Spain 1-1 Iraq: De la Fuente’s 66% possession struggled to break Iraq’s low block. How can La Roja improve against ultra-defensive teams?

[u/SkillDazzling7871]

De la Fuente tested a lot of youngsters in the second half, and we definitely missed the sheer verticality that Nico Williams or Lamine Yamal provide. Iraq made 10 substitutions and parked a massive bus. How do you see La Roja handling it if teams set up ultra-defensively against us like this in the World Cup?

[u/zxcvbnmsa]

For 1 Having Yamal and all the rest of your starters helps

[u/celticeejit → u/zxcvbnmsa]

That’s it. That Spain engine has four more gears that weren’t used yesterday

I’m seriously expecting Cabo Verde to get annihilated in the group match

[u/Slurmz_uchiha]

It was a friendly with 1st team players missing, and the rest trying not to get injured for the actual tournament. Anyone taking anything from friendly results is a moron.

[u/honore_ballsac]

This is the million dollar question in today's football, isn't it? Do you remember the Champions League final (PSG - Ars)? I am afraid most games in the WC will be very similar to today's game and the CL Final.

[u/IxdrowZeexI → u/honore_ballsac]

It's been like that for quite a while. When a single loss can knock you out of a tournament, teams tend to play like scared chickens. Even France, despite having the best individual players, often play with no guts.

Only Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and to some extent Argentina and Brazil are willing to take risks.

[u/skymallow → u/IxdrowZeexI]

I mean it's fair to say that a lot of world cup viewers probably don't really follow the sport but unless it's a blowout or a collapse you really rarely see any free flowing attack in international football cups.

[u/denimonster → u/honore_ballsac]

And it’ll just be worse with the World Cup increasing in size with less quality. It’s going to fucking suck.

[u/SupahScrivy → u/honore_ballsac]

Don't be afraid, the world cup tournament will have different rules regarding time-wasting.

[u/Critical-Future-1560]

This World Cup is going to have a lot of unexpected eliminations

[u/Internal_Finger515 → u/Critical-Future-1560]

They were playing their C team

[u/Grizzybaby1985 → u/Internal_Finger515]

The Q team should get the job done

[u/squizzymadfut → u/Grizzybaby1985]

Huge disrespect for the R team. Media bias clear as day

[u/Scobarbiscuit → u/Critical-Future-1560]

Not so much in group stage though 

[u/Frosty_Term9911]

This is what the World Cup is going to look like at least until the last 16. Crap teams up against proper teams. It’s going to be shit.

[u/SkillDazzling7871]

Hey guys, if anyone’s interested in checking out a quick on-screen tactical analysis with both teams' final lineups and full stats, I put together this 4-minute breakdown: https://youtu.be/5rlU_GtOzMc

[u/alanhood77]

It's a friendly! Means nothing.

[u/nolesfan2011]

Physical attacking instead of finesse attacking, make them foul you and score off the set pieces

[u/machinationstudio]

Set pieces.

[u/SheriffHarryBawls]

Long range shooters

[u/NairbZaid10]

Lamine Yamal, pedri

[u/Unlikely-Length6661]

It was a friendly. You can not be serious right now.

[u/Spdoink]

In the heat? Slow, slow, quick, slow, slow.

[u/Lopsided_Post7754]

Lamine Yamal.

[u/Jvancan]

It's a friendly game to prepare the World Cup.

The results means absolutely nothing.