As Spain built into the second half of extra-time of Sunday’s World Cup final, it was already clear that Argentina hoped to make them suffer. Every challenge left no stud unshown. Their defenders labored to block striker Mikel Oyarzabal from his typical lanes of service, with Spain taking 11 of their 20 attempts from beyond the box.
Lionel Scaloni’s side may have been aggressive, but they were also just structured enough to withstand the endless monsoon of Spanish pressure. After the 62nd minute, when Luis de la Fuente brought his first two charges off the bench, Spain adapted to find new avenues to attack, adjusting with Enzo Fernández’s sending-off near the end of normal time.
