Spain have set a new men's World Cup record for the longest streak without conceding a goal, reaching 560 minutes in their round of 16 match against Portugal. The previous record of 559 minutes was held by Switzerland, spanning three tournaments from 1994 to 2010. Unai Simón, Spain's goalkeeper, has not been beaten since Ao Tanaka's strike for Japan in Qatar, a run that now covers seven games.
Simón's quiet brilliance
Unai Simón has faced remarkably few shots throughout the tournament. In the group stage, Spain allowed only 15 shots in total, with just three on target. Austria failed to register a single shot on target against Spain. Against Portugal in the last 16, Spain conceded 10 shots, only two on target, and an expected goals (xG) of 0.58. Simón made two saves in that match, bringing his tournament total to six. Only Emiliano Martínez, who has conceded four goals in the last two games, has made fewer saves among remaining goalkeepers.
“The important thing for a goalkeeper, something I place a lot of importance upon and that Unai defines very well too, is the ability to prevent rather than save,” said Joan García, Simón's understudy. “Stop them getting to you: coming out for a high ball, covering defensively, intercepting low crosses. Those things might not get reflected in the stats but they're vital for a goalkeeper. That's key: prevent the chance coming in the first place. That's been a key in this World Cup for us.”
A team effort
Simón insists the record is a collective achievement. “The record says more about the team than it does about me,” he said. Defenders Marc Cucurella and Pau Cubarsí have played every minute, while Aymeric Laporte has missed just one. Rodri, who started slowly but has been outstanding in the last two matches, has missed only three minutes. Cubarsí, a 19-year-old from the village of Estanyol (population ~200), has completed 96% of his 449 passes, with 34 of his 71 passes against Portugal going into the opposition's half. He has 19 recoveries and 23 defensive actions completed. Only Paolo Maldini has reached as many clean sheets so quickly.
“Pau and Aymeric are a luxury: they fit the idea we have, they bring the ball out, they filter passes, and they have presence: they're very complete,” said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente. “A footballer is not just a footballer because of his quality; there are 1,000 other elements too. Technically you can be very good but [young players] wouldn't be as good if they didn't have an emotional control of the situation; that's what truly makes the difference, what means a 19-year-old plays like he's spent a lifetime there. And we know the importance of having someone near to give you serenity in key moments when you could lose it. There's a magnificent balance between them.”
Belgium challenge ahead
Spain face Belgium in the quarter-final on Friday in Los Angeles. Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois acknowledged Spain's strength: “They're very clearly favourites. The first thing we have to do, is score.” Belgium will need to breach a defence that has allowed only 0.3 xG against Cape Verde, 0.14 against Saudi Arabia, 0.2 against Uruguay, and 0.32 against Austria. Spain's press has been aggressive, denying opponents time and space. “It's about denying their defenders time, not letting them think, making sure when they have to make decisions they do it under pressure,” said striker Mikel Oyarzabal.
Spain's record-breaking defence builds on a tradition from their 2010 World Cup win, when Iker Casillas kept four consecutive clean sheets in the knockout phase. Simón has now surpassed that mark, with Spain yet to concede in the knockout rounds of this tournament.
