No entry, says Simon – The Hindu

Ask Unai Simon about his World Cup and he’ll tell you it’s been easy and that the shots simply haven’t come, that his defence has done the work. Ask Kylian Mbappe, sprinting clear with the ball at his feet and the Spanish ’keeper somehow already there to deny him, and you’ll get a very different answer.

Simon’s tournament has been defined by one number: 650. That’s how many consecutive minutes he went without conceding a goal across this World Cup and the last before letting in a header from Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere in the quarterfinal on July 11. This fantastic feat put to shade Italy’s Walter Zenga’s record of 517 set in 1990.

The run was not just a statistical quirk; it was a competitive advantage. Spain could attack with more freedom knowing the last line was secure, while opponents were forced to press harder, take more risks, and still find almost nothing to show for it. He downplayed it himself afterwards, insisting the low shot counts meant Spain’s back line deserved the credit.

Downplaying is easy in hindsight. It’s harder to explain the split-second decision that stood between France and an equaliser. Spain needed him for one sequence: sprinting off his line to beat the charging French captain to a loose ball, only to find himself stranded as it fell to Desire Doue with the goal wide open behind him before somehow scrambling back into position to smother the shot.

Ninety percent-plus save rate, one goal conceded in seven matches and a record that took 36 years to fall. Simon stood between Spain and danger and rarely let danger win.