In football, we are all aware of the famous saying: stats don\u2019t lie. Well, in this particular case,\u00a0 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<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They have dominated in chances, with Spain getting more than double the amount of shots\u00a0 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,\u00a0 it would be logical to assume that Spain would win the match.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as we have seen, this wasn\u2019t the case\u2026 at all. Spain tried to repeat their success in 2010,\u00a0 where they played possession football. This ideology is simple: if the opponents don\u2019t have the ball, they won\u2019t score. And if they don\u2019t score, they won\u2019t win. Well, while that might have been half-true in the sense that Moroccos didn\u2019t score, the poor execution of attempts and passes from this Spanish side didn\u2019t support the credibility of Luis Enrique\u2019s preferred tactic.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Needless to say, in football, numbers aren\u2019t everything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Lucho\u2019s Barcelona Bias\u2013 Real? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a0 Nations League. A lot of people credit these international successes to the fact that he doesn\u2019t 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\u2019t winning tournaments. Of course, leading your country to an international trophy isn\u2019t an easy task, but\u00a0 with the addition of the annual Nations League added to the list of possible trophies, Spanish\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fans were unsure whether the players Enrique was bringing to a stage as big as the World Cup were good enough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s decision to call up the likes of Eric Garc\u00eda who hasn\u2019t 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\u00a0 Alc\u00e1ntara, goal machine Borja Iglesias and the experienced Iago Aspas, among many others.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t help but wonder, is Luis Enrique\u2019s bias towards Barcelona players actually real? And if so, is it costing the Spanish national team? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Singling those three names out, Pedri was undoubtedly the best player, the only one who hasn\u2019t really put a foot wrong in the tournament as the young midfielder had been almost perfect in his matches. But Sergio Busquets isn\u2019t just as sharp as he used to be\u2013 with the Moroccan players easily breaking down his passess which left little to no solid chances for Spain\u2013, 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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t 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\u2019t the correct decision since these two players, without discrediting them, aren\u2019t 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\u2019 absence is once again felt, as he is known to be an excellent penalty taker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Luis Enrique stepping down as the coach of Spain, can La Roja <\/em>supporters expect grave  changes in the selection of players?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Defying the Odds <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By all means, credit should be given when it is due. As much as it was Spain\u2019s responsibility\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s calm composure during and after scoring his winning penalty\u2013 which was a Panenka, by the way\u2013 was astonishing. Bounou deserves recognition as well for his stellar performance, saving two of the three penalties taken by Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t be taken likely, and everyone around the world is no doubt looking forward to their Quarter-final match up against Cristiano\u00a0 Ronaldo\u2019s Portugal, another one of the competition\u2019s favourites. With the right determination and heart, it is fair to say that Walid Regragui\u2019s Moroccan side definitely has a chance of reaching the Semi-finals\u2026 and maybe even lifting the golden trophy, if they are allowed to dream.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After an enthralling group stage which handed us a few surprises, everyone\u2019s eyes are now focused on the…\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":2363,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","WB4WB4WP_MODE":"","WB4WP_PAGE_SCRIPTS":"","WB4WP_PAGE_STYLES":"","WB4WP_PAGE_FONTS":"","WB4WP_PAGE_HEADER":"","WB4WP_PAGE_FOOTER":"","csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_appearance_grid":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n