Los Angeles, July 3 (V7N) – Spain produced a dominant all-round performance to defeat Austria 3–0 and secure a place in the World Cup Round of 16, controlling the match after a slow start at the Los Angeles venue on Thursday.
After an initially confident spell from Austria, Spain gradually took control through their trademark possession-based play, with Pedri, Rodri and Dani Olmo dictating the midfield through quick passing combinations.
A 29th-minute goal from a corner by Marc Cucurella was disallowed for a foul, but Spain continued to press forward. Their breakthrough arrived in the 36th minute when Mikel Oyarzabal finished a low cross from Cucurella with a precise touch to open the scoring.
Spain nearly doubled their lead before half-time when Alex Baena’s free-kick struck the crossbar, while Lamine Yamal’s follow-up effort was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Alexander Schlager. Austria went into the break trailing by just one goal.
After the restart, Spain increased their dominance and set a new World Cup record for the longest spell without conceding a goal, with goalkeeper Unai Simón surpassing Iker Casillas’ milestone.
The second goal came in the 66th minute when Pedro Porro headed home from a precise cross by Baena, marking his first international goal for Spain.
Oyarzabal added his second and Spain’s third in the 89th minute, finishing calmly after a through ball from Cucurella. The strike took his tournament tally to four goals, making him the first Spanish player since David Villa in 2010 to score four goals in a single World Cup edition.
With the final whistle, Spain celebrated a comprehensive victory, having outclassed Austria in possession, attacking variation and overall control, further strengthening their status as strong title contenders.
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