Spain crashes out against Morocco in Round of 16

Spain passed and passed, and kept passing.

As a result of it all, they let yet another chance at World Cup glory pass them by, paving the way for one of the tournament’s biggest surprises yet.

Entering as +525 underdogs, Morocco stunned Spain in penalties to advance to the quarterfinals. They’ll face Portugal, who defeated Switzerland 6-1.

“We fought and made the Moroccan people happy, we made history and Morocco deserved it,” manager Walid Regragui told reporters in Qatar. “Moroccan people made us united on the pitch.”

Despite owning 77 percent possession and outshooting their opponents 13-6, Spain could not score in over 120 minutes of open play. They registered just one shot on goal, as the Moroccan defense remained content to sit deep in their own half and let Spain move the ball harmlessly in front of them in midfield.

As the score remained 0-0 after extra time, the match then went to a penalty shootout, the second game this tournament to require spot-kicks to determine a winner. Croatia defeated Japan on penalties on Monday.

And even in penalties, Spain couldn’t find the back of the net. They missed all three, while Morocco hit three of their four kicks to win.

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Star Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi, who was born and raised in Spain and broke out while playing for Real Madrid, shot straight down the middle for the pivotal and match-winning kick. Goalie Yassine Bounou saved two penalties, while the other one he faced hit off the post. Abdelhamid Sabiri and Hakim Ziyech buried their penalties as well for Morocco, although Badr Benoun missed.

Pablo Sarabia, Carlos Soler and Sergio Busuets all missed for Spain, as it appeared Bounou’s antics affected their focus.

“It’s my responsibility,” said Spain manager Luis Enrique, who before the match said he had asked his players to practice 1,000 penalty kicks while with their clubs. “I picked the first three penalty-takers, and then they could decide themselves. But the first three were my decision, and I would’ve done the same thing again.”

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It marks the furthest Morocco has ever advanced in a World Cup, previously only making it as far as the Round of 16 in 1986. It’s also the first time an Arab nation, and just the fourth time an African side, has advanced to the quarterfinals in the World Cup. Morocco is the only team outside of Europe or South America left standing.

Spain has struggled in the tournament since claiming its first World Cup title in 2010. It was eliminated from the 2014 tournament in the group stage, and his now exited in the Round of 16 the last two World Cups, similarly losing in penalties to Russia in 2018.

Neither side created many threatening opportunities before penalties. Morocco largely kept all 11 players behind the ball, absorbing pressure until Spain attempted to prod further in their box, when they’d then quickly close down the space and win back possession. Spain seemingly lacked urgency, controlling the lion’s share of the ball without displaying enough cutting edge required to bother Bounou. It played right into Morocco’s game plan, which rapidly sprung counterattacks once they won the ball back and actually registered more shots on goal, 2-1.

“We felt the support of our fans, be it in Morocco or any other country in the world,” Bounou said.

Like Hakimi and Regragui, over half the Moroccan roster is composed of players who were not born in the country — the most of any team participating. Just three months before the World Cup, Morocco fired manager Vahid Halihodzic over the team’s discipline issues, particularly Halihodzic’s dustup with Ziyech. He made way for Regragui, who barely had any time to implement his ideology or philosophy on his team.

Now after just four games together, Regragui’s players were hoisting him up in the air for capturing the nation’s most-famous win ever.

“Today I think it showed to the world every Moroccan is Moroccan with his passport,” Regragui said. “When he comes to the national team, you want to die, you want to fight. And that is what I want to show. And now, we have one example. The coach is born in France but nobody can have my heart but my country.”