Somewhere in the second-half of extra-time, Spain broke the 1,000 mark for passes attempted. That 90% or so of them were on target, in a game that finished 1-1 after 120 minutes, tells you something of the timidity with which they were carried out.
Looking perhaps like a team that parted with their manager on the eve of the World Cup, those who took in the entirety of Spain's last-16 clash with Russia were left largely bemused.
In the end, their best efforts took them all the way to penalties, where, amidst very little sympathy from those who'd watch them get this far, they promptly lost.
191 - Russia 🇷🇺 have eliminated Spain from the World Cup despite completing only 191 passes in 120 minutes !
Spain 🇪🇸 have completed 1006 passes today, new record for a team since Opta started to collect this data (1966).
Punishment. #ESPRUS #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/MuYvJPaSgl— OptaJean (@OptaJean) July 1, 2018
Having patiently (painstakingly so) tried to break Russia down with a series of short, sharp passes, the rhythm became unbearable for those watching.
I hate passing
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) July 1, 2018
Death by...https://t.co/McdO4khi7o
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) July 1, 2018
And so we enter the seventh year of Spain vs Russia
— Tom Phillips (@flashboy) July 1, 2018
I hate Spain
— Sachin Nakrani (@SachinNakrani) July 1, 2018
I've not enjoyed this Spain performance at all. Found it really boring.
— Alex Shaw (@AlexShawESPN) July 1, 2018
Someone on Guardian live feed comments: “Watching Spain is like being at a baggage carousel where your suitcase never arrives.”
— Stephen Burgen (@stephenburgen) July 1, 2018
I’m excited for the shootout in this game because I think Spain will still try to pass the ball
— Drew Magary (@drewmagary) July 1, 2018
It's not that Spain want to keep just passing by now... it's that they seem so drearily stuck in it they can't mentally get out of it. They're very much out of ideas.
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) July 1, 2018
Somebody needs to tell Spain it’s 1-1 and not 6-1. And for their players to stop walking into each other.
— Ian Doyle (@IanDoyleSport) July 1, 2018
Having taken a 1-0 lead early on through a fortuitous own-goal, Spain relinquished their hold on the scoreline when Barcelona's Gerard Pique conceded a penalty for a scarcely believable handball.
GOAL Russia#ESP 1-1 #RUS
Dzyuba slots home the penalty after Pique's handball. Game on! #RTEsoccer
Live updates: https://t.co/8fTGWbkrAV pic.twitter.com/RIIMziWBc5— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 1, 2018
From here, Spain huffed and puffed but never truly came close to pulling ahead once again. Instead, they proceeded to pass, and pass, and pass some more - getting nowhere in the process.
Truth be told, Spain can control the ball forever, even lull you to sleep with passes, but they haven't had a guy who could consistently finish since David Villa.
— Yousef Munayyer (@YousefMunayyer) July 1, 2018
Spain pass pass pass pass. Zilch end product.
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) July 1, 2018
After this game I never want to see a single pass again. Only shots and tackles from now on.
— Graham Ruthven (@grahamruthven) July 1, 2018
Respect if Spain pass their penalties sideways. "That's how we play, we cannot compromise our principles."
— Daniel Harris (@DanielHarris) July 1, 2018
Penalties. A disgrace Spain have let it get to this. Allowing a side they *should* be so much better than what amounts to almost a 50-50 chance. And they had the game won. A sloppy tournament from the start from them... and maybe to the finish now.
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) July 1, 2018
One pundit who professed to be equally interested in what he had seen was RTÉ's Damien Duff. A noted fan of their playing-style, the turgidity with which they carried out their task didn't seem to bother him. The resulting penalty shoot-out did offer some much-needed relief at least.
In the end, Russia will progress to the World Cup quarter-final where they will meet the winners of tonight's last-16 clash between Croatia and Denmark.
