MADRID (AP) — Luis Enrique's impact on Spain's national team is already visible, from new names in the starting lineup to a more aggressive approach to playing without the ball. The coach's tactics all seemed to work in his first match in charge of "La Roja" — a 2-1 win against England at Wembley Stadium on Saturday — and they will be put to the test again Tuesday in Enrique's home debut against World Cup runner-up Croatia. The two challenging opponents are giving Enrique the perfect opportunity to see whether he is on the right track as he implements a new style for a national team that was criticized for being too set in its ways following recent setbacks at major tournaments. Here's a look at what changes Enrique has brought to Spain so far: AGGRESSIVE STYLE The match against England showed a Spanish team which pressed high and worked hard to disrupt the opponent's game and play a more direct attacking style. Over the last decade, Spain has rarely focused on pressing up front to try to regain possession and quickly create chances, instead relying on patience and short passes — lots of them — to get near the opposing goal. Spain recovered more than 30 balls against England, many of them in the attacking half of the field, which led to some good scoring opportunities. Enrique's Spain exchanged a lot fewer passes —626 — compared to the more than 1,100 it completed in its round-of-16 loss to Russia at the World Cup. NOD TO NIGUEZ Saul Niguez didn't play a single minute of the team's World Cup campaign in Russia, but his versatility may become crucial to Enrique's new scheme. The 23-year-old Atletico Madrid midfielder scored the team's first goal in Wembley and played well in both attack and defense. Enrique praised Niguez's great physical and mental strength after the match against England, and on Monday again talked about his admiration for the player. "He has unique abilities," Enrique said.Read more on NewsOK.com
Enrique Already Bringing Visible Changes To Spain
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Mon, 09/10/2018 - 10:49am
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