Spain’s Yamal eyes World Cup final spot as ideal birthday gift
Yamal’s Birthday Wish
Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona prodigy, recently celebrated his 19th birthday, expressing his desire for a World Cup semifinal victory against France as the ultimate present. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Yamal downplayed any fear regarding the upcoming match. He previously made headlines after Spain’s 2-1 quarterfinal win over Belgium by suggesting France should be apprehensive, given their recent losses to La Roja.
Yamal clarified his earlier comments, stating, “I was asked if I was afraid of France, and I said no. We are European champions. It’s simply football.” He mentioned acquiring a jewel-encrusted necklace for his birthday, but emphasized that a win on Tuesday and a trip to New York for the final would be the true gift.
Despite other players demonstrating strong goal-scoring form in the tournament, Yamal has scored only once so far. However, he remains confident in his ability to contribute against France. “I don’t focus on goals, but it’s always special to score in a match like this. I accept the challenge. That’s why I came here,” Yamal stated, anticipating a “beautiful match for the spectators.”
Yamal maintained a calm demeanor ahead of the significant game, noting, “There are far more difficult situations in life than a football match, so I’m calm. I don’t feel any extra pressure; I’ll go out and play like always and give my all for the team.”
Coaches’ Perspectives
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente outlined his team’s strategy to play on the “front foot” against France in the semifinal. De la Fuente’s side aims to impose their possession-based style in what is expected to be a compelling tactical battle. While France coach Didier Deschamps considers Spain favorites for the World Cup, betting markets largely favor France to secure their second title in three attempts.
France has advanced to the semifinals with an impressive attacking display, featuring players like Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, and Ousmane Dembele. However, De la Fuente, whose team has defeated France in their last two encounters, is preparing for another strategic match at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday.
De la Fuente acknowledged the familiarity between the two teams. “We’ve already analysed France in great detail; we’ve known each other for a while now,” he said. “We faced each other for a few years now, and they have great players, but so do we. We have to put all of our virtues on the table and try to counteract the strengths of the opponent.”
He added that football often comes down to which team achieves a better balance. “We’ll have to think about their players. We’ll try to win those duels and will try to be on the front foot during the game, imposing our style.”
France’s Approach and Evolution
De la Fuente is realistic about the challenge, recognizing that France has significantly improved since Spain’s 5-4 victory in a UEFA Nations League semifinal in Stuttgart last year. He noted that the previous encounter, where Spain led 5-1 before a late French comeback, would not be indicative of Tuesday’s match.
“We’re talking about two very different matches,” De la Fuente admitted. “Tomorrow is another semifinal. I will just try to repeat the positive scenarios, but there were other details where things weren’t that positive. We were winning 5-1, and in a few minutes they managed to make it 5-4. So we’re trying to repeat what we did well and the opposite of what we didn’t do well.”
He further believes that a more mature France squad will present a tougher opposition. “I think they are a better team, far better, because those players have grown, and what they are doing now is better than what they were doing then,” he explained. “So they’ve improved their skills in the past two years, and that’s the reality.”
Meanwhile, France star Adrien Rabiot stated that his team does not have a specific “anti-Lamine Yamal plan” for the semifinal. “There is no anti-Lamine Yamal plan. We are focused on the Spanish team, not on a single player,” Rabiot told reporters, emphasizing the collective threat posed by Spain.
Rabiot acknowledged Spain’s overall danger, including their attacking players, ball possession, ability to find space near the box, and combination play. He stressed the importance of not focusing solely on one individual. The winner of this semifinal will advance to face either Argentina or England in the World Cup final.
De la Fuente’s final message to his team will be to embrace the moment. “Let’s get out there and enjoy it. We are in a unique setting. Who knows whether we will come back? We must be the team that we know that we can be. We must be strong and try to counter the strength of the opponent.”
Read Also
Source: aljazeera.com
