Yamal opens World Cup account in style as Spain thrash Saudi Arabia 4-0 to top group

LOS ANGELES, June 22 — Lamine Yamal made a goalscoring return for Spain as the European champions got their World Cup campaign back on track with a 4-0 drubbing of Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Yamal, 18, opened the scoring after just 10 minutes of the Group H game in Atlanta to put La Roja on course for a comfortable victory against an outclassed Saudi team.

Spain had been determined to bounce back after being held to a shock 0-0 draw by lowly Cape Verde in their opening game last week, when their much-vaunted attack drew a blank.

But with teenaged starlet Yamal making his first start in two months since recovering from a hamstring problem, Spain launched an early onslaught that left the Saudis reeling.

Yamal ghosted in at the back post to tuck away Mikel Oyarzabal’s low cross before Oyarzabal scored twice in three minutes to leave Spain 3-0 up after just 24 minutes.

Spain bagged their fourth goal on 49 minutes, when Marc Cucurella’s shot was saved by Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed al-Owais only to bounce off defender Hassan al-Tambakti into the net.

“We had to recover good feelings, correct a few things from the last game, but we need to keep improving if we want to achieve our target of getting to the final on July 19,” Spain coach Luis De la Fuente said afterwards.

The win leaves Spain on top of Group H with four points after two matches.

‘No fear’ for Cape Verde

Cape Verde will attempt to join the Spaniards on four points later Sunday when they face Uruguay in Miami, with coach Pedro Leitao Brito, known as “Bubista”, vowing his team will play “without fear”.

“We didn’t come just to take part. We want to play all the matches and to be able to show that we have the level to take on the best teams in the world,” he added.

“Our aim is to play all the games with courage, in an organised way but also without fear.”

Vozinha, the 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper who held Spain at bay with a remarkable performance, will be watched by his mother on Sunday after she arrived in Miami on a US visa.

Ana Candida Evora travelled from Cape Verde’s capital Praia after her son tearfully told reporters she had not been granted a visa in time for the first game, but the US State Department has now provided her with the necessary document.

Meanwhile, Belgium will again be without Jeremy Doku with respiratory problems as they face Iran.

Without the winger, Belgium sputtered to a draw in their opener against Egypt.

Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said he has been told US travel restrictions on his team will finally be eased for their third group game, against Egypt in Seattle on June 26, but he claimed the treatment they have received so far had adversely affected their on-field performance.

Despite that, Iran remain in contention after drawing 2-2 with New Zealand in their first game.

In the other game in the group on Sunday, Egypt play New Zealand in Vancouver.

Germany advance

On Saturday, Germany booked their place in the knockout rounds with a dramatic injury-time winner in a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast.

It is the first time since 2014 that Germany have made it out of the group stage.

Germany’s victory was made even sweeter later on Saturday as Curacao – the smallest country by population ever to qualify for the World Cup with just 160,000 inhabitants – dug deep to secure a shock 0-0 draw with Ecuador in Kansas City that ensured the Germans will win Group E with a game to spare.

In Houston, the Netherlands stayed firmly on course for qualification with a 5-1 demolition of Sweden in Group F.

Japan are level on four points with the Dutch after cruising to a comfortable 4-0 victory over Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico, in Saturday’s late match – the 1,000th game in World Cup history. — AFP