing to the Round of 16
The World Cup schedule is very tight. Taking Group B, where Spain is, as an example: the first round of group matches was on June 16, the second round on June 20, and the third on June 26.
All three matches were completed within 11 days, averaging one match every four days.
On June 25, the final group stage match in Group A kicked off.
The host country, Russia, couldn't continue its previous winning streak. First, they scored an own goal, and then one of their players was sent off with a red card. In the end, they lost 0-3 to Uruguay and advanced to the Round of 16 as the second-place team in the group.
According to the World Cup bracket, the host nation would face the winner of Group B in the knockout stage. The winner of Group B had already been determined in the previous round—Spain.
As a result, Russian fans had mixed feelings after the game. They were happy that their team advanced to the Round of 16, but also worried about facing the reigning champions.
But this outcome was no one's fault but their own. If they had managed to defeat Uruguay earlier, they wouldn't have had to face the powerful Spanish team.
Unlike the Russian fans, the Spanish fans were thrilled when they found out their next opponent was Russia.
Russia isn't a strong team and is considered a second-tier European team at best. Based on their performance in their defeat against Uruguay, beating Spain would be incredibly difficult.
Therefore, for Spain, facing such an opponent in the Round of 16 was a huge advantage.
Despite this, Spain's coach, Vicente del Bosque, did not take them lightly. In the final group stage match, Del Bosque rested a large number of key players and fielded a mixed squad of starters and substitutes.
His intention was clear: to give the main players enough rest so they could store up energy for the next match.
"Remember, this is the World Cup. Never underestimate any opponent, especially in the knockout stage. One mistake could be your last, and you might regret it for the rest of your life," Del Bosque warned.
A single-elimination tournament is inherently unpredictable. Anything can happen. Even with a clear advantage, they couldn't afford to be careless until they had completely defeated their opponent.
"Yes, coach!" the players responded, fully understanding the significance. The World Cup, held only once every four years, is the pinnacle of football.
A player's career is short, and there aren't many chances to participate in a World Cup.
They had to seize every opportunity, as they couldn't be sure they'd be on the World Cup stage again in four years.
Spain's opponent, Morocco, had already been eliminated, so for them, this match was about pride.
Perhaps because of this, Morocco played with no pressure and performed far better than in their previous two games.
Every player competing in the World Cup understands what it means, leading to immense psychological pressure. Excessive pressure makes players tense, resulting in mistakes, faster fatigue, and other negative effects.
In training, players might perform at 100%, but under the pressure of the World Cup, they might only reach 60%.
One particular national team from the East was notorious for its poor mentality, with players collapsing under pressure.
But this Morocco team, now free from pressure, played to its full potential.
In the 14th minute of the first half, Morocco scored first, taking a 1-0 lead over the reigning champions.
The Moroccan players were thrilled after scoring because it was their first goal of the tournament, and it came against the defending champions.
If they could win this match, even if eliminated, they could leave the World Cup with their heads held high.
Spain, on the other hand, was embarrassed. Conceding a goal to the team at the bottom of the group was a blow to their pride.
Spain quickly responded, equalizing in the 19th minute of the first half.
Saúl sent a beautiful pass from the wing, and Isco fired a shot into the net.
It was a stunning goal, and even the main players on the bench, like Lin Quan, stood up to applaud the players on the field.
Although most of the players on the field were substitutes, to be a substitute for Spain still required great skill.
After leveling the score, Spain gradually took control of the game, and their attacks became increasingly smooth.
The Moroccan coach realized this and quickly changed tactics, shifting to a more aggressive approach.
From the 22nd minute onward, Morocco's fouls and aggressive challenges sharply increased.
Within nine minutes, they committed seven fouls and received four yellow cards.
Spanish players were frequently knocked to the ground, which infuriated Del Bosque.
He rushed to the fourth official to protest, arguing that Morocco was no longer playing football but deliberately trying to injure his players.
"Look at them! They're targeting our players, trying to take them out!" Del Bosque was deeply concerned because this style of play was making things difficult for Spain.
Morocco had already been eliminated, so they didn't care how many cards they received.
But Spain couldn't afford injuries to their key players with the knockout stage looming.
Del Bosque's protests had little effect, and Morocco's rough play continued. Spain's players, feeling threatened by the aggressive tactics, began playing more cautiously.
They passed the ball around more in their own half, avoiding forward attacks.
However, this cautious approach meant they couldn't maintain their offensive pressure on Morocco.
Luckily, Morocco's attacks were equally ineffective, and neither team could change the score.
The match grew dull, with Spain's possession-based play lulling the crowd to sleep.
Spain's constant passing in the middle and back made it feel like the game was dragging on.
Morocco wanted to attack but couldn't get the ball.
By the end of the first half, Spain's possession had reached over 80%, with the ball barely touching the feet of Moroccan players.
No wonder some say that Barcelona and Spain's tiki-taka style is a form of defense—it really can be!
Shortly after the second half started, Del Bosque made a series of substitutions, taking off key players like Thiago and Alba, leaving only three main players on the field.
This gave Morocco an opportunity to counterattack, and in the 81st minute, they capitalized on a Spanish mistake to score again, making it 2-1.
Moroccan players were ecstatic, and the fans applauded them.
Who doesn't love a story of David defeating Goliath?
With Spain's possession-heavy style putting everyone to sleep, fans were eager to see the underdog win.
Del Bosque held his head in his hands. Had they really let this slip away?
Although the result wouldn't affect Spain's advancement as group winners, losing to the last-place team in the group didn't feel right.
Del Bosque glanced at Lin Quan on the bench, wondering if he should send him on.
With about ten minutes left, including stoppage time, could Lin Quan help them equalize?
Just as he was thinking this, Spain scored.
Carvajal sent in a cross from the flank, Isco's shot was blocked by the goalkeeper, and Asensio pounced on the rebound to score.
With that goal, Del Bosque dismissed the idea of sending Lin Quan on.
A draw would do. It wasn't a bad result.
In the 87th minute, Spain made their final substitution, bringing on David Silva, who had been recovering from an injury. Del Bosque wanted him to get back into form ahead of the knockout stages, where the team would need him.
Silva immediately showed his skills and awareness, playing actively after coming on.
During stoppage time, he combined with Isco on a one-two pass, breaking into the box.
Unfortunately, although his shot beat the goalkeeper, it was cleared off the line by a Moroccan defender.
In the end, the match ended 2-2, with Spain advancing to the Round of 16 with two wins and one draw.
While Spain's game had ended, Portugal's match was still ongoing. Cristiano Ronaldo had missed a penalty, failing to extend his streak of goals.
However, Quaresma once again stepped up, scoring Portugal's only goal.
With the match in stoppage time, Portugal's fans had already begun celebrating their victory.
But then, in the second minute of stoppage time, Iran was awarded a penalty.
Iran's number 10 didn't make the same mistake as Ronaldo and calmly converted the penalty.
Both teams were now level!
If Iran could score one more goal, it would be Portugal who would be eliminated.
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the stadium was tense. Both sets of fans were on edge, watching every move on the pitch.
The penalty had revived Iran's spirits. Realizing they had a chance to reach the knockout stage, they threw everything forward, launching a furious final attack on Portugal's goal.
If they could score just one more goal, they would break their streak of never making it out of the group stage.
Faced with Iran's onslaught, Portugal retreated to defend, using tactical fouls and substitutions to run down the clock.
After what felt like an eternity, the final whistle blew, and the game ended 1-1.
Both teams finished with one win, one draw, and one loss, with the same goal difference.
Thanks to Ronaldo's hat trick against Spain, Portugal advanced to the Round of 16 based on their total number of goals.
As soon as the referee blew the final whistle, Portugal's players erupted in celebration.
Meanwhile, the Iranian players collapsed on the field, utterly exhausted. Their World Cup journey was over once again.
Just like every other time, they failed to make it out of the group stage.
But this time, they had come so close…
Spain's players were shocked when they heard the result of Portugal's match.
Portugal was clearly stronger than Iran, but this Iranian team was tough, with solid defense and well-organized attacks. They were far from an easy opponent.
"If you underestimate any opponent on the pitch, you'll pay for it. If Ronaldo had made that penalty, none of this would have happened!" Del Bosque used the result of the match as another reminder to his players not to get complacent.
His biggest worry was that some of Spain's players were becoming overconfident because of the team's past success.
That kind of thinking could get them into trouble, especially since Spain's overall strength had declined, and they could no longer afford to be reckless.
Since the Round of 16 match was still a week away, Del Bosque gave the players a day off to spend time with their families.
Shortly after the national team players left, their wives and girlfriends, commonly known as the "WAGs," sprang into action.
The players had been in Russia for more than two weeks, so it was time for them to reunite with their partners.
Compared to some teams with stricter rules, Spain had a more relaxed approach to this.
Del Bosque believed that too much repression wasn't good. Rather than having players sneak out and risk scandals, it was better to let them openly spend time with their wives and girlfriends.
As soon as Del Bosque announced the news, the players cheered and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Del Bosque could only shake his head: "I forgot to remind them to show some restraint!"
Thinking about how their girlfriends were either models or actresses, all with stunning looks and figures, he figured his reminders would have been pointless anyway.
"Let them be! As for me, I'll go find a place to have a drink and relax!"
(Chapter End)