Rodri encapsulates Spains team-first ethos as World Cup squads anonymous star
There may not be a more perfect encapsulation of Spain than the fact that its best player at this World Cup doesn’t have a goal or assist, isn’t in any advertisements and plays a position deep enough that an untrained eye can go 90 minutes without noticing him.Compared to Lionel Messi, whose teammates sing about winning in honor of and who is spoken about with God-like reverence in every corner of the soccer world, Rodri is the most anonymous Ballon d’Or winner on the planet.That, though, is the ethos and appeal of Spain, which heads into Sunday’s World Cup Final with the chance to knock Argentina off its perch and complete what would be a dominant run to the trophy.La Roja’s very ethos is its collective.It wins games through relentless ball possession and counter-pressing, usually by scorelines that understate its dominance.Rodri, according to statistics compiled by WhoScored, has amassed 100 touches or more six times at this World Cup.
The next-highest player, Argentina’s Leandro Paredes, has hit that mark three times.Rodri wins duels, keeps the ball moving and plays a game that is the opposite of flashy.
It is perfectly emblematic of his team.“I’ve heard at the beginning of the tournament I wasn’t able to play,” said Rodri, who had a halting season with Manchester City after returning from an ACL injury.“Now that I recovered my shape, I try not to listen too much.
I’ve always been confident in myself.“I think one of the big parts of my game is trying to replicate this accuracy, intentional passing and being very safe with the ball.Very happy with the development.
That’s the main thing for me in this tournament, the development individual as a group.We can do it better.”The last line echoes something Spain coach Luis de La Fuente has repeatedly expressed, even after his side’s emphatic dismissal of France in the semifinal.
He demands constant improvement from his team.Every match of the FIFA World Cup will air on either FOX or ...