World Cup: Spain's crazy passing yields no goals despite 49 shots

Spain's football team, a strong contender for the championship, is facing renewed criticism over its poor finishing, failing to score against Cape Verde despite a dominant 27 shots on goal. This offensive inefficiency has become a recurring concern for the squad.

According to Opta statistics, Spain has now endured a staggering 49 shots and 2500 passes without finding the net since their last goal against Japan in the group stage of the previous World Cup. This statistic highlights a significant struggle to convert possession and opportunities into goals, a problem that also surfaced during their 2010 World Cup victory where they scored only 8 goals in 7 matches, with four ending in 1-0 wins.

In the match against Cape Verde, Spain controlled 65% of possession and completed 811 passes, yet their attacking strategy proved futile. With the central attacking lanes blocked, the team resorted to repetitive horizontal passes on the periphery and failed to break through on the wings. Despite registering 7 shots on target, all were saved by goalkeeper Vozinha, leaving the team with a sense of futility despite their high volume of passes.

Adding to the team's woes, starting forward Mikel Oyarzabal set an unwanted record. He became the first player since 1966 to have zero touches within the first 30 minutes of a match, earning him the moniker "outsider" on the field. This performance underscores the team's current offensive challenges.