UMVA has learned that a major upset rocked the World Cup as Spain, the tournament favourites, were held to a shocking 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in their opening match.
The African side secured their first ever point on the world stage, and it was a hard-fought one, as they defended resolutely against the Spanish onslaught. Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha made a total of seven saves during the match, and his team looked capable of holding Spain at bay throughout.
Mikel Oyarzabal, who had been on a run of 10 goal contributions in eight games in qualifying, had a particularly forgettable game, setting an unwanted World Cup record by going 30 minutes without touching the ball. It was a statistic that epitomised Spain's struggles to get their forwards into the game.
When Oyarzabal finally did make contact with the ball, it was a loose first touch that broke down a half-chance, and he finished the game with a modest 25 touches, getting five shots off and making 10 passes. His performance was symptomatic of Spain's attacking issues on the day.
Spain's problems were compounded by their inability to stretch their opposition, with Gavi and Ferran Torres toiling out wide for the first 70 minutes. The lack of space in the final third meant that La Roja struggled to create clear-cut chances, and their coach, Luis de la Fuente, will be hoping that the return to fitness of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams will help remedy that.
