The World Cup arrives in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, and it brings a heavyweight with it. Spain, the reigning European champions and one of the tournament favorites, face Austria in the round of 32 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood — a knockout tie the bookmakers and the data models expect Spain to win comfortably, but a World Cup fixture nonetheless.
The setting
Kickoff is scheduled for the afternoon at SoFi, the Inglewood venue that is one of the marquee U.S. sites for this summer's expanded, 48-team tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. For Angelenos, it is a rare chance to see the world champions of European soccer in a competitive match on home turf, as Al Jazeera's preview noted.
How they got here
Spain topped Group H with seven points, beating Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Uruguay 1-0 before a goalless draw with Cape Verde. La Roja carry a long unbeaten run — more than 30 matches without a loss stretching back over two years — and Al Jazeera cited Opta's model giving them better than a 70 percent chance to advance, against about 12 percent for Austria and the rest in a draw.
Austria, for their part, reached the round of 32 and will look to frustrate a Spanish side that dominates possession. Their path forward almost certainly runs through discipline at the back and taking whatever few chances come their way.
Team news
Spain will be without winger Nico Williams, sidelined by a hamstring problem, and Yeremi Pino is also among the doubts, per the preview — a thinning of manager Luis de la Fuente's attacking options, though the squad's depth remains formidable. Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg is set to take charge.
What to watch
The gap in quality and form points one way, and Spain's tiki-taka control of a match tends to grind lesser opponents down. But knockout soccer rewards the team that stays organized and clinical, and Austria need only one good night. For Los Angeles, the result may matter less than the occasion: a World Cup knockout match, under the SoFi roof, with the world watching.
