Spain secured its first World Cup win by defeating New Zealand (7-1), but despite the impressive scoreline, the match raised more concerns than answers for the team. The only clear positives were the three points and the seven goals, which might not be enough to secure the top spot in Group D after Kazakhstan’s 4-1 win over Libya. Spain will face Libya, coached by Ricardo Iñíguez, next Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
In their opening match, Spain struggled with nerves, and in their second game, anxiety crept in. After drawing with Kazakhstan, Spain was determined to beat New Zealand to secure their spot in the round of 16 and improve their chances in the final Group D match. However, New Zealand’s goalkeeper, Milkhail Antamanov, repeatedly thwarted Spain’s attempts, turning into a hero for the Oceania champions. Spain’s impatience and rushed play were evident. New Zealand, led by Marvin Eakins, set up a defensive wall, and when Art Twigg scored off a quick counterattack in the sixth minute, Spain found themselves in an unexpected, nightmarish situation.
Coach Fede Vidal reacted by bringing in Jesús Gordillo and swapping Jesús Herrero for Dídac Plana to leverage the Barcelona goalkeeper’s foot skills. Spain continued to struggle until Mellado set up Gordillo, who equalized after four tense minutes. The first half ended with a puzzling scoreline, considering Spain had 57 shots, 19 on target, but only one goal to show for it.
halftime
A swift halftime recovery saw Raúl Gómez score just 18 seconds into the second half with help from Dylan Manickum, who inadvertently deflected the shot into his own goal. Despite taking the lead, Spain’s play remained hurried. When a handball from Miroslav Malivuk gave Spain a penalty, Mellado’s missed opportunity added to the tension. However, Spain soon broke through New Zealand’s defense, with Catela’s low strike making it 3-1 and sparking a more dominant performance.
New Zealand’s defense began to falter, and Gordillo reminded Vidal of the importance of having a strong offensive specialist in the team. A timeout from Eakins temporarily stemmed the Spanish onslaught, but Raúl Campos’ 5-1 goal in the 29th minute signaled Spain’s release of frustration. Spain ended the game with 109 shots, 39 on target, as Catela added two more goals to complete a 6-0 second-half rout.
Catela was named player of the match by FIFA. “It was a tough game. Everything will be decided by goals. We played well, but we just needed to score more. We still control our fate,” the Cádiz native said. Coach Fede Vidal, on the other hand, admitted, “The conclusions aren’t positive. We’re not satisfied with the result. We should have scored more, but either due to luck or a lack of decisiveness, we didn’t finish as we should have.”
Meanwhile, Argentina joined Brazil, Thailand, and Paraguay in the round of 16 after a narrow 2-1 win over Afghanistan, with two goals from Mati Rosa securing the victory.