Spain will depart from Santiago de Compostela at 10am on Friday morning bound for Chattanooga, via Nashville, but seven of the eight men who made their debuts in the final preparation game before the World Cup will not be on board with them. Nor will the seleccion be flying west with a victory after they bid adios with a 1-1 draw against Iraq at Estadio Riazor. Which may not sound very good – and it really was not very good either, a 22-minute cameo from Mikel Merino about the best thing about it – but is no cause for alarm.
Luis de la Fuente’s side will still be among the favourites in the US, Canada and Mexico and rightly so; this was not really his side, at least not recognisably so.
If anyone came for clues as to what Spain will be like at the World Cup, they did not find them in La Coruña. How could they when it played out like this? When the fifth and final group of players to report for duty at their Las Rozas HQ, 25km northwest of Madrid, had only arrived at quarter to nine on Wednesday night, 24 hours and 15 minutes before kick-off? When there were 11 substitutions made? When of the coach’s preferred XI, it’s plausible that only two or perhaps three started here? And when the players who probably most enjoyed this, for whom it most mattered, aren’t going to the US at all?
Ten of the men who did travel to the US, were not included. It was not just those that had played the Champions League final – Fabián Ruiz, David Raya and Martín Zubimendi – who were left out. De la Fuente took care of Nico Williams, who had played just six of the past 15 club games, and Lamine Yamal, who has not made an appearance since 22 April because of a torn hamstring, was also left out. Lamine Yamal remains the big question for everyone. Rodri, Pedri, Mikel Oyarzabal, Marc Cucurella and Víctor Muñoz sat in the stands too.
Down on the pitch, only Pedro Porro, Aymeric Laporte and perhaps Dani Olmo are natural starters. Two of those that began the match – Marc Bernal and Jon Martín – are not going to the World Cup, and seven of those who sat on the subs’ bench at kick-off are not either, with De la Fuente giving an opportunity to the support squad, invited to join Spain in training over the past week. Every one of them was given a game. Along with Marc Pubill, that made eight debutants in a single night, which will be a good quiz question one day.
Spain have a settled squad and a settled side, with few positions still to be fought for, so this felt a little superfluous. If this was an opportunity for Joan García to make a claim on the goalkeeping spot, a national debate right now, Iraq’s goal did not strengthen his case. If it was an opportunity for Gavi, after a season of injury, it did not do the Barcelona midfielder any harm. He was his usual busy presence and it was no surprise when he was booked.
The structure of the side looked a little different too, the 4-2-3-1 a bit more defined than it might be in the US, where it’s likely to look like 4-3-3. In the absence of Lamine Yamal, Williams and Muñoz, the wingers were Álex Baena and Ferran Torres, men with a tendency to come inside, lacking the directness De la Fuente embraced to such effect at the Euros, so that too offered little insight.
One thing that will have pleased the head coach was the ease with which Laporte took responsibility for bringing the ball out. He was the one intercepting and stepping out to start the move that gave Spain the lead on 15 minutes. An incisive forward pass divided Iraq, breaking through the first line of pressure, and found Olmo who, just as swiftly, moved it on another line. Borja Iglesias let it run through his legs and Torres took it on, dashing through from the right, too fast for Zaid Tahseen, and scoring with a low finish.
This, perhaps predictably, was a Spanish monologue and was soon accompanied by olés and Mexican waves but more goals did not follow and nor did much football. Iraq equalised through Merchas Doski. If he meant it, it was outrageous. The position, out on the left wing, suggested a cross; the swing and the contact with the ball did not. García got a bit of his right hand on it but could not keep it out. At the other end Torres hit the bar and Olmo volleyed over but there were no more goals before half-time when Spain made five changes. Jesus Rodríguez had been on just 18 seconds when he dashed through and shot wide.
Three more changes were made on 59 minutes, all of them debutants: Atlético Madrid centre-back Pubill, who is going to the US, and Beñat Turrientes and Javi Guerra who are not. Seven minutes after that came a more significant introduction: Merino, whose 28 minutes on the final day of the Premier League season were the only time he had played since January, was introduced to take another step towards full rehabilitation, wearing the captain’s armband. He was then followed by Leo Román and Rodríguez but no goals.
They won’t be on the flight to Nashville but 26 men will and they will land in the US with a week still to prepare and as favourites.
