No entry, says Simon – The Hindu

Ask Unai Simon about his World Cup and he’ll let you know it’s been straightforward and that the photographs merely haven’t come, that his defence has finished the work. Ask Kylian Mbappe, sprinting clear with the ball at his ft and the Spanish ’keeper one way or the other already there to disclaim him, and also you’ll get a really totally different reply.

Simon’s match has been outlined by one quantity: 519. That’s what number of consecutive minutes he went with out conceding a purpose throughout this World Cup and the final earlier than letting in a header from Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere within the quarterfinal on July 11. This implausible feat put to shade Italy’s Walter Zenga’s document of 517 set in 1990.

The run was not only a statistical quirk; it was a aggressive benefit. Spain may assault with extra freedom realizing the final line was safe, whereas opponents had been compelled to press more durable, take extra dangers, and nonetheless discover nearly nothing to indicate for it. He downplayed it himself afterwards, insisting the low shot counts meant Spain’s again line deserved the credit score.

Downplaying is simple in hindsight. It’s more durable to clarify the split-second resolution that stood between France and an equaliser. Spain wanted him for one sequence: sprinting off his line to beat the charging French captain to a free ball, solely to search out himself stranded because it fell to Need Doue with the purpose large open behind him earlier than one way or the other scrambling again into place to smother the shot.

Ninety percent-plus save charge, one purpose conceded in seven matches and a document that took 36 years to fall. Simon stood between Spain and hazard and infrequently let hazard win.