Oyarzabal Scores Twice as Spain Secures First Tournament Win in 16 Years

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Spain, considered a favorite to win the North and Central American World Cup, has defeated Austria to advance to the Round of 16. Oyarzabal scored multiple goals, leading the team to its first tournament victory in 16 years.

Hong Seok-jun reports.

[Reporter]

From the beginning, Spain pressured Austria, led by 18-year-old prodigy Yamal and striker Oyarzabal.

In the 29th minute of the first half, Cucurella found the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul by a teammate. However, they finally broke the deadlock seven minutes later.

Oyarzabal opened the scoring with a concise left-footed shot off a cross from Cucurella.

In the 21st minute of the second half, Porro, a former Tottenham teammate of Son Heung-min, scored his debut goal for the national team by heading in a cross from Baena, extending the lead. Late in the second half, Oyarzabal combined with Cucurella again, this time finishing with a right-footed one-touch shot to seal the victory.

Oyarzabal recorded his second multi-goal game of the tournament, bringing his tally to four goals.

Spain secured a 3-0 shutout victory, bolstered by an ironclad defense that did not allow a single shot on target, marking their fourth consecutive clean sheet.

Spain has reached the Round of 16 with its first tournament win since 2010, the year they were crowned champions, and extended their unbeaten streak in international matches to 35 games.

[Oyarzabal/Spain National Football Team Striker: Everything went according to our preparations today, and we showed a great performance. I am happy to have advanced to the Round of 16. Now, we need to rest well for the next match.]

Although Yamal did not record an attacking point, he was named Player of the Match for leading the offense, including a game-high five successful dribbles. He shared his joy with his three-year-old brother, who cheered passionately after the third goal was scored.

[Yamal/Spain National Football Team Midfielder: My brother is my everything. He is like my own child, and I love him very much.]

Meanwhile, Switzerland defeated Algeria 2-0 to claim its first tournament victory in 88 years. They will face the winner of the Colombia-Ghana match next Wednesday to compete for a spot in the quarterfinals.

(Video Editing: EJAE)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.