Morocco 0-0 Spain (3-0 on pens) (Sabiri, Ziyech, Hakimi)
KEVIN GARSIDE IN DOHA — What a moment to be Achraf Hakimi. What a time to be Moroccan, darlings of Arab North Africa and World Cup quarter-finalists for the first time. It fell to the nation’s poster boy to deliver the final blow, a cucumber-cool penalty after 120 goalless minutes.
Spain failed to register with each of their first three kicks, a fine footballing edifice brought down by their own blunt tools. Like Croatia 24 hours earlier, Morocco could afford to miss one themselves before Hakimi calmly brought the hammer down with a kick to spare. It felt like the whole of Morocco was gathered in the Education City Stadium, the place shaken to its foundations by the unfolding tumult.
For Spain it was the end, perhaps, of a philosophical outlook. Rondo, and the false nine theory that accompanies it, appears dead. The Spanish aesthetes were cancelled out by the athletes of Morocco, a vibrant, fearless ensemble who met the ceaseless recycling of possession with stout disregard.
Following the seven-goal salvo with which they opened the tournament, Spain had scored only twice in the remaining group games. A barren 120 minutes here left them vulnerable to the ambush. They might have succumbed twice in extra time. Only a beautifully timed tackle by Aymeric Laporte and a fine save from Unai Simon denied Abde Ezzalzouli twice.
Morocco have become the default choice of both Arabs and Africans in this tournament. Their supporters have also been among the most impressive cohorts in number and noise. This helped turn the arena into something like the cauldron you would expect to find at a World Cup. The drums banging behind both goals were the authentic accompaniment of supporters with a deep football attachment. And their team did not let them down, snapping at Spanish heels when out of possession, moving the ball quickly when on the front foot.
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Pedri was the principal source of invention for Spain, a perpetually probing, darting influencer constantly dropping deep to receive the ball. Pedri, who turned 20 only two weeks ago, is absolutely the leader of this team, but needs something to aim at up front if his talent is to bear fruit in this setting.
The contest was a series of strikes and counter strikes in the middle of the pitch, neither team able to penetrate the other’s defensive lines. Enrique addressed this by abandoned his false nine policy on the hour and bringing on Alvaro Morata for Marcos Asensio and Carlos Soler for Gavi, who struggled to find space in this tight guerrilla environment.
As Moroccan legs tired Spain began to dominate territory. Space that was so hard to find earlier started to open. Yet still Bono was untroubled in goal. It became clear that extra-time and penalties were now at the heart of Morocco’s strategy. Equally obvious was the conclusion that it would take a special intervention, or a mistake, to scupper that plan. A free-kick in the fifth minute of added time evaded the Moroccan defence, requiring a smart save from Bono to take the match into extra time.
Born in Madrid he knocks Spain out!!
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) December 6, 2022
Achraf Hakimi wins the penalty shoot-out with a panenka to see Spain out of the competition!#ITVFootball | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/QWWynN6821
Spain missed the chance to nick it with the last kick of the match but can have few complaints. To his credit, Spain coach Luis Enrique made no excuses and strode out into the maddening crowd to congratulate the victors. At the start of this show Spain were the fancy of many. Though the thumping of Costa Rica was met with knowing glances, the ease with which Germany stopped them playing carried a warning.
They were 17 minutes from going out at the group stage before Germany finally suppressed Costa Rica to allow them through. Morocco just found them too easy to stop. When Spain began to dominate territory in the second half, there was simply no space to exploit.
At least Enrique is spared the tyranny of revelation after promising to get intimate on the social media platform Twitch, via which he has been involved in a kind of free form interaction with Spanish fans throughout the tournament. “If we win the World Cup, I will answer all the questions,” he said. “Most of which I know will be about sex.”
We assume he is no longer in the mood, for now at least.
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