Spain’s boss Luis Enrique took the blame on his shoulders after the team was knocked out of the FIFA World Cup 2022. Spain suffered a heartbreaking loss against Morocco as they lost 3-0 on penalties after the match ended in a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes and extra time.
Spain missed all of their first three penalties as Pablo Sarabia, Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets lacked the power in their shots. Sarabia and Soler were both brought in as substitutes and they could not put the ball in the back of the net.
Sarabia was the first to take the penalty and he could only manage to hit the post. Soler and Busquets’s kicks were stopped by Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Spain bagged an unwanted record as they became the first team to lose four World Cup knockout matches on penalties.
“The responsibility is mine,” Enrique said after the match. “I chose the first three penalty takers, who were those I thought were the best specialists on the pitch. We didn’t even get to the fourth. Bounou is a spectacular goalkeeper in this aspect; he has a high percentage in going the right way. He was great.”
Meanwhile, Morocco took a total of six shots, out of which only two were on target.
“Football is a marvelous, passionate sport, but a team can win without attacking,” Luis Enrique said. “Morocco attacked once or twice and were dangerous, but we dominated the game completely, and tried to create.”
Spain dominated the whole contest as they completed 988 of 1,063 passes to 238 of 331 for the Moroccans and had 77% possession.
“We would have liked to create more. It was hard for us,” added Luis Enrique. “We had 11 shots, I think, but few on goal. In the final move of the game Pablo Sarabia hit the post. The penalty shootout was hard for us. But I’m proud of my players.”
Enrique admitted Morocco was better than them on penalties.
“We have to congratulate the winners,” Luis Enrique said. “They played their game, it turned out well, they were better than us in the penalty shootout. I think children have to learn how to lose, regardless of whether you deserve it or not.
Morocco will face Portugal in quarterfinal on Saturday.
