La Roja is not particularly good in the first World Cup games, but in South Africa they lost to Switzerland and eventually won
Coaches and football players agree that the first match of a national tournament is the most complicated, because the nerves of the debut and the tendency to cover up to avoid losing can play a big part. Spain kicks off this Wednesday (5pm) in Qatar against Costa Rica at the Al Thumama stadium and all the players who appeared before the media at the team’s headquarters in the hours before the clash have warned that the start is not so . usually not easy, regardless of the rival’s potential.
La Roja is not particularly good at World Cup debuts. In the five planetary events of this century there were more shadows than lights and the best possible paradox; in South Africa 2010 they lost in the game against Switzerland and a month later they won the trophy in Johannesburg. If we go back to the last century, the balance of debuts is bleak.
At the World Cups in the early 2000s, the news at the premieres was positive, although later the development of the competition left a very bitter aftertaste. Spain won Slovenia (3-1) with solvency in Korea, but packed up in the quarter-finals by succumbing in the penalty shootout against the hosts after 120 minutes, in which arbitration dashed their dreams.
Four years later, in Germany, a resounding debut victory against Ukraine (4-0) that aroused the enthusiasm of the fans. The ensuing rebellion led by Raúl, with Cañizares and Salgado as chief lieutenants, pushed up concentration and blew up the chances of victory. The internationals led by Luis Aragonés appeared in the round of 16 divided and with little desire to give everything, with a very toxic internal environment and with the environment overseeing them. Defeat (1-3) against France.
La Roja went to South Africa with sky-high morale after winning the championship in Austria and Switzerland and with an almost unanimous opinion that they played the best football of the moment. After her show at the Eurocup, she was undoubtedly one of the big favorites. But the beginning couldn’t be more daunting. Switzerland minimally outnumbered him and put him against the ropes. Spain didn’t collapse, but made a huge recovery and made brilliant progress in the tournament until winning the final after extra time with Iniesta’s historic goal.
The revenge of the Orange came in 2014 in Brazil. The team, which shone again two years earlier at Euro 2012, suffered a setback (1-5) from which it did not come out. Farewell in the group stage. In Russia, after Julen Lopetegui’s histrionic scare, a three-goal draw in debut against Portugal. At home in the round of 16 after penalties against the hosts.
This century was all about debuts, but in the last one, and with the 1982 World Cup in Spain as a reference, the statistics are not very encouraging. Draw in that meeting against Honduras (1-1), defeat in Mexico with Brazil (0-1), draw twice in a row against Uruguay (no goals) and Korea (2-2) and defeat against Nigeria in 1998 (2- 3). Not a single win in sixteen years.
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.
