FIFA Under-17 World Cup final after they beat Mali 3-1 at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Spain have played with the same philosophy which worked wonders for the team. They played with high-intensity passing, exploited gaps and never relied on the direct approach. Even at the club level, the likes of Sevilla, Real Zaragoza, and Athletic Bilbao have embodied the same kind of football since the last decade or so.
Spain upstaged Mali 3-1 in the second semi-final on Wednesday at the DY Patil Stadium to set up a mouth-watering clash against England in Kolkata on Saturday.
Mali did make a strong point of their quality by getting a consolation goal through Lassana Ndiaye’s second half effort. However, they will be dejected over the disallowed goal in the 62nd minute.
Gelabert played Ruiz through with a fine ball and Ruiz duly side-footed it into the bottom corner to make it 2-0 at the cusp of half-time.
The win now sets up a repeat of the European U-17 final between Spain and England. The La Roja nicked a win via penalties a few months ago but the U-17 final will be a different ball game altogether. “We know our opponent. We have played England before in the European final. They are a very strong unit but we will have to play with a lot of focus.” Ruiz concluded.