Spain held to goalless draw by Cape Verde in World Cup opener

Spain began their World Cup campaign with a surprising 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, a result that left coach Luis de la Fuente attributing the stalemate to a lack of sharpness and the opponent's disciplined defense. "We created many chances, but we didn't have the real freshness at this level of competition," de la Fuente stated. "The opponent sat deep in their half and played with maximum concentration from start to finish. It's difficult to break through and score then."

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We created many chances, but we didn't have the real freshness at this level of competition. The opponent sat deep in their half and played with maximum concentration from start to finish. It's difficult to break through and score then. Simply put, this was one of those games where the ball just doesn't want to go into their net.

Despite the team's desire to win, de la Fuente acknowledged that "the ball just didn't want to go into their net." He also discussed the planned introduction of recovering players Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, emphasizing the goal of gradually integrating them to build rhythm and confidence. "This is how it will be in the future, and I hope we will all play better," he added.

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The goal is to gradually give them time on the field. They need to get into rhythm and gain confidence. This is how it will be in the future, and I hope we will all play better.

On the other side, Cape Verde celebrated securing a valuable point against a favored opponent. Goalkeeper Vozinha, named player of the match, expressed his team's joy. "We worked hard for this great result. We are extremely happy," Vozinha said. "We knew this would be a big test and a very difficult match because we were playing against one of the best teams in the world. But we are aware of our quality and knew we were capable of this result."

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We worked hard for this great result. We are extremely happy. We knew this would be a big test and a very difficult match because we were playing against one of the best teams in the world. But we are aware of our quality and knew we were capable of this result.