Match report: Spain 3-0 Austria
The group stage is something you have to do but the World Cup starts here, Lamine Yamal had insisted, and down on the Pacific that was how it played out. It wasn’t that Spain defeated Austria to reach the last 16 where they will face Portugal or Croatia, their first victory at the knockout stage since they were champions back in 2010; it was that on an enjoyable sunny afternoon they were Spain again. Two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and another from Pedro Porro completed a 3-0 win that was as recognisably theirs as their coach had requested.
For the fourth consecutive game Spain kept a clean sheet, Unai Simón breaking Iker Casillas’s record and Pau Cubarsí and Aymeric Laporte confirming their status as the centre-back pair of the tournament so far, but what really stood out was what was happening everywhere else. A little flat until now, that opening quarter against Saudi Arabia apart, here they flew and the ball did too. Intense, incisive, and ultimately entirely dominant. A lot of fun too, right from the start. And if Austria played their part then, by the time Oyarzabal added the third, this belonged only to Spain. What had looked like being a game had ended up belonging only to them.
Spain will meet the winner of Portugal v Croatia in the last 16. You can follow that game with Beau Dure.
The race for the Golden Boot
He’s ain’t (fraid) no goat, but at this stage I’d be loath to rule out Mikal Oyarzabal.
Full time: Spain 3-0 Austria
It’ll take a damn fine team to beat Spain at this World Cup. And it’ll take a pretty good one just to score against them. They were a delight to watch and reminded everyone why they are the best possession team in world football. The prolific Mikel Oyarzabal scored either side of Pedro Porro’s first international goal, and at the other end Unai Simon kept his fourth clean sheet of the competition. Lovely stuff.
90+4 min Mikel Oyarzabal is the first Spain player to score more than one goal in a World Cup knockout game since Emilio Butragueno… nah, too soon.
90+3 min: Spain substitution Aymeric Laporte and Pedri are replaced by Marc Pubill and Fabian Ruiz.
90 min Six minutes of added time. Spain have been a joy to watch tonight.
The keeper Unai Simon started the move with a simple pass out from the back. Spain worked the ball from right to left, all in good time, before Cucurella played a sensational pass/cross around the Austria defence. Oyarzabal timed his run perfectly and opened his body to beat Schlager with aplomb. Sheer delightful football.
The finish was different but the pass from Cucurella was strikingly similar to his assist in the Euro 2024 final.
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GOAL! Spain 3-0 Austria (Oyarzabal 89)
Spain wrap things up with a lovely goal!
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87 min Spain’s meeting with Portugal or Croatia is in Arlington on Monday.
86 min: Spain substitution Lamine Yamal is replaced by Gavi. No goal today for Yamal but he was a constant menace.
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85 min After yet another lovely move from Spain, Yamal’s shot on the turn is cleared off the line by Alaba.
Alexander Prass replaces Stefan Posch for Austria.
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83 min Posch is booked for putting Cucurella on the canvas.
82 min Posch makes a good late run, on the blindside of Cucurella, and heads wide. Austria are going to lose but, to their great credit, they are yet to accept that fact.
79 min An excellent move from Austria ends with Arnautovic allowing the ball to run across to Chukwuemeka, who shoots wide for a tightish angle.
76 min A bit of aggro in the centre circle, sparked by Grillitsch shoving a Spain player over as he tried to take a quick free-kick. The referee settles for a warning and a wag of the finger.
72 min Their attacking play has been joyful at times, but we should also remember that Spain have yet to concede a goal in this tournament.
70 min: Spain substitutions Mikel Merino and Ferran Torres come on for Alex Baena and Dani Olmo.
68 min Time for the ad break.
67 min Alex Baena has had a really fine game on the left wing.
Pedro Porro’s first international goal has surely put Spain into the last 16. After a long spell of possession, Baena accelerated the move with a lovely pass infield to Olmo. He was challenged as he tried to shoot, but the ball found its way back to Baena on the left side of the area. Baena clipped an excellent cross towards Pedro Porro, who arrived late and slammed a downward header into the net. Lovely goal.
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GOAL! Spain 2-0 Austria (Pedro Porro 66)
Goodnight Vienna.
64 min Arnautovic is fine to continue.
63 min Arnautovic is hurt in a collision with Simon, who came out of his area to head clear and then caught Arnautovic in his follow through. He’s receiving treatment.
62 min At the other end Yamal tees up Olmo, whose howitzer is blocked.
61 min Kalajdzic has a half chance straight away, heading Sabitzer’s cross onto the roof of the net. He was off balance and it was far from a sitter, but that’ll encourage Austria.
60 min: Double substitution for Austria Marko Arnautovic and Sasa Kalajdzic replace Gregoritsch and Schmid.
59 min “Evening Rob,” writes Simon McMahon. “Danny Murphy on BBC just said that a second goal for Spain would give the Austrians a ‘mountain to climb’. They’re rather good at that, no? Mind you, they might need to bring on Wim Hof up front. Even though he’s Dutch. And 67.”
I still think Thomas Tuchel missed a trick by not bringing the boy Sisyphus in his squad.
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59 min Yamal hits a shot from the edge of the area that is blocked by Laimer, then ricochets back off Yamal and behind for a goalkick.
58 min Spain have had 77% of the possession since half-time, it says here.
57 min Spain keep the ball for an age before Porro plays a one-two and has a cross cut out by Chukwuemeka. Their control of the game in the second half has been exemplary.
54 min Rodri’s long-range shot deflects just wide of the far post. Schlager probably had it covered.
Spain are keeping the ball so well, and right now Austria’s primary ambition is to hang on to their 1-0 deficit. There’s no other choice when Spain are playing this well.
52 min Baena’s corner is headed over from 10 yards by Oyarzabal. Tough chance.
49 min Spain have picked up where they left off. They win the ball high up the field, leading to a shot from Oyarzabal on the edge of the D. It’s too straight and Schlager saves comfortably.
46 min Austria kick off, having brought on Carney Chukwuemeka and Florian Grillitsch for Nicolas Seiwald and Xavier Schlager.
Half-time reading
Half time: Spain 1-0 Austria
Spain have been increasingly impressive and lead through Mikal Oyarzabal’s goal. Alex Baena hit the bar and Marc Cucurella had a goal disallowed, so Austria will be happy it’s only one.
45+2 min: Baena hits the bar!
It was a fine free-kick, smacked over the wall from 25 yards. Schlager leapt to his right but couldn’t get a touch.
Yamal had a brilliant chance to score from the rebound but his close-range shot was bravely blocked by Schlager.
[Edit: I think Schlager did get a slight touch to Baena’s free-kick; if so it was a helluva save.]
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45 min Laimer tries to wriggle between Porro and Olmo in the area without success. Austria are having a good spell as we approach half-time.
Four minutes of added time.
43 min A promising Austria break comes to nothing when Schmid’s cross from the left is miscontrolled by Posch on the edge of the area.
39 min Oyarzabal has a shot blocked after another good Spain move. Austria started pretty well but they’re getting a chasing now.
38 min Yamal charges infield from the right, then changes direction to lose Seiwald and sweeps a right-foot shot that is comfiortably saved by Schlager.
Spain are passing Austria to sleep.
GOAL! Spain 1-0 Austria (Oyarzabal 36)
It was a matter of time. Pedri finds the ever-willing Cucurella, whose precise low cross is swept into the net from 12 yards by Oyarzabal.
Cucurella to Oyarzabal: we’ve seen that one before.
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36 min Spain have played with greater urgency since the ad break. It feels like a goal is coming.
35 min “The refereeing crackdown at corners is really going to hurt Arsenal’s chances of winning this competition,” honks Niall Mullen.
34 min Yamal lobs over the bar after being put through on goal, but he was offside so it’s moot.
32 min Oyarzabal makes space to drag a left-foot shot across goal from the edge of the area. Schlager gets down smartly to his left to push it round the post. That’s the best save of the match by a distance.
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29 min: Disallowed goal for Spain
The resulting corner is flapped away by the keeper Schlager and slashed into the net by Cucurella – but the referee has blown for an apparent foul by Cubarsi on the keeper. That looked a bit soft.
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29 min: Great challenge by Posch! Pedri slides a pass into the area towards Olmo, who beats Danso with a Bergkampian piece of goal and looks set to score when Posch makes a vital tackle. The skill from Olmo was delightful.
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26 min Back under way. So far, so decent for Austria.
23 min Time for the ad break.
21 min Yamal nutmegs Laimer, to the delight of the crowd, but the left-sided midfield Sabitzer is on the graveyard shift and gets back to make a fine challenge.
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17 min Sabitzer, in the inside-left channel, clips a lovely inswinging cross that only just evades the leaping Gregoritsch at the far post.
17 min Austria are doing pretty well – they’ve had 44% possession and Schlager had only had one fairly comfortable save to make.
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15 min Oyarzabal goes down holding his face after an off-the-ball collision with Alaba. I think it was accidental, but the referee has just had a word with Alaba so maybe not. Either way, Oyarzabal is fine.
13 min Boos from the crowd as Gianni Infantino’s bald dome appears on the big screen.
11 min Yamal goes over in the area after a challenge from Laimer. No major appeals for a penalty, but Laimer took a risk by putting hands on Yamal.
10 min “I do hope that will not be shredding the nerves like Belgium and England,” writes Krishnamoorthy V. “I anticipate a 4-0 thrashing. Nothing wrong with Austria, just that it is Spain. Will it be a Spain-France semi-final, or will Portugal pull off a Euro 2016 trick.”
All due respect to the other lads, but right now the world needs a repeat of the Euro 2024 semi-final between Spain and France.
8 min Porro hits a flat cross towards Olmo. whose sizzling volley from 16 yards is inadvertently blocked by his teammate Oyarzabal.
Moments later, Laporte heads Baena’s cross over the bar at the near post. He was under a lot of pressure from Danso but it was still a reasonable chance.
5 min Yamal, whose starting position on the right wing is a basis for negotation, pops up on the left side of the area to win a corner for Spain.
Nothing comes of it but both teams have started breezily in attack.
3 min At the other end, Cubarsi makes an important interception to stop a cross from the right reaching Gregoritsch in front of goal.
1 min Lamine Yamal works Alexander Schlager inside the first minute with a low shot from 20 yards after a sharp Spain break.
1 min And they’re off.
I’ve found another way of ruining sport for myself. I thought I’d explored every means of turning the stress dial up to 11, but now I’ve chanced on a new method. I must need the anxiety to feel alive.
I go back a long way with this kind of thing. I’ve never been able to watch a sporting contest without picking a team or a person to root for. It started when I was about five. I idolised my grandad and because he wanted West Brom to win, I wanted it too. This kind of thing is habit-forming, and perhaps not entirely healthy. I thought I’d grow out of it, but it’s getting worse. And it has gone far beyond my own football team.
When I was a kid, it was about looking up to adults in awe. Back then they were old enough to be my parents. I so wanted the best for them. Now the athletes are young enough to be my children or even grandchildren, and it’s even worse – because I feel protective towards them. I was at Wimbledon this week and witnessed the return of the great Serena Williams, which was quite something. But as soon as I saw her opponent, pale and slight with a fearful air about her, I knew I was in trouble.
A reminder of the teams, who as I type are lining up for the anthems
Spain (4-3-3) Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Pedri, Rodri, Olmo; Yamal, Oyarzabal, Baena.
Subs: Raya, J Garcia, Pubill, Grimaldo, E Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Fabian Ruiz, Gavi, Zubimendi, Torres, Pino, Williams, Munoz, Iglesias.
Austria (4-2-3-1) A Schlager; Posch, Danso, Alaba, Laimer; Seiwald, X Schlager, Schmid, Wanner, Schmid; Gregoritsch.
Subs: Wiegele, Pentz, Affengruber, Lienhart, Mwene, Friedl, Svoboda, Grillitsch, Chukwuemeka, Ljubicic, Prass, Schoepf, Arnautovic, Kalajdzic, Wimmer.
Referee Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
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Spain haven’t won a knockout game at the World Cup since 2010, when an utter genius called Andres Iniesta scored the only goal in the final against the Netherlands.
Austria’s last knockout game was in 1954, when they reached the semi-finals. They did get through to the second round in 1978 (eliminiating Spain in the process) and 1982, but those World Cups had a second group stage so Austria didn’t play any direct knockout matches.
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Thomas Tuchel says England will be at a “huge” disadvantage in the high altitude of Mexico City on Sunday when they face Mexico in the last 16 of the World Cup as he lamented a Fifa rule that has shut down one possible acclimatisation plan.
The Football Association has looked into how the altitude will affect the England players and spoken to teams from other sports as part of its research. They included the British Olympic team. One of the findings is that if it is not possible to travel to the venue 10 days beforehand to get used to the conditions, then it would be preferable to go on the day of the game – arriving as close to kick-off as possible.
But Fifa has decreed that from the last 16 onwards, teams must train in “venue-specific sites” close to the stadiums the day before matches. It has meant that England will have to fly to Mexico City from their base in Kansas City on Friday afternoon. They returned to Kansas City on Wednesday from Atlanta after their 2-1 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the last 32.
Team news
Spain make two changes to the team that beat Uruguay 1-0 in their final group game: Dani Olmo and Pedro Porro replace Mikel Merino and Marcos Llorente.
Austria bring in Kevin Danso, Paul Wanner and Michael Gregoritsch for Philipp Lienhart, Phillip Mwene and Marko Arnautovic.
Spain (4-3-3) Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Pedri, Rodri, Olmo; Yamal, Oyarzabal, Baena.
Subs: Raya, J Garcia, Pubill, Grimaldo, E Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Fabian Ruiz, Gavi, Zubimendi, Torres, Pino, Williams, Munoz, Iglesias.
Austria (4-2-3-1) A Schlager; Posch, Danso, Alaba, Laimer; Seiwald, X Schlager, Schmid, Wanner, Schmid; Gregoritsch.
Subs: Wiegele, Pentz, Affengruber, Lienhart, Mwene, Friedl, Svoboda, Grillitsch, Chukwuemeka, Ljubicic, Prass, Schoepf, Arnautovic, Kalajdzic, Wimmer.
Referee Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
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At 4.38pm on 28 June Donald Trump dropped a Truth. Nothing unusual in that. Trump’s Truth Social feed is relentless and ever-giving.
That same afternoon he also Truthed at 3.58pm, 3.59pm, and twice at 7.42pm, all in the same instantly recognisable, weirdly cartoonish tone, as if a giant maize-based salted snack from a jaunty 1970s TV advert has been pumped full of voodoo and vitamins and propped up behind a lectern to explain geopolitics to the world, but only in the kind of words you might use while arguing with your nine-year-old sister.
Trump’s messaging that afternoon ranged across boasts about his allegedly incredible new ballroom, a 600-word Truth on the poor condition of some golf courses, and a series of complaints about losing the latest appeal in his sexual harassment case – the key injustice being the fact the jury was allowed to watch a video that appears to show Trump literally boasting about his skill at sexually harassing people. This, just to be clear, is the president of the United States.
In the middle of this, the 4.38pm Trump Truth stood out. First, because of its tone, which was relatively low-key and non-bombastic, featuring only implied rather than direct insults. And second because it was about the World Cup. Remember that?
At the Embassy Suites on Broad Street, downtown Chattanooga, the vans have pulled out for the last time. The day before departure, like every day, a small crowd of kids had climbed barriers and trees, trying to get a glimpse of Spain’s players.
A girl stood on a ladder and held a placard in each hand, raised above the fence. One said: “I’ve been here three weeks. I know you’ve seen me!” The other ran: “Please come out!” On Wednesday afternoon, Tennessee time, they did. They won’t be back.
Spain are leaving their base behind and heading to Los Angeles and, if all goes well, from there to Dallas. They do so with more doubts than there were before the World Cup started. Well, Fabián Ruiz says, maybe on the outside: inside, at the training ground where the last session has just finished before they fly west, it is a little different.
Fabián does not use many words and is not really given time to do so, but one he comes back to is natural. The debates? They are for other people. Yet Fabián says: “Sometimes things don’t go the way we would like; we’re working to ensure they do.”
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Spain v Austria in Inglewood. France and Lionel Messi have stolen the show at this World Cup, but Spain remain the likeliest winners among the rest. They recovered from a shock draw with Cape Verde to thrash Saudi Arabia and eliminate Uruguay, and the core of their wonderful Euro 2024-winning is still intact.
It’ll be a huge shock if they fail to get past a game but limited Austria, who scraped through to the knockout round when Sasa Kalajdzic scored a 96th-minute roof-raiser against Algeria. The prize for the winners is no prize at all: Portugal or Croatia in the last 16.
Kick off 12pm local/3pm EDT/8pm BST/5am AEST
