The Luis de la Fuente tactics played their role in guiding Spain to a 1-0 win over Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19. Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the match in the second half of extra time, as the Luis de la Fuente tactics proved to be effective once again.
The Spain vs Argentina final was a one-sided affair, as the Spaniards enjoyed more than 65% possession and had 12 shots on target against an Argentina side that had nothing to reply with. It was one of the most one-sided finals in the history of the tournament, and the deserving team won in the end.
Luis de la Fuente Tactics: Spain’s Master Tactician Works Wonders Once Again
De la Fuente thus became the second manager after Vicente Del Bosque to become the European and the World Champion at the same time. The Luis de la Fuente tactics predominantly stayed true to the Spanish philosophy of playing a plethora of short passes and denying their opponents the opportunity to get hold of the ball.
It was the same in the final, as Argentina did not have a single shot at the Spanish goal in the first 105 minutes of the match. Moreover, Pau Cubarsi and Marc Cucurella guarded the inside-right channel on the edge of their own penalty box to make sure that Lionel Messi was not able to get into a position to take shots at their goal.
This also forced Messi to drop into the midfield from an advanced initial position, and then Rodri, winner of the Golden Ball as the best player in the tournament, marked the 39-year-old Argentine out of the match in the central areas of the pitch.
The special attention Rodri gave to Messi in the middle third must have been a part of the Luis de la Fuente tactics in the match. It worked really well, as Messi failed to exert his influence as long as Rodri was on the pitch.
The Spanish full-backs did not go into overlaps initially, but as they realised that Messi was not going to be a threat through the wings, they started attacking more often. Had the crosses played from the wings by the wide players of Spain been more accurate, they could have scored much earlier.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Chelsea Summer Transfer Window: What Xabi Alonso’s Five-Player Exit List Reveals About His New Era
Luis de la Fuente Tactics: Substitutions Utilised At The Right Time
It was once again a case of effective substitutions, as Ferran Torres, Nico Williams and Mikel Merino came in to help Spain break the deadlock. Williams registered the assist by heading down the ball to Torres, and Merino came tantalisingly close to scoring another goal off the bench with a header from inside the Argentine penalty box.
The Spain vs Argentina final once again showed that in a team sport, exceptional individuals can only help a team so much, and in the end, the collective effort will always prevail. De la Fuente has built his team around a particular philosophy and playing style and not around individual brilliance.
Rodri has been metronomic with his passing and ruthless with his tackles; Oyarzabal has scored five goals, Dani Olmo has caught the eye with his passing, Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte have been almost flawless in marking the opposition forwards, and Torres, Williams and Merino have provided the spark as substitutes, and Lamine Yamal has been consistent with his runs into the box.
Had Emiliano Martinez not had a brilliant match in the Argentine goal, Spain would have won by a bigger margin on Sunday. However, in the end, it is not the margin that matters, but the victory does.
Leave a Reply