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Yamal sparks Spain
Spain’s Lamine Yamal scored in the 10th minute to help Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Group H in Atlanta, and the match quickly turned into a rout after Mikel Oyarzabal’s early double.
“Lamine Yamal was the story before kick-off and is dominating conversation long after the final whistle too”
Yamal’s first World Cup start came after he had been limited to just 19 minutes in Spain’s shock goalless draw with Cape Verde, and he said, "I’ve always dreamed of being at a World Cup, and being able to score in my first match as a starter is a dream," postgame.
FOX Sports reported that Zlatan Ibrahimović said Yamal brings something "nobody else has," adding that Yamal scored in his first World Cup start and second appearance in the tournament altogether.
Opta Analyst described Yamal’s start as a decisive shift from Spain’s earlier frustrations, noting he was "just 10 minutes (9:58, to be precise) into his first World Cup start" when he scored.
After the win, USA Today said Spain now sits at the top of the Group H standings with four points, while De la Fuente said Spain must be better moving forward and face Uruguay next on June 26.
Praise and comparisons
As Spain’s second Group H match approached, Luis de la Fuente urged people not to compare Lamine Yamal to Lionel Messi or Diego Maradona, saying, "The worst mistake we could make would be to compare him to anyone."
De la Fuente also framed Yamal’s development in artistic terms, saying, "They're geniuses, like Dalí [who] can paint a picture, or Michelangelo."
BBC quoted Cesar Azpilicueta saying, "When you see a player like this with the confidence and freedom, he can create a lot of things that I couldn't teach," as Yamal’s impact on the first half was described as immediate.
BBC also relayed Guillem Balague’s view that Yamal looked like he was taking on a leadership role, quoting him saying, "Is it arrogance? Or confidence? A mixture of both," after describing Yamal walking out "looking around like he had just conquered the world."
Next test for Spain
The Sky Sports match report said Spain’s 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia came after Oyarzabal’s quickfire double and an own goal from Hassan Al Tambakti, while Ferran Torres had a late fifth ruled out by VAR for offside.
“Zlatan: Lamine Yamal Has Something 'Nobody Else Has' Lamine Yamal has arrived on the FIFA World Cup stage”
Sky Sports also reported that Spain were top of Group H ahead of Uruguay’s game against Cape Verde at 11pm on Sunday, while Saudi Arabia go bottom.
USA Today said Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente took both Yamal and Oyarzabal off at halftime, and De la Fuente said, "Lamine is in perfect condition to take on full matches now."
BBC added that de la Fuente insisted Yamal’s cameo against Cape Verde was part of a longer-term plan, with Yamal still carefully managing his recovery from the hamstring injury he suffered in April.
With the next match listed as Spain’s June 26 showdown against Uruguay, FOX Sports said the group-stage schedule now puts Spain in a position to build momentum after Yamal’s first World Cup goal and Spain’s dominant start to Group H.
