Spain delivered one of their most convincing performances of the tournament on Thursday, sweeping aside Austria 3-0 to secure their place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16.
La Roja controlled proceedings from the opening whistle at the Los Angeles Stadium, with their fluid passing and relentless pressing leaving Austria struggling to gain a foothold in the contest. Their dominance was finally rewarded in the 36th minute when Mikel Oyarzabal finished from close range after excellent work down the left flank to hand Spain a deserved lead before the break.
Austria attempted to respond after the restart and came closest through Sasa Kalajdzic, whose header was comfortably dealt with by goalkeeper Unai Simon as Spain’s defensive solidity once again came to the fore.
Spain doubled their advantage in the 66th minute when Pedro Porro powered home his first international goal to put Luis de la Fuente’s side firmly in control of the tie.
Oyarzabal completed his brace late in the match to cap a commanding display from the European champions, who overwhelmed Austria with their attacking movement and control of possession throughout the encounter.
The victory extends Spain’s impressive run in the tournament and sends them into the Round of 16, where they will face either Portugal or Croatia for a place in the quarter-finals. Austria, meanwhile, exit the competition after reaching the knockout stage for the first time in more than four decades.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
