Officiating at the FIFA World Cup will come under a lot of scrutiny this past week, following a series of strange decisions, and frequent impunity for physical play. Spain fell victim to both against Uruguay, and it looks like they will pay the price.
La Roja have not looked impressive so far in their first three matches, starting the gear against Saudi Arabia in the first half. De la Fuente defended his entire team, and he said that his team did well in an unfamiliar environment.
“The work of this team deserves praise. We don’t usually play games like this, but we handled it well. From now on, the demands will be great, but I believe that this team is very strong. It is good to highlight that this team concedes few goals and is able to score many goals. It surprises me every day. This game was different from our usual style of play, but we know how to handle Diario.”
“I hope we can play regular games”
As the game continued, Agustin Canobbio was sent off for a careless challenge on Pau Cubarsi, but in Spain, there were major complaints about the referee’s laxity. De la Fuente said he hopes his team can play ‘normal games’.
“I continue to admire Marcelo Bielsa. The players who played the matches. We knew it was going to be a very demanding game. It’s not the kind of game we feel very comfortable with. But that’s what referees are there for. It was a game played on the edge, with extreme physicality. And we got up to it.”
“The referee is difficult, but the purpose of VAR is to help in all kinds of games. I hope we can play normal games, in terms of football challenges and fitness, and focus on the football itself. I don’t want to talk about the referee anymore. I’m worried enough about the game itself. In the end, everyone has their own responsibility.”
De la Fuente confirmed that Yeremy Pino has suffered a shoulder injury, and may be out for the rest of the tournament as a result. Nico Williams is also in doubt, both have been involved in aggressive challenges from their opponents.
De la Fuente: The requirements in the World Cup are different from the Euros
When they faced Uruguay, La Roja managed to get one shot past Alex Baena, which was the difference. De la Fuente explained that it is not surprising that his team was not doing as well as they did when they won Euro 2024.
“I have blind hope in this team, I know that the demands of the World Cup are different from those of the European Championship. The national teams we are facing have different characteristics. The beginning is different, but I have full and complete hope in this team. I believe that, with our run of 34 games we can not lose, we can surpass Brazil. That shows that this team intends to go to the highest level, and I think we are on the right path.”
However, Spain qualified first, and will face the runner-up from Group J in the round of 32. That for now will be Austria, but Algeria can overtake them with a win in their last game.
