The presence of no less than seven domestic players at the World Cup confirms Luis Enrique’s fondness for wingers; the more open the better
That Luis Enrique loves footballers on the wing has been proof since he offered his first roster as a coach. However, the World Cup in Qatar has made it clear that his love for interiors goes much further, even to one of the leitmotifs of the project he started building four years ago. His Spain is a selection of wingers, players who are a priori cut from the same pattern, but who, according to the Asturian coach, have different things to offer. Same raw material, different cooking. Of the eight internationals included in the La Roja attack, seven live close to the lime: Ferran Torres, Nico Williams, Yéremy Pino, Marco Asensio, Pablo Sarabia, Dani Olmo and Ansu Fati. Only the eighth passenger, Álvaro Morata, is a pure striker. In the absence of the Atlético striker, some of the players mentioned will act as ‘false 9’, but not all of them are suitable for that role.
Versatility has become a constant quest for the coach from Gijón, convinced that the ultimate rigidity in the lines reduces and ultimately impoverishes the variation of the game. This maxim seems to contradict the “overbooking” on the sides of the big event in Doha, but according to the criteria of those who chose it, they are able to take on other roles, to change again if the script of a competition that advises . Asensio and Olmo are serious contenders for the role of ‘virtual’ striker – the Leipzig footballer did it in the last Euro Cup match against Italy and his performance was exceptional in that position. Ferran Torres and Sarabia could pass through that area as well. Not so Yéremy and Nico, who called to open up to the bands, the more the merrier. For his part, Ansu Fati has the clearest terrain and can even turn into a true nine if needed.
Spain’s debut in Qatar is imminent – against Costa Rica on Wednesday at 5pm Spanish time – and while forecasting is a very risky exercise when it’s Luis Enrique who manages a bank, Ferran Torres and Sarabia postulated as the interiors with the most chances to take part in the match at Al Thumama Stadium. Del Olmo has been out of work for a long time due to injury and Asensio and Ansu Fati made the list in the photo finish – although both completed an excellent match against Jordan with an electrical connection -. Yéremy Pino has always been on the forward side and Nico Williams has worked as a dislike so far; against Switzerland to lead the final rush in search of a draw, against Portugal to assist Morata and in Amman to shake up the rest of the siesta.
success rate
The truth is that the coach has a significant success rate in choosing his wingmen, as demonstrated for example with the Athletic player. The slogans are clear. Always looking ahead, tackles from the outside and the inside combine to confuse their markings and get close to the line to give the midfielders room to create. Don’t hesitate to look at the target as a highlight. The lack of goals is one of La Roja’s endemic ills and the Asturian coach wants the wingers to be daring and not limit themselves to putting good charges in the area or looking for filtered passes. They must become the ideal midfield complement, the ones offered when the midfield team-mates need to take the pressure off and the ones leading the attack when the ball is recovered near the area.
In fact, the latter is one of the main reasons why the coach has so far opted for Torres and Sarabia, just days before Spain’s debut in the capital of Qatar. He considers them to be very complete as they are both capable of working with or without the ball, a double duty that requires a lot of physical waste. That is, they overindulge in defensive duties, making it difficult for their opponents to get out and close the wings when the fullbacks try to advance. One of Luis Enrique’s big tactical surprises since taking over the reins of the national team has been Olmo and it happened in the Eurocup of the multi-venue pandemic, against Italy. The coach asked him to fall to the center near midfield and the Terrassa footballer completely upset his rivals. The Catalan was an example of the versatility that Luis Enrique strives for.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
