Spain were in an extremely happy place until Monday.
It's been all smiles and jokes in their build-up to the World Cup: injured players such as Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams recovered from injury sooner than initially expected, the chemistry and vibes looked better than ever and the vast majority of the squad agreed in their pre-tournament media appearances that Spain should be regarded as one of the favourites to win the competition.
That all evaporated as the final whistle blew in Atlanta and a World Cup debutant denied them victory. Cape Verde's defiance, and the heroics of 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha in particular, will be remembered for some time in Spain. The next week in the United States will give Spain plenty of food for thought.
The mood among players in the mixed zone was telling. The optimism and euphoria were gone. Players trudged out of Atlanta Stadium (AKA Mercedes-Benz Stadium) with their eyes fixed on the floor, not even entertaining the thought of engaging with questions. Goalkeeper Unai Simon and striker Mikel Oyarzabal were the only players who spoke after the game.
“This is a result nobody was counting on, we are expected to win against Cape Verde,†Simon said. “They were rock solid at the back and we lacked a bit of efficiency up front.â€
Oyarzabal urged the team not to let the result hit their confidence. “We have to stay as calm as we were yesterday,†the Real Sociedad forward said. “This is the time to trust in ourselves more than ever. We have a solid group.â€
It was an unusual Spanish performance. They were slow and predictable in possession and their strongest qualities over the past two years under Luis De la Fuente faded. Oyarzabal, who had registered 12 goals in his previous 11 games for Spain, had not touched the ball by the 30 minute mark.
After the game, the focus was on Spain's wings and the lack of attacking threat they showed in those areas.
Yamal and Williams were available, but not fit enough to start and play the full game.
So badly did the team miss Yamal that De la Fuente decided to accelerate the 18-year-old's return to the side, bringing the Barcelona star on for Gavi in the 71st minute, earlier than planned.
The good news for Spain was that he came through that test unscathed. Walking through the mixed zone after the game, Yamal said he was feeling “perfect, with no problemâ€.
Yamal's arrival gave Spain another gear. He sent in seven crosses, the second-most in the game, despite playing little more than 20 minutes. Yamal still looked slightly rusty, though, which was understandable given this was his first game of football since April 22. Williams came on in the 87th minute and barely made an impact.
Spain's hopes of going far in North America rest on Yamal and Williams being fit and sharp when it really matters. After the Cape Verde draw, it's difficult to envisage Yamal not starting in Atlanta on Sunday against Saudi Arabia.
Gavi was the surprise pick in the starting line-up and, while he was not the worst player on the pitch, that call did not work out well. On the right flank, Ferran Torres put in a forgettable display. The lack of threat from the wings forced left-back Marc Cucurella to become Spain's best weapon with his runs from deep. And that is not a good sign.
Ferran Torres struggled against a packed Cape Verde defence (Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
A week of reflection and questions will follow.
Spain even struggled in midfield, usually an area of great strength for them. Pedri was used in an attacking midfield role, a more attacking position compared to the deep-lying playmaker role he occupies for Barcelona. That deeper spot was reserved for Paris Saint-Germain's Ruiz, who did not have his best game. Dani Olmo and Mikel Merino are potential candidates to shake things up.
And there remains a positive lens through which to look at this performance. Parallels can be drawn with the 2010 World Cup, when Spain started with a 1-0 defeat to Switzerland and ended up winning the tournament for the first and so far only time in their history. Spain have only won the first match at three of their past 15 tournaments (with five draws and seven defeats).
In 2022, world champions Argentina were beaten in their opening game by Saudi Arabia. A wake-up call can be handy in a competition like this — and that is the message De la Fuente needs to communicate to his players.
Spain have a lot to play for and they are still the best team in their group. If they win against Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, they should top Group H and go through to the next round as group winners.
Cape Verde was a lesson. Now Spain need to show they have learned it, and that they have what it takes to become champions.
