ATLANTA — Spain responded emphatically to its opening-round disappointment by defeating Saudi Arabia 4-0 on Sunday to move to the top of Group H and leave the Green Falcons facing a must-win final match to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
Spain needed just 24 minutes to take control of the contest after being held to a shock goalless draw by Cape Verde in their opening match.
Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the 10th minute after a cross from Mikel Oyarzabal, before the Real Sociedad forward struck twice in three minutes, finding the net in the 21st and 24th minutes to give La Roja a commanding 3-0 lead before halftime.
Spain added a fourth goal four minutes into the second half when Marc Cucurella’s shot was saved by Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais before rebounding off defender Hassan Tambakti and into the net.
The defeat leaves Saudi Arabia at the bottom of Group H with one point from two matches after opening the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Uruguay.
Despite the heavy defeat, Saudi Arabia still retains a realistic chance of reaching the round of 32 ahead of its final group match against Cape Verde.
The Green Falcons now have no alternative but to defeat Cape Verde in the final round. A Saudi victory combined with a Uruguay defeat could see the team qualify automatically, with goal difference potentially becoming decisive if Uruguay beats Cape Verde.
Should Cape Verde avoid defeat against Uruguay, Saudi Arabia would only need to beat the African side and hope Uruguay fails to defeat Spain in the final round to secure second place.
A victory over Cape Verde would move Saudi Arabia onto four points, which could also be enough to advance as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams depending on results elsewhere.
However, a draw against Cape Verde would leave Saudi Arabia on just two points and relying on other results, with the team’s negative goal difference significantly reducing its chances of progression.
Spain moved to the top of Group H with four points and strengthened its position as favorite to reach the knockout stage, while Saudi Arabia must now deliver against Cape Verde to keep its World Cup dream alive.
Source: Saudi Gazette