GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Spain coach Luis de la Fuente called Mikel Oyarzabal “a great among greats” on Thursday, saying the forward is “finally” getting the praise he deserves after his World Cup brace against Saudi Arabia.
Oyarzabal, 29, scored twice and created the opener for Lamine Yamal in Sunday’s 4-0 victory in Atlanta to get Spain back on track in Group H, ahead of Friday’s clash with Uruguay at the Estadio Akron.
The Real Sociedad captain scored the winning goal for Spain at Euro 2024 and led his club to win the Copa del Rey last season, but hasn’t had as high a profile as teammates like Yamal and Nico Williams.
“He’s a great among greats,” De la Fuente said on Thursday in a news conference at Guadalajara Stadium. “Finally we’re starting to recognise him in Spain, my goodness.”
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Oyarzabal scored six goals for Spain in World Cup qualifying and has 15 goals in his last 15 appearances for his country.
However, he struggled in Spain’s opening World Cup game against Cape Verde, failing to touch the ball in the opening half hour.
“Oyarzabal is a very intelligent person,” De la Fuente said, when asked about the player’s qualities. “You see that in his play, with his intelligence, and his interpretation of the game. He’s one of the best players between the lines.
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“Few players understand football like him. And at goalscoring, he’s extraordinary.”
De la Fuente suggested that he was unlikely to make major changes to the team to play Uruguay on Friday, and said a start for Williams might be “a bit soon” as he trails Yamal in his recovery from injury.
The team that finishes second in Group H is set to face Argentina in the round of 32.
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“Obviously the performance [against Saudi Arabia] doesn’t invite changes,” De la Fuente said. “But the players who came off the bench did well. I’ve looked at the performance in training this week, and I’ve been happy. The level is fantastic. Those players are asking for an opportunity.”
De la Fuente called himself “a big admirer” of Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa.
“I’ve followed his career a lot,” he said. “When he was at Athletic Club [in Bilbao], I went five or six times to watch his training sessions… He’s been very innovative as a coach in many ways. For me it’s an honour and a pleasure to face him.”
