1 hour ago
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Key events
87 min: A collision, and sore heads for Kanno and Alaa Heiji, which leads to a break in play.
85 min: The Saudis venturing forward, and Spain seem happy to let them have it in a manner their high press of the first half did not allow. There’s well over 30 seconds of Saudi possession, surely a high over the whole game.
84 min: Fair to say that full-time is anticipated by both teams. It’s been a good workout for Spain, some faith restored though the lack of Lamine Yamal, even though he wasn’t at his best, in the second half suggests they need their key man fit and firing.
82 min: Al-Owais makes a fine save, to prevent an own-goal from Al Tambakti, though there was already a flag on the play.
80 min: An actual save to make for Unai Simon, as Al-Hamdan shoots, speculatively to say the least.
79 min: Pino and Ferran Torres try to link on the attack, neither yet to replicate the movement of Oyarzabal in the first half. The gas has been stepped off, admittedly.
78 min: Niall Mullen gets in touch: “While I don’t want to stereotype the Saudi side, I’m not sure many of them would be willing to sit in the dentist’s chair.” The reference was to root-canal work rather than a Singapore Sling.
77 min: Up in the posh seats, Gianni Infantino is sat with Michel Salgado, Spain, Real Madrid and Blackburn Rovers legend.
75 min: Spain recycle possession, and Fabian Ruiz’s ball is hoiked clear. Saudi looking to keep the score down even if “goal differential” is not as an important as it might be. It is useful in the count-back for the third-place matches.
73 min: De La Fuente looks on, stone-faced. Job done on his big birthday. His squad is so full of talent, and has shown that Cape Verde might just have been an aberration. Spain lost their first game of the 2010 World Cup by losing to Switzerland.
72 min: Pam gets in touch: “Enjoying the MBM. Keep up the good work. Re Justin Kavanagh’s 59th minute comment: Vozinha and Cape Verde on the other hand can channel MLK verbatim “I had a dream.””
Will it continue in Miami?
71 min: Spain change: Pedri has gone off, as Fabian Ruiz arrives, not a bad replacement to have.
70 min: Kari Tulinius gets in touch: “This match reminds of two prior World Cup matches involving Saudi Arabia, an 8-0 loss to Germany in 2002 and a 5-0 loss to Russia in 2018. While both teams went on to do well, they weren’t as impressive as the result suggested. It feels crazy to think that about this Spanish side, but that’s how I feel watching them. Germany got to the final in 2002, so Spain shouldn’t worry too much what I think.”
69 min: Here’s the boos, as it’s a hydration break. For the Saudis, just over 20 minutes to go of being sat in the dentist’s chair.
67 min: The Saudis are sat in back four now, bit still sat as deep as the Marianas Trench. Now that Williams is on, they have retreated yet deeper.
66 min: Unai Simon watches the ball drift over him to Porro. He could have played this game in a Mickey Mouse costume and got away with it.
65 min: What a ball from Merino but Ferran Torres cannot make the best of it. He has a couple of ghosts to bury from the Cape Verde near-calamity.
64 min: Peter Oh returns: “I’d also like to request statistics on Adidas Trionda bursts. Could this ball be the new King of Pop?”
62 min: Spain subs: Merino and Nico Williams replace Baena and Dani Olmo. For the Saudis, Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat has come on, as has Alaa Heji, Al Amri and Al-Burakain are the two going off.
60 min: Spain’s possession is more sterile in that first half. There’s a concern as Rodri takes a bashing from Kanno, who is booked, though it looked a complete accident.
59 min: Justin Kavanagh gets in touch: “Nice to read of Rodri indulging his Uruguayan dreams. On that note, I think most of these overrun Saudis will look back on their visit to the home of Martin Luther King Jr., and reflect “I had a nightmare.”
57 min: Spain will have their eyes on Uruguay now. They play Cape Verde later in Miami. Just £420, those.
55 min: The Saudis are looking to their final match now. That’s against Cape Verde, in Houston, and a quick ticket check suggests you can be there for a mere £336.
54 min: Nigel in Toronto is looking for a statistician: “Hi, John, I agree with Andre Street. Does someone know how many shots have gone high compared to previous World Cups at this stage?”
Any answers?
53 min: Pedro Porro, playing like a winger, bursts into the space that was once Yamal’s, chasing Cubarsi’s pass and will have hoped to do rather better with the shot.
51 min: Rodri gets in touch, and is feeling pessimistic: “As many Uruguayans, I didn’t expect us going further than R32, (no way of us beating Argentina nowadays). But after Spain first game, I naively dreamed that if we could get a better goal difference and tie the last game, when Spain might be saving legs, we could top the group. And then, with a lot of luck, we could even go far... As they say, dreaming is free. They also say it’s the hope that kills you, but it was nice while it lasted. Now, back to reality and Sunday house cleaning (not a metaphor about the Uruguayan squad, but the actual chores).”
50 min: Cucurella accepted the applause but that’s yet another OG at the World Cup.
Goal! Spain 4-0 Saudi Arabia (Al-Tambakti, 49 OG)
The corner drifts to the back post, and Cucurella smashes a volley, off Al Owais and Tambakti deflects in, unable to stop it rolling in.
48 min: Has Pedri taken a knock? He soldiers on having ridden a strong tackle that concedes a corner.
47 min: No hat-trick for Oyarzabal, then, and Yamal has had his runout, and scored his first World Cup goal, too.
Back underway in Atlanta
46 min: Two Spain subs: Oyarzabal and Lamine Yamal off, and Yeremy Pino, Ferran Torres on. For the Saudis, Al Juwayr off, as is Abdullah Al-Khaibari, and on comes Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Mohamed Kanno.
That first half belonged to Mikel Oyarzabal, though Alex Baena has impressed. Victor Munoz, the new Liverpool buy, is missing with an injury.
Andre Street gets in touch: “That ball, I read someplace it was popping. But is it inflated with helium?” Lot of shots flying high, that’s for sure.
Half-time: Spain 3-0 Saudi Arabia
In truth, Spain have left some goals behind despite their commanding lead. Yamal has his first goal and Mikel Oyarzabal has got two. The Saudis have been chasing shadows and must be grateful there’s air con.
45+3 min: A Saudi counter, and it’s Yamal who chases down Al Harbi, who made another of those long runs from deep. Then Rodri has to hoof clear.
