Courtois Buka Strategi Redam Lamine Yamal Jelang Belgia vs Spanyol

Kiper tim nasional Belgia, Thibaut Courtois, membeberkan rencana khusus untuk menghentikan pergerakan penyerang muda Spanyol, Lamine Yamal, menjelang laga perempat final Piala Dunia 2026 yang akan berlangsung di Los Angeles. Courtois mengakui ancaman nyata yang dihadapi lini pertahanannya dari pemain Barcelona tersebut.

"Lamine is Lamine; we know he's very talented in one-on-one situations," ujar Courtois, dikutip dari Hayters. Ia menambahkan bahwa Yamal memiliki kecepatan dan kelincahan luar biasa di atas lapangan. "I think ultimately it's about marking him very closely, and when we can create a two-on-one situation, I think that's how you try to stop him, but he's a star, he's a great player and it really is difficult to stop him."

Belgia melangkah ke babak delapan besar setelah menyingkirkan tuan rumah Amerika Serikat di babak 16 besar. Namun, Courtois meyakini Spanyol akan menjadi ujian yang jauh lebih berat. "It's a special match for me," tuturnya. Pertandingan ini menjadi momen perdana bagi sang penjaga gawang menghadapi Tim Matador dalam turnamen resmi di luar laga persahabatan.

"Apart from in friendly matches, this is the first time I've come up against Spain in a major tournament, so it's a special moment. I've already had loads of messages saying they're not backing me this time, but anyway, at the end of the day I think it's great and we'll do everything we can to try and win," ucap Courtois. Meskipun menyadari Spanyol lebih diunggulkan, ia menegaskan timnya akan berjuang maksimal. "We know it's a very difficult task, but then again, it's football and anything is possible."

Suasana Santai di Kubu Spanyol

Di kubu lawan, suasana ruang ganti tim nasional Spanyol dilaporkan sangat kondusif dan santai saat menggelar latihan di Dignity Health Sports Park. Para pemain seperti Gavi, Mikel Oyarzabal, dan Borja Iglesias terlihat ceria ketika menghadapi awak media. Gavi bahkan sempat merespons kabar mengenai rencana penampilan musisi Justin Bieber pada upacara penutupan final di New Jersey. "Yeah, I like Justin Bieber. If he sings at the final, even better. But we want to be there whether he sings or not," cetus Gavi.

Pemain muda Barcelona itu menekankan bahwa kekuatan utama skuad asuhan Luis de la Fuente terletak pada rasa kebersamaan yang kokoh. "It's important that everyone is clear about their role, whether they play or not. We're a national team we represent a country. You have to contribute, whether it's in training or when you get minutes. The other day the subs came in and changed the match. Our biggest strength is that we're united," tegas Gavi.

Senada dengan rekannya, penyerang Borja Iglesias membagikan kisah masa lalunya saat masih membela Vigo di bawah asuhan pelatih Claudio Giráldez. "One day, Claudio Giráldez gave us a talk that made me think. He said, 'Soccer teaches you that you must always play but reality is you don't.' And it's true. You prepare yourself to be available. But being here is already a luxury. I feel loved and supported. The other day I got so many hugs," ungkap Iglesias.

Iglesias juga mengingatkan timnya untuk tidak jemawa mengingat sejarah kelam 40 tahun lalu ketika Spanyol yang diunggulkan justru takluk dari Belgia di Puebla. "I don't like talking about favorites. Portugal was one of the strongest teams in the World Cup. Belgium will be just as tough, or tougher. They have great players. Right now, I'd say the best is Doku. Hopefully everything goes well tomorrow," sambungnya. Ia pun menaruh kepercayaan penuh kepada keharmonisan tim yang dinilai menjadi pembeda utama dari generasi Spanyol sebelumnya.

"What makes this team different from others in Spain's history is the group. We've basically had the same squad since the coach took over. That's how we won the Nations League and the Euro. We're all together. I'm calm. I look at the team and trust we'll give our best hopefully all the way to the final," tutur Iglesias.

Mikel Oyarzabal turut mengekspresikan kepuasannya terhadap soliditas yang ditunjukkan seluruh elemen tim. "I'm happy with how everything is going collectively," jelasnya. Saat ditanya mengenai potensi performa maksimal Lamine Yamal pada fase krusial ini, Oyarzabal memberikan jawaban penuh keyakinan: "Absolutely." Ia juga memberikan dukungan moral kepada rekan setimnya, Ferran Torres. "He knows he's important for us. He'll get chances. He's close to doing big things. And he'll get more, for sure," pungkas Oyarzabal.