‘There is a magnificent balance’: how Spain built a record-breaking defence

The Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón has not conceded a goal at the World Cup and, worryingly for Belgium, he has not had to face that many shots

“We’re the villains, there to stop the goals that football lives off,” Unai Simón says. If so, there has never been a bad guy as bad as him, the keeper who could do with an introduction from Don LaFontaine: In a World Cup dominated by forwards, one man resists … There were five minutes to go until half-time during Spain’s battle with Portugal in the last 16 when something historic happened, or there would have been if anything had actually happened. Instead, nothing did, which is the way Simón likes it.

As the clock rolled into the 40th minute, Spain’s goalkeeper silently moved on to 560 World Cup minutes without conceding, taking in seven games and going all the way back to Ao Tanaka’s strike for Japan in Qatar. Against Austria in the last 32, he had already left Walter Zenga behind on 517, now he and Spain overtook Switzerland’s record: 559 minutes spread across 14 years and three tournaments in 1994, 2006 and 2010. The next minute, Nuno Mendes hit the bar, but still Simón would not be beaten, Mikel Merino’s 90th minute winner the only goal of the game.

Continue reading...