EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY — The previous maxim that everybody has a plan till getting punched within the face has nothing on 2026 World Cup champion Spain.
Luis de la Fuente’s males knew Argentina would come for them with fists and boots of fury in Sunday’s World Cup Final in New Jersey, and really a lot had a plan ought to they take a pop or two to their collective mug.
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The defending World Cup champion Argentines had made a match out of pounding away at their opponents, forcing England, Switzerland, and Egypt into brawls with the complete expectation of the perfect prize fighter. The Albiceleste‘s 12.29 fouls per recreation this match was the Thirteenth-highest within the 48-team discipline, far and away the largest of any semifinalist.
Spain’s response when greeted with one other bodily Argentine show: Do your worst, trigger we’re bringing our greatest.
Luis de la Fuente’s assured, assured Spain by no means blinked – By Nick Mendola
It didn’t take lengthy to see that La Roja‘s plan for the World Cup Final was to take its possession-heavy recreation to Argentina with out concern of reprisal.
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In truth, Luis de la Fuente appeared to dare Argentina to play soccer in its truest sense. Spain have been unfold vast from the beginning, typically shifting each fullbacks properly up the pitch and solely parking two middle backs close to their 18-yard field.
Of course that is simpler to do when you’ve a Golden Ball winner with assured management in the course of the park. Rodri was sensational, and everybody round him appeared safe within the information that there was an armored truck guarding their gold.
The victors get the credit score however it would not really feel like recency bias to say Spain did not look rattled at any level on this match. They knew they bossed Cape Verde within the 0-0 draw to open the group stage and by no means appeared again, pounding Saudi Arabia 4-0 earlier than blanking a determined Uruguay, darkish horse Austria, and cocky Portugal.
Belgium will go down as the one crew to beat Unai Simon this match, and Spain rolled up 120 minutes of fresh sheet defending on Argentina to complete the match — sure, the identical Argentina which scored two or extra targets in all seven of their World Cup matches resulting in Sunday.
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Argentina got here out swinging and did not cease till even after the ultimate whistle on Sunday. We’ll go away their evaluation to my pal Joe Prince-Wright beneath.
Argentina took it too far and it’ll tarnish their legacy – By Joe Prince-Wright
Argentina let themselves down on the largest stage on Sunday. In an enormous manner. They didn’t have a single shot on aim in a World Cup ultimate as a result of they have been extra involved about fouling and preventing than taking part in soccer as they chased back-to-back World Cup titles.
The manner a number of of their gamers acted was a shame and undermined many of the magic of Lionel Messi’s exceptional swansong had created this summer season.
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Argentina knew that Spain have been the higher crew and their supervisor Lionel Scaloni admitted as a lot after.
From the primary whistle of the ultimate Argentina left their foot in late, pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable after which complained time and time once more about being exhausting carried out by. The referee let so much go, even earlier than he accurately despatched off Enzo Fernandez for a reckless lunging problem when he was already on a yellow card.
And the best way Leandro Paredes and different Argentine gamers fought on the ultimate whistle, as an alternative of being gracious in defeat, leaves a bitter style within the mouth and tarnishes their legacy. This ultimate will perpetually be remembered for excessive Argentine aggression.
Yes, the reigning World Cup champions have been preventing and scrapping for each ball as a result of they have been determined to keep their trophy. We get it.
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But there’s a manner to do this they usually took it too far. They did that in opposition to England on Wednesday in their semifinal win they usually did the identical factor in opposition to Spain on Sunday within the ultimate.
The referees allow them to get away with it for many of these video games and Argentina ran with it. But the factor is, had they been much less involved about preventing and kicking, they’ve confirmed they’re a particularly gifted soccer crew with world-class people. They did that within the ultimate half-hour in opposition to England and look how good they have been.
But their insistence on making video games bodily and scrappy value them ultimately.
We will bear in mind this Argentina crew for the greatness of Messi and eventually successful one other World Cup.
But they may even be remembered for pushing the boundaries too far they usually let themselves down badly within the ultimate.