Málaga, Mar 25 (EFE).- Two goals in four minutes in Joselu Mato’s field went down in history as the debut with the most punch by a player from the Spanish team and turned doubt into forcefulness in the official debut of Luis de la Fuente as coach, defeating a Norway that longed for the punch of Erling Haaland when he was caressing the tie.
The reconstructions demand time, the retouching of style even more. Detecting errors does not ensure rapid modification. It took Spain decades to change from fury to touch and in its next step it must find a way to increase the verticality that promotes the flight from unproductive possession. It did not change from the beginning, with peaks of up to 96% of the ball but only two arrivals at the rival goal in a first act of indefiniteness. The same ones that Joselu needed to sign a scoring record.
Spain has acquired vices, such as excessive risk at the start of the play, which is repeated even with a change of coach and goalkeeper. Kepa risked excessively and the loss of Laporte could cost a scare in Odeegard’s shot or the possible penalty after Rodri’s kick.
Dani Olmo opens the scoring
The national team was already winning thanks to the appearance of Dani Olmo in the first dangerous action after thirteen minutes. From the fight for an impossible ball from Mikel Merino and the mobility of the four attacking players who appear in the final phase with De la Fuente, Morata left the finishing zone and found Balde’s rise. His left foot was deflected with quality by Dani Olmo, with the outside, into the net.
The goal should have taken the nerves off the debut, but Spain did not break loose. And that Rodri took command with hierarchy, providing greater play in length than Busquets did, always with the close support in double pivot of Mikel Merino, key with his mobility to avoid block fractures after loss. But there was a lack of fluidity in the mobility of the line of three formed by Iago Aspas, Gavi and Olmo.
The character of the selection is provided by the youngest. Gavi appears for the battle in any zone, he makes a free kick that cuts off a counterattack, he looks for space but lacks the finesse with the ball of the midfielders. In De la Fuente’s new system, 4-2-3-1, he must find his place. Possibly closer to Rodri. It was evident as soon as Dani Ceballos entered the game and touched the first ball.
Spain, lack of auction
Norway protected themselves from the beginning, waiting for a bigger storm, and had moments of dominance when they felt the Spanish doubt despite their advantage on the scoreboard. With the great condition of Haaland’s absence, he sought the light when Odegaard appeared. He had the equalizer but it crashed into Nacho and Kepa appeared, insecure from the top after 899 days of absence from the national team, but exhibiting reflexes to avoid the tie after Sorloth’s cross and a shot at the pleasure of Aursnes.
Spain sowed doubts with Morata always far from the shot zone, barely close to the goal with a tense cross from Olmo that he missed by millimeters. He always came into play far from a zone of influence of a pure 9. The World Cup errors due to lack of troops found no solution. It was the appearance from the second row of Mikel Merino, the one that allowed caressing the goal. Surprising at the far post and with a shot at the short post when a cross was expected. He pulled her down Nyland.
It took 50 minutes for the shot from a striker to arrive, soft. From the head of Aspas to the center with the exterior of Carvajal. He gave way to a slump for Spain that could cost them the tie when Pedersen ran into Nacho again when Kepa seemed outmatched, who reacted in time to take a ball that slipped into the goal.
De la Fuente acted quickly to change a scenario that did not interest him. The entrance of Ceballos, who was expected to start as a reference, returned the ball. Oyarzabal’s had to increase the depth. Yeremy completed a plan b that was effective.
With an overwhelming personality, Ceballos demanded a greater role, to exercise the leadership he desires in the national team at a moment of maximum inspiration. He took over the game, made the rest play and served Yeremy the sentence that he forgave. In the second from the end, he chose to put Joselu on a platter who, with seconds on the field, shot into the air with full anxiety.
Double of Joselu
There were ten minutes to go when La Rosaleda, who for one day was fleeing the agony of his Málaga and once again enjoying elite football, fell silent when he saw only Sorloth forgive at the far post what a scorer can never miss. There was the game, after a new display of defensive weakness from Spain, another factor to improve.
The rest was already put by Joselu. Lethal, as in LaLiga, in his header to adjust Fabián’s cross to the post and seconds later take advantage of the slowness in Oyarzabal’s definition, the rejection of Nyland’s save, and go crazy with a double for the story he made up in the result the beginning with uncertainty of a new era.
Datasheet:
2 – Spain: Kepa; Carvajal, Laporte, Nacho, Bucket; Rodri, Mikel Merino (Fabian, m.81); Iago Aspas (Birches, m.58), Gavi (Oyarzabal, m.58), Dani Elmo (Yeremy Pine, m.67); and Morata (Joseph, m.81).
0 – Noruega: Newland; Pedersen (Ryerson, m.74), Strandberg, Ostigård, Meling (Bjorkan, m.74); Odegaard, Berg, Aursnes; Berge (Solbakken, m.74), Elyounoussi (Larsen, m.74) and Sorloth (Brynhildsen, m.87).
Goals: 1-0, m.13: Dani Olmo. 2-0, m.84: Joselu. 3-0, m. 85: Joselu.
Referee: Benoit Bastien (France). He booked Odegaard (41) and Sorloth (51) for Norway.
Incidents: match corresponding to the first day of the Euro 2024 qualifying phase, played at La Rosaleda completely full with 29,214 spectators in its stands.
By Roberto Morales
