Spain midfielder Rodri has slammed Morocco’s tactics during their World Cup last-16 tie, with the Manchester City star claiming the North Africans offered ‘absolutely nothing’.
Pablo Sarabia, Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets all missed from the spot for Spain as Morocco triumphed 3-0 in the penalty shootout at the Education City Stadium in Qatar.
The result saw Morocco become the first Arab nation to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Morocco’s last appearance in the knockout round was at the 1986 World Cup, where they lost 1-0 to Germany in the round of 16.
The defeat marked Spain’s third consecutive major tournament exit on penalties, after losing to hosts Russia in the last-16 of the 2018 World Cup, before being beaten by Italy in the Euro 2020 semi-final.
Rodri claimed Morocco just ‘waited for counters’ during the 120 minutes.
“Morocco offered absolutely nothing, without disrespecting them,” Rodri was quoted by Daily Express.
“In the game, they did nothing.
“They just waited for the counters. They stayed behind and tried to counter us.”
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And in a chat with RTVE, Rodri, 26, admitted the defeat was among his ‘worst days’ in football.
“They were very clear about how they wanted to play. There’s not much more to say, penalties are like that.
“We’re going home, it’s one of the worst days.
“We expected 11 guys behind, it’s complicated, it’s frustrating. I wish someone up there would have helped us.
“Football is cruel sometimes. The team gave it our all, I think we deserved to go through.”
Spain finished the match having had 77 per cent possession, completing 1,019 passes to Morocco’s 304.
The 2010 World Cup winners failed to regularly trouble the Moroccan goal despite their dominance of the ball, recording 13 shots in the match with only one on target.
Morocco finished the last-16 tie having had six shots, with two on target.
Sarabia had gone closest to breaking the deadlock moments before penalties, volleying against the outside of the post in stoppage time at the end of extra time.
20 Comments
Yeess o ..Ejo lo fe ro!
Up Morocco
LMFAO!
E don PAIN AM!!
LMFAO…
You that OFFERED all what was the GAIN?
SORRY take HEART.
FOOTBALL is all about WINNING bro…
Oh yes, its all about winning
That is the only statistics that matters not %age of possession or meaningless passes that never results in goals.
Yesterday was the night that tiktaka fail wholefully. Any tactics in football can fail, most especially when your opponent have studied you.
That is why as a coach in nowadays football, going into any game you must equippe your team with minimum of two tactics. Should one fail then switch to other one.
This is why many of Africa and Nigeria guadiola use to fail.
Rigid and one way traffic of tactics, in ability to read an ongoing game and interprete it very well.
Infact in any competition now don’t use one tactics in group stage it will make it difficult for opponent to study and neutralise your tactics.
Spain were so slow and predictable. Morrocan was the better team and had better chances throughout. Overall Moroccan football; both male and female have developed tremendously. I wish the NFF can learn the secret of their success and try to implement it if nepotism , Plebendalism and tribalism will allow them. I see Morrocco going past Portugal with ease cos the spainard team is a better than potugal. forget the scoreline against Switzerland
I’m afraid Morocco won’t go past Portugal.Spain hasn’t got a cutting edge but the Portuguese are ruthless in attack with far more experience than slow Spain.
The Portuguese are very good on and off the ball
GREENTURF am AFRAID…
I will have to go with 442..
I see MOROCCO going past PORTUGAL
Me too Lovey.xxx.
Morocco will win.
Sebi na Saturday wey dem go play…we’ll see. Go Morrocco….
@ Greenturf, it’s Morocco v England in the semi. WATCH OUT.
I see the Arab Nations line up behind Morrocco. It’s going to be a game of who can kick the ass better.
I don’t see Morocco going past Portugal at all, this Portugal team is filled with young talents that is completely non-reliant on Ronaldo. Good midfield and attack with an experienced defence including a 19yrs old defender that is very rugged.
Morocco go hear am
DR BANKS when you talk of TALENTS, the MOROCCANS have it in almost all departments.first,MOROCCO have one of the BEST and MOST EXPERIENCED RIGHT BACKS in the WORLD-HAKIMI who came through the RANKS of REAL MADRID then later on DORTMUND, INTER and currently PSG..
HE is very EFFECTIVE with moving the BALL High up the PITCH.. Good crosses, speed and supplies..
Lets not forget a very bright WING BACK Mazraoui, together with HAKIMI, they can give PORTUGAL Problem down the FLANKS ..
Also don’t forget they have RELIABLE center backs with a HOLDING MIDFIELDER (Amrabat) who also drops very deep most times when they want to build from the back and also their very sound and SOLID GOAL KEEPER…
Then don’t forget their CHELSEA ATTACKING MIDFIELD WIZZARD ZIYECH and the two men up front Boufal and Youssef En-Nesyri.
Cry cry baby you have lost the game deal with it. You didn’t play to win and that is it. Go Morocco though Portugal impressed in their last match so is going to be a tougher test but everything is doable including winning Portugal. A difficult one to predict
Sour grapes, You loose and you offered so much, game closed. Morocco refused to play to your strength instead they frustrated you and now you are whining. Get a life, and do better next time. I hail this African coach of Morocco, it even makes the victory better, it was not achieved by some European coaching genius, but by some home grown talented coach.
Who told you Walid Regragui is home grown….LMAOOoo??
A man who was born and raised in Europe, played all his football in Europe, got all his coaching badges up to the highest of them all (UEFA Pro license) in Europe has suddenly become “home-grown” because they want to promote their fallacy of mediocrity above meritocracy.
I guess Bukayo Saka and Tammy Abraham will also one day qualify as “home-grown” too…..LMAOOO.
Please look elsewhere for a better example of your “home-grown” propaganda
Haha! What about Cisse? Sorry he was disgraced by England because he was sick(let me give them reason for Senegalese failure)
I remember they kept saying all homegrown coaches were performing well, that statement dried off as soon as they started coming home one by one. After all, na home grown we call them, they are all home now to continue growing … except for Otto Addo that ran for his life.
We don’t even know the difference between Ghana and Nigeria that didn’t participate at all as we are both behind our TV Screen now enjoying the World Cup together. Lol.
What rubbish is this parrot dishing out, did he identify with Europe because he was born there. Please which European team has he coached. So don’t come here with your rubbish assumptions as usual. He is home grown, because he came home to coach and won laurels with local teams
Okoponu…..useless illiterate.
I have always known that you are seriously deficient in your understanding of English ever since your dusty brain interpreted “cup finalist” as cup winner…LMAOOo….I never knew your brain is too daft to also interpreted what homegrown is. Look below for the dictionary meaning of “homegrown”
“…grown or produced in one’s own garden or country….”
Idiot….Westerhoff must be a Nigerian home grown because he coached, he won laurels with Nigeria….LMAOOo
Bonfrere Jo must be Nigeria home-grown because he coached and won laurels with Nigeria
Herve Renhard must be home-grown because he has won trophies only with African countries
Mourinho must be English home-grown because he coached and won laurels in England.
Marcel Dessailly must be a Ghanian home-grown players/coach because he now identifies with Ghana….LMAOoo
John Fashanu must be Nigerian home-grown ex-footballer because he now identifies and lives in Nigeria…..LMAOoo
You must be a “home-grown” of whatever dustbin you live and work in now too simply because you work there.
Illiteracy is indeed a disease. ….LMAOoo
Okponu sowenu, iyo se rada dunbe……LMAOoo
Please go back to school and stop wasting your life talking stupidly on CSN
Morrocco has a realistic chance of qualifying if they get their tactics right. But this Portuguese team is better than Spain, no doubt. I foresee a narrow win for Portugal on Saturday. Unlike Spain, when Portugal attacks, they do that with venom, and are dangerous from different fronts, with or without Robaldo. That makes it a well balanced team.