Spain's head coach Luis de la Fuente came out swinging, defending his squad after their 4-0 demolition of Saudi Arabia at FIFA World Cup 2026. This win followed a shaky draw with Cape Verde that had folks questioning the team's form.
De la Fuente brushed off the naysayers,calling it "crazy" to doubt a team unbeaten for 33 matches. "Better days,worse days,normal days…but questioning these young players with bright futures? Unfair," he said post-match.
Coach admitted criticism fired up his players. They felt pride bruised by earlier backlash . "Nobody likes criticism," he said. Such remarks can spark a fierce response. "This isn't reality. We can do better,as shown before," he noted.
Forward Mikel Oyarzabal stood out,shutting down critics with two goals and an assist in first half. Only second player since 1966 to have hand in three goals in first 25 minutes of World Cup match. Last was Hungary's Laszlo Fazekas in 1982.
De la Fuente hailed Oyarzabal's impact,insisting it goes beyond stats . "Those who know football value him," he said. "His impact is massive,maybe more than any other player worldwide." Hopes Oyarzabal gets due recognition.
Now Spain sits with four points in Group H,well-placed ahead of final group match against Uruguay. Saudi Arabia's got just one point from two games. Their path forward? Not easy…
