The Result Carries Weight
PUEBLA, México — Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedri scored early goals and Spain wrapped up its World Cup preparations with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Peru on Monday in the Mexican city of Puebla.
Oyarzabal opened the scoring after just two minutes. Pedri doubled the lead in the 32nd. Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese scored an own goal in the 53rd to give Spain a 3-0 lead. Jairo Vélez scored in the 66th minute for Peru, which missed out on qualifying for the World Cup.
That is the kind of timeline that turns planning into calendar management.
The Moment That Swung It
Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Víctor Muñoz missed the game because of injuries and remained at the team's training base in Tennessee. The Barcelona star Yamal has not played since April 22 because of an injured left hamstring.
Coach Luis de la Fuente has said Yamal, Williams and Muñoz could be available for Spain's World Cup opener on June 15 against Cape Verde in Atlanta.
The Race Tightens
After the Cape Verde match, Spain faces Saudi Arabia on June 21 in Atlanta and Uruguay on June 26 in Guadalajara, Mexico.