First major upset of the World Cup: Spain can't get past a draw against Cape Verde

(AFP) Spain was unable to find the back of the net against debutant Cape Verde, this Monday in Atlanta in their World Cup debut, in a scoreless draw that Lamine Yamal was unable to turn around, after playing 25 minutes in his debut at the major tournament.

In the opening match of Group H, whose first round of matches concludes this Monday with the match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, the European champion, touted as one of the World Cup favorites, got a reality check.

La Roja dominated with authority but came up against a united, focused, and physically imposing African team, saved on a couple of occasions by their goalkeeper Vozinha, a hero in the World Cup just after turning 40, who ended the match in tears and was named man of the match.

Between lackluster possession and wayward shots, the match had become sleep-inducing by the middle of the second half, with boos even heard from the stands.

Lamine Yamal on the field… but Spain can’t break the deadlock

During the second water break, De la Fuente called on Lamine Yamal, and the nearly 70,000 spectators celebrated as if they had scored a goal they hadn't yet had. The chosen one made his World Cup debut at 18 years old and had 25 minutes to turn the game around against Cape Verde. 

He started off electric and nearly had it after a dribble and a pass that Marcos Llorente failed to finish (73'). But he quickly lost his momentum, and his debut in the big tournament won’t be featured in any highlight reels.

Spain settled for a disappointing draw, four years after starting off by thrashing Costa Rica in Qatar only to fall in the Round of 16... But things aren’t about how they start and rather how they end: in 2010, they were champions after losing 1-0 to Switzerland in their debut.