Spain secured a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals after a late substitute goal sealed a tense 1-0 victory over Portugal in a round of 16 match held in Arlington, Texas.
A late-game strike by substitute Mikel Merino decided the match, sending Spain to the next round while emotional Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo exited his final career World Cup appearance.
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Manchester City midfielder Rodri earned MVP honors after controlling the game with 106 touches, 87 completed passes, and seven ball recoveries, according to espn.
com.
Despite the victory, the team captain highlighted areas where the squad needs refinement ahead of their upcoming knockout stage fixture.
"There's a lot of room for improvement," said Rodri, Spain captain.
The midfielder emphasized that both squads displayed similar styles, but minor tactical precision ultimately decided the final outcome of the knockout match.
"Now we have to rest, and keep improving...
We're very similar teams, we want the ball, and we want to have personality," said Rodri, Spain captain.
He noted that Spain capitalized on their breakthrough moment late in the match to secure the winning goal.
"It's about small details, I've said it before. The first chance we had in the whole game [for Merino's goal] came when we got inside...
It's something to learn from for the next games, we have to be sharper, because we can do a lot of damage," said Rodri, Spain captain.
He further explained that modern football requires faster decision-making when operating in the attacking third of the pitch.
