Spain | We will have to sweat the medal

Spain sealed the ticket to the quarterfinals with more suffering than effectiveness. De la Fuente's men made their most complete game in Japan, they locked up Argentina even though it was worth the draw and if the final stretch was reached with suspense it was because they missed an enormous number of clamorous occasions. In the absence of aim above, Simón and the two centrals (Pau and Eric) left another imperial performance, fantastic. Despite this, a goal in the last minutes from Argentina left De la Fuente's men looking into the abyss in the final stretch.

Spain's start of the game was, by far, the best it has done in the entire tournament. Fast circulation, high pressure and two daggers per band. Asensio and Olmo had a clear mission: to face whenever they received. They did it successfully most of the time.

In the 14 '' came a play that altered those of De la Fuente. A loss by Asensio in the middle caused a backlash that left Barco in a frank position inside the area. Pau Torres covered well. It took Spain to shake off the scare, perhaps because in that play he understood that the fire in this game was real and a goal against could send him back home.

The shit lasted a quarter of an hour, time it took for La Roja to find the gaps between the lines (the weak point of the Argentines) in a play in which Ledesma had to work hard on a good shot from Cucurella. There began the minutes of clearer chances by Spain in the first half. It was Oyarzabal who had the two most frank in just one minute: both sent them high in good shooting positions (the first of them was a heads up).

De la Fuente's men went to the booth with a feeling of tremendous superiority, probably more than in any other game since they have been in Japan. The problem is that Argentina was in front and the punishment in case of error this time meant elimination.

Those ghosts cleared them in the dressing room, although without sharpening the peephole, because Spain entered the second half just as it had left: wasting very clear occasions. In minute 49 'Olmo finished too high for looking for the squad after a good play by Asensio and in the next ten minutes Oyarzabal missed another two clear chances. The Real forward left his best performance in terms of team play and his worst against goal. You are going to have nightmares about missed opportunities.

In 66 ', the veterans of this Selection took the step forward that was claimed: A cross from Asensio ended up in Olmo's boots, who gave Merino an assist so that the captain of the National Team against Argentina could definitively win forgiveness with a goal that relieved everyone. Everything seemed resolved, although La Roja forgot something: you must kill Argentines in soccer several times before lowering the revolutions. Spain was confident and a goal from a set piece by Belmonte in the 87th minute left a few final minutes of heart attack.

This generation has once again managed to get among the best in the championship after overcoming a bad moment. Now, with rhythm, adapted to Japan and with the Ivory Coast waiting in the quarterfinals, De la Fuente's men feel capable of anything. One match, just one more, separates them from that magical moment when each victory means climbing a step on the medal podium.