Spain's Tactical Mastery Secures World Cup Final Victory Over Argentina

Okay, Nick. World Cup final, Spain one, Argentina nil. Our initial thoughts and analysis on that. Obviously, it was a grueling 120 minutes. Ferran Torres' goal was the difference. Spain were massively deserved winners there, and I think Argentina let themselves down with the tactics, the way they acted. Didn't have a single shot on target throughout a World Cup final. So, some big takeaways there, and I think Argentina will have a lot of regrets about how they approached the game, but Spain just sensational, right? Had so many great individual displays there, and just a total team, and they peaked at the right time at the World Cup.

that's the right point. They were completely there. They were present, they were controlled, they executed their plan. And there's something, I don't want to say it's boring about it, but it wasn't flashy. Methodical, right? Yeah. It was this is how we're going to win, and it worked almost from the get-go. And I think the fact that they didn't freak out after drawing Cape Verde early, right? Nil-nil, they knew they dominated the game. Trust the process, right? Yeah. Just took it right back. Four goals the next game. And this is a team, by the way, Argentina, team that scores two, three goals a game, and didn't get a shot. And that is a that's a shocking way to go out. Forget

the tactics for a minute. To be dominated that much, which I think speaks to the Golden Ball winner, Rodri. Yes. He was brilliant. You wrote about it on our website. Um, in the mix zone here, Marc Cucurella was asked about it and said he basically decides everything when we press, when we need to control, calm it down. He never gives the ball away. And he's just so important, right? It's great to see him back at this level after injury issues he's had. And it was just, you know, a total midfield dominance that summed up this Spain team and what they're so good at. It's a little bit when you watch that show about the student who is hand-picked by the teacher and then becomes even better. Which isn't to say

that he's going to be a Pep Guardiola-like influence on the managerial world. But remember, Guardiola hand-picked him Yes. to be his Man City guy. And then he brought what he brought to the game. Mhm. And then you just see him out. He's a nerve center. His understanding of what teams want to do. And the beauty of it is, right? Like we've seen Guardiola and Man City and oh yes, you drive, but it's different. It's not the same team and that this complete midfielder still leads with a complete understanding. He does seem like a future manager. He really does. And yeah, all the players kind of speaking about it. you wrote about Yeah, he was excellent. I think as a

teenager to play that well in the final that some of the touches and all the rest of it. And it was a nice moment at the end when he went up to Lionel Messi who was on the floor dejected and kind of gave him a hug and it really was again that passing of the baton. It's all that seems like. You Yamal is the first teenager in history to win the European Championships and the World Cup. I mean it's just incredible the potential there for what he's already won in his career. And I think yeah, Cubarsi at center back as well, another teenager. Spain just have so much talent youth wise when Gavi and Pedri and players like this we're thinking about. It's just unbelievable to think that they can

keep playing like this for the next decade and they had the core of that team together. I think what speaks to me and I will give Argentina a little bit of credit here for reaching the final, but Luis de la Fuente said when he was asked about Yamal, he said he adapts himself to us. He makes the sacrifice at this age. And at 19 to show that level of buy-in. And as much as I didn't really like the way Argentina got it done in reaching the final, their buy-in was there too. It's just that when football met a fight, football won. It did. And I hate that it's a cliché Joe and I'm sure a lot of people are saying this, but it was appropriate. And I think you and I both kind of talked, we're sitting next to each other in the

second half and we said this could get to penalties and that's how Argentina win it. There was no other way they were going to win that game because they were just adamant the same as against England that they were just going to push the boundaries. They tested the referees early. There weren't early yellow cards in this game either and I think it just set the tone for Argentina that we can just try and battle our way and scrap away. And Scaloni said as well, you were in his press conference that they Spain were the better team, they deservedly won. And Argentina knew that and I the only way that they could hang in the game is to play they did, but I do think and I've written about this on our site

it was disgraceful some of the stuff we saw Paredes at the end. There's a way Yeah, there's a way to lose and be gracious in defeat and that's just not it at all. And I think there was so many different things going on pushing the boundaries all game long and uh tarnish their legacy for me a bit because I think we've all been in on the Lionel Messi um fairytale journey his swansong this summer trying to get back-to-back titles go out on top and we saw him crying at the end um and I don't think his teammates helped him out today because they were too concerned about fighting and scrapping rather than actually playing football. And we saw against England in the semi-final when they switch flip that switch and they played

football in the last 30 minutes there. They can still dominate teams. They still have world-class players and uh yeah, I just think it was a sad way for Messi's uh career with Argentina we think to end. We think that's it for him for Argentina in the World Cup. So, um I guess the word on him and sort of his legacy from this tournament. Well, I mean he's the best ever do it in my opinion and I don't take anything away from him. His performance at 39 probably deserved to be a championship performance, but what they didn't do was find a way to do it. And some things went against Scaloni said it after the game. Look, we had three injuries to our back line.

Yeah. Two center backs down. Yeah, yeah, sorry. I'm limited in how I can change the game. Then the red card happens and I'm really limited. Yeah. It's crazy to me that sorry, England go out without Bukayo Saka trying to save the day and Argentina go out without being able to put Lautaro Martínez on the field. Yeah. Someone who's going to be in the top 10 for Ballon d'Or discussion after winning Serie A with Inter Milan Exactly. and scoring some huge goals for them here. So, I just think it didn't go according to plan.

Um But that's football, right? It was, right. But you know what I'm saying? Argentina There was too much focus on the physical side and pushing the boundaries and I just didn't like it at all. I hated it. I thought it was shameful and we had a colleague of ours sitting next to us in the box and she kind of said, "I think this can tarnish Messi." Like I it won't. No. it tarnishes what should be just a magical tournament for him. They lose and they're gracious and we walk away and say, "Hey, that stinks for Messi, but hey, three finals in four tournaments." And instead we're thinking Yeah, there'll be a little asterisks

next to this Argentina team now when we think back it'll be like, "Oh, they were great. They reached back-to-back finals. Obviously won one of them and then this one just we'll remember this team for that. They were really, really struggling in terms of their physicality and just pushed it too far. We're too aggressive. So, yeah, final thoughts here, Nick, on the experience of the World Cup final. I think it's been an incredible tournament. Obviously showpiece event today. There was loads going on. And I think overall the right team won the World Cup this summer. Spain were

excellent. Obviously France were up there. England had their moments, but no one's going to argue with Spain winning this tournament. And I think it was a true reflection on the best team overall. Right, it's not total football in the Johan Cruyff sense, but it's total complete a path. Just domination. Don't have teams like that very often. And it was special and um Only conceded once the whole tournament. Credit to us for not saying this until now, but like you start to look to the Euro and you think, "That's going to be one heck of a team to try and take down with Yamal 4 year or 2 years older and Pedri 2 years older.

Gavi barely played in this tournament, still coming off an injury." Uh but what I would say is for all the struggles we've had in our country to have a tournament come off as well as this did Yeah. it's a really good feeling. Yeah. a little bit uplifted by this tournament. Absolutely. Regardless of who won. And I'm interested to see what's next for the US, what's next for England, what's next for Like if we roll into the Premier League season Yes. kind of thinking about I think this World Cup will live in the Premier League season if that makes sense. Yeah, well, it'll cross over and I think it just energized everybody in the world of football. And if not in the world of football, new fans that have come into

the sport. And I think it was only there was some trepidation heading into this World Cup, but I think it's massively overachieved in terms of its importance, its spread and its reach across so many different parts of American life. Yeah, proper showpiece American life, but in the rest of the world as well. Seeing how much the game is loved here in the USA, so I think today's final underlined that, and it's been a pleasure during this World Cup. So, thanks so much for joining us and being such a big part of it. NBC Sports has been great. We loved having you, and shoutout to our coworker Andy Edwards who wasn't here tonight and put in an awful lot of great work.

Big part of the journey. So, thanks everyone for joining us on this incredible World Cup journey. It's over 104 games. We did it. We got there. Head over to Pro Soccer Talk on nbcsports.com for all the latest reaction, analysis, and much more, and then we'll be back very soon for the Premier League season and beyond. Thank you, everyone. Cheers. Hi there, I'm Rebecca Lowe, studio host for NBC's coverage of the Premier League. Don't forget to hit subscribe to watch more videos all season long. For even more Premier League content, from original series to live matches, head

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