Deja vu gives way to delight as Spain crush Austria to enter round of 16

Spain must have felt a strange sense of deja vu for half an hour in their FIFA World Cup round of 32 clash with Austria in Los Angeles when a brave goalkeeper thwarted everything aimed at the Austrian goal. Three weeks ago, when they opened the group stage, a 40-year-old goalkeeper named Vozinha had kept the Iberian giants quiet to give tiny Cabo Verde a famous goalless draw.

However, by minute 36, Luis de la Fuente’s side found a crack in the Austrian defence. Mikel Oyarzabal found himself isolated in the box to score the opener with consummate ease. Spain replicated the goal through Pedro Porro in the 66th minute. In the 89th minute, Oyarzabal timed his run to meet a sumptuous cross from Marc Cucurella to make it a comfortable 3-0 win for Spain.

The opening goal was a blight on the Austrian defence that had stayed compact and brave until then. Cucurella's cut back should not have fallen kindly for Oyarzabal, nor should the Real Sociedad forward have had the luxury to have a free shot on target, with none closing in.

Credit should go to Spain’s fluid style of play that ensures someone will somehow occupy spaces between the lines. The Austrian centre-backs staying deep when defending left ample space for the Spanish attackers to exploit. 

There was a pattern: A cut back from the flanks, often the left side, and an attacker sneaking in between the defence and a stretched midfield. If it was the combination of Cucurella and Oyarzabal for the first goal, it was Alex Baena and Pedro Porro, charging in from right back, for the second.

The one who could not benefit from the game was young superstar Lamine Yamal, who took six shots and got four on target, but was denied every time, once by David Alaba off the line and another time by a brave Alexander Schlager in the Austrian goal.

Schlager had stood like a rock for most of the match, even as Spain breached the Austrian defence with their neat short passes. The Salzburg goalkeeper made six saves; five in the first half; twice from point-blank. He denied Yamal with an earlier effort and applied a fingertip save to turn over an Alex Baena freekick.

At the other end, Austria’s starting striker Michael Gregoritsch could not stretch in time to meet a delicious cross from Marcel Sabitzer early in the match. The Austrians failed to threaten Unai Simon with a meaningful attempt as long as Gregoritsch led the line, but his replacement, Sasa Kalajdzic, nearly scored with a first touch, but failed to keep his header down.

Spain will play the winner of the high-octane clash between Portugal and Croatia. The round of 16 showdown is set for July 6 at Arlington.