Spain has an abundance of chemistry: the connections that have catapulted them to the World Cup final

A team above all else. The recipe for success of De la Fuente’s Spain is clear. No one is above the collective. Everyone works for the common good. The coach has managed to convince his players of the best path to the top. Everyone rows in the same direction and, for now, they have reached a World Cup final. But this great collective game is fueled by small details, by connections between individuals from which the team later feeds. Although it is almost impossible to highlight someone above the rest in the Spanish ranks, some pairs of players can be distinguished who have given solidity, brilliance, and reliability to the national team. A chemistry that Luis de la Fuente has perfectly identified and enhances in his strategies.

Read more La Masia has already won the World Cup

A house begins to be built from the foundations and there, at the base of everything, are Cubarsí and Laporte, whose reliability is unmatched in the entire World Cup. Although now it is taken for granted, the Catalan’s starting position was not so obvious before the tournament, no matter how much he came endorsed by his great season at Barcelona. But De la Fuente chose to give him confidence alongside Laporte, who is indeed an undisputed piece, and he has found an extraordinary pair. “They are two very tactically intelligent players, they complement each other and communicate very well. Especially Cubarsí seems to me an ideal player to defend with space behind him due to his rigor and intelligence,” begins Albert Sánchez, who coached the Girona native at Barça Atlètic, and is currently coach of Dunkerque, in the French second division. “With Laporte, he reminds me of the pair he formed with Íñigo Martínez, a left-footed, more veteran, and very communicative player,” he agrees.

The central defender pair is just the tip of the iceberg of the best defense in the World Cup. A collective merit, without a doubt, but no one overlooks that the positioning and anticipation work of the two central defenders has been formidable. Not only that, with the ball at their feet they convey the same security as without it, as the numbers confirm. Cubarsí (2nd) and Laporte (3rd) are among those who make the most passes and make the fewest mistakes in the entire tournament. “Both Laporte and Cubarsí have very good feet, they are a spectacular pair,” Sánchez asserts.

The affinity between the full-back from Don Benito and the magician from Rocafonda may be quite surprising but it is undeniable that it has paved the way for the Spanish national team to the final. In fact, Porro already flies solo and has become a defensive and offensive pillar, a growth that reached its peak against France, when he received the MVP. From here come De la Fuente’s praises for Lamine, despite the fact that to the general public’s eyes he does not shine, for his enormous group effort that translates into Spain’s success. “Porro is very intelligent but also very humble, and he knows that Lamine is the good one, that when everyone expects him to solve it, he has his space to surprise. From there comes the connection between both, from the hunger they have,” reveals Quique Cárcel, sporting director of Girona, who saw the Extremaduran grow in Montilivi.

Although Lamine Yamal has not grabbed the media spotlight, he does not look uncomfortable on the pitch at all. On the contrary, he tries to enjoy when he has the ball and works harder than anyone without it. Cárcel considers that Porro is partly responsible because he is able to generate a similar ecosystem to the one he has in Barcelona. “With Porro something similar happens as with Koundé, with the first being a better finisher. But Koundé knows he has to attract defenders a bit by breaking lines with his runs and thus gives Lamine, who plays on his opposite foot, two options, the through pass or coming inside to finish,” he explains.

Read more The return of the ‘traitor’

To find the third connection you have to travel to the attacking midfield area. There move two players whose tactical intelligence is propelling the national team’s attack. They are Dani Olmo, theoretical attacking midfielder, and Mikel Oyarzabal, who starts as a striker. Both perfectly understand the sense of collective play that De la Fuente applies and are capable of occupying spaces like no one else. It is common to see them swap positions when the game advises it, movements that always generate unease in the opposing defense.

Their ease of understanding on the pitch comes from their tactical intelligence and footballing virtues. “Both have the quality to play as a number ten, where Dani usually plays, but they can also play as forwards. In fact, I already used him as a striker in some parts of matches,” recalls Croatian coach Nenad Bjelica, who coached Dani Olmo at Dinamo Zagreb. “Olmo and Oyarzabal are two very intelligent players who complement each other very well. They know exactly when one goes down and when the other has to go up. The important thing is that one is always inside the area,” he confirms.

Now established as the undisputed scorer of la roja, having already scored five goals in this World Cup, matching the best scoring record of a Spanish player in the tournament (Butragueño in 1986 and Villa in 2010), Oyarzabal has played in all attacking positions during his career and that gives him enormous tactical richness. “Oyarzabal has not always played as a striker, he has played a lot between the lines and on the wing, he is good in any position. And Olmo knows how to attack depth very well from the number 10 position, surprising, taking advantage of moments when the striker changes position. Both form a great pair,” concludes Bjelica.

Read more CJEU, myths and truths