Spain head coach De la Fuente urges calm after shock Cape Verde stalemate

De la Fuente urges patience after Spain held by Cape Verde
De la Fuente urges patience after Spain held by Cape Verde REUTERS

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente urged patience after his side were held to a disappointing 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in their Group H opener.

Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, the European champions failed to convert their superiority into goals as the African nation produced a resilient defensive display. 

Reflecting on the stalemate, De la Fuente admitted his team lacked a clinical edge in front of goal and stressed that football can sometimes be decided by luck.

"This is solved by insisting on the same idea, to continue improving with more finesse. These games that, as Rodri has explained well, you generate a lot, but without the freshness that you must have in these games," De la Fuente told the media.

"They are a very organised team, we have seen that they got into a low block, it is very difficult to generate spaces like that. 

“Even so, we have generated arrivals; there has been a lack of circulation to generate more, but when the ball doesn't want to go in, it doesn't want to go in. 

“There have been shots, chances and the desire to solve the game quickly, we know that this is very difficult and we know that here it costs a lot to win."

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