FIFA U17 World Cup: Spain 3-1 Mali, 5 Talking Points

#3 Mali left to rue their chances

Mali were stunned by Spain's goals at regular intervals

29 shots. Yes, Mali had 29 attempts on the Spanish goal. Yet just a solitary goal to show for it at the end! The Malians arrived in this game as the second highest scorers in the tournament. They had played some of the best football in the competition with their forward line being fearless when bursting forward.

In a semifinal game, you need to have different approaches to target the opponents. Mali had just one. Their players looked to take on the Spanish defenders every single time and attempted far too many dribbles. Mali also failed to utilize the width of the field with the majority of their attacks coming through the middle. Mali lacked a clear approach in their biggest game of the tournament which ultimately boils down to the effectivity of the coaching staff and the manager.