After an enthralling group stage which handed us a few surprises, everyone’s eyes are now focused on the thrilling knockout stage that awaits us. The first step of this knockout stage is the Round of 16, which had already seen several games keeping us on the edge of our seats, like Brazil’s dominating 4-1 win against South Korea, France proving the World Cup curse wrong, and beating Poland 3-1, and Portugal cruising past Switzerland with a 6-1 win aided by a Gonçalo Ramos hattrick.
With what we saw in the group stages, everyone was rightfully waiting for an upset in this Round of 16 and just as it looked like it might come from Japan vs. Croatia, the Kockasti eventually had the advantage over Japan by winning in penalties. Everyone’s hopes of having an underdog in the Quarter-finals were seemingly out the window, but we were all pleasantly (or unpleasantly, for some) surprised when Morocco managed to eliminate favorites Spain after a sensational round of penalties.
Let us take away three points from what we saw in the match.
1. Numbers DO Lie – Moroccos
In football, we are all aware of the famous saying: stats don’t lie. Well, in this particular case, we might just say the opposite. If we look at the stats for this match, it is easy to spot the obvious domination by La Furia Roja.
They have dominated in chances, with Spain getting more than double the amount of shots Morocco did. Their numbers in possession are also surreal, acquiring 77% possession throughout the match. They have also done over 1,000 passes, 90% of which were actually completed, compared to Moroccos 305 with a measly 70% success rate. With these numbers, it would be logical to assume that Spain would win the match.
But as we have seen, this wasn’t the case… at all. Spain tried to repeat their success in 2010, where they played possession football. This ideology is simple: if the opponents don’t have the ball, they won’t score. And if they don’t score, they won’t win. Well, while that might have been half-true in the sense that Moroccos didn’t score, the poor execution of attempts and passes from this Spanish side didn’t support the credibility of Luis Enrique’s preferred tactic.
Needless to say, in football, numbers aren’t everything.
2. Lucho’s Barcelona Bias– Real?
After elimination in the World Cup, it is always inevitable to talk about the managers because they are, after all, the men in charge. Luis Enrique has proven time and time again that he is an astounding manager, with his successes during his time in charge with FC Barcelona and leading this Spanish side to the Semi-finals of the Euro as well as the final of the 2021 Nations League. A lot of people credit these international successes to the fact that he doesn’t just pick anyone. He curates his team based on who fits his plans and despite having had great results, there is one undeniable and common denominator: he just simply wasn’t winning tournaments. Of course, leading your country to an international trophy isn’t an easy task, but with the addition of the annual Nations League added to the list of possible trophies, Spanish
Fans were unsure whether the players Enrique was bringing to a stage as big as the World Cup were good enough.
When the list of the convocation came out, the reactions of the Spanish fans were negative, to say the least. People were expressing their disdain online about Enrique’s decision to call up the likes of Eric García who hasn’t been performing for his club, Ferran Torres whose performances for Barcelona had been subpar, and an aging Jordi Alba. They were also furious about the omittance of former captain Sergio Ramos, Liverpool midfield maestro Thiago Alcántara, goal machine Borja Iglesias and the experienced Iago Aspas, among many others.
Seeing what is written online, people seemed to have the most trouble with understanding his choice of midfielders. Sure, one could argue that Luis Enrique had a trio with an amazing chemistry made up of Barcelona starters Pedri, Gavi, and Sergio Busquets, seeing as they play with each other week in and week out but with this, Spanish fans and neutrals alike couldn’t help but wonder, is Luis Enrique’s bias towards Barcelona players actually real? And if so, is it costing the Spanish national team?
Singling those three names out, Pedri was undoubtedly the best player, the only one who hasn’t really put a foot wrong in the tournament as the young midfielder had been almost perfect in his matches. But Sergio Busquets isn’t just as sharp as he used to be– with the Moroccan players easily breaking down his passess which left little to no solid chances for Spain–, and Gavi is an explosive player and a little bit too unexperienced to be starting every game in the World Cup. Perhaps a midfield of Pedri as a creative outlet, Thiago to orchestrate perfect passes, and Rodri (who Enrique, to the confusion of many supporters, played as a centre-back) to balance them out with his defensive work would be more fitting.
The first three names in the penalty shootout are the last questionable things in this list. Everyone knows that when a game comes down to penalties, it isn’t about skill or talent anymore, but it is a mental game where experience and composure play a huge role. Putting this pressure on Pablo Sarabia and Carlos Soler as the first two players just wasn’t the correct decision since these two players, without discrediting them, aren’t too familiar with this kind of pressure. In these situations, senior players like Jordi Alba and Dani Carvajal are needed in the list as they have faced circumstances with the same gravity of pressure. It is also in moments like these when Sergio Ramos’ absence is once again felt, as he is known to be an excellent penalty taker.
With Luis Enrique stepping down as the coach of Spain, can La Roja supporters expect grave changes in the selection of players?
3. Defying the Odds
By all means, credit should be given when it is due. As much as it was Spain’s responsibility for losing the match, it was also Moroccos strong will and fighting spirit that won them the tie. Morocco entered the match as clear underdogs despite being one of the only teams to have not lost a single Group Stage match, ad it was even speculated online that Spain purposefully did not try to equalise against Japan in the last matchday as finishing second in their group would mean that they would face Morocco instead of Croatia, who on paper is a tougher opponent.
In the second half of the game, 26-year-old Fiorentina startlet Sofyan Ambarat put up a display in midfield for the ages, causing countless troubles for Spain. Centre-back duo Romain Saiss and Naif Aguerd also impressed spectators, posing as a tough wall for the Spanish attackers to break through. And even if the Spaniards managed to get past them, they still would have to face the steady hands of Yassine Bounou, who deservingly collected his Man of the Match Award after the full 120 minutes.
Not a lot can be written or debated about the penalty shootout as it is undeniable that Morocco were the better side. Although not all of their penalties went in, the ones that did were sound and the confidence brimming from each player as they strode up to take their penalties for the badge, the nation by their hearts was inspiring. Achraf Hakimi’s calm composure during and after scoring his winning penalty– which was a Panenka, by the way– was astonishing. Bounou deserves recognition as well for his stellar performance, saving two of the three penalties taken by Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets.
At the end of the day, the fact that Moroccos managed to defy the odds and eliminate a European giant like Spain proves that they are a force who shouldn’t be taken likely, and everyone around the world is no doubt looking forward to their Quarter-final match up against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, another one of the competition’s favourites. With the right determination and heart, it is fair to say that Walid Regragui’s Moroccan side definitely has a chance of reaching the Semi-finals… and maybe even lifting the golden trophy, if they are allowed to dream.
