GUADALAJARA, Mexico, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Spain manager Luis de la Fuente said Friday his team can still improve after topping its World Cup group with a 1-0 win over Uruguay.
Alex Baena's first-half strike was enough to give Spain its second win of the tournament while handing two-time champion Uruguay an early exit.
"We need to improve the speed of our passing and the rhythm of our play," De la Fuente said, pointing out that his team was able to find fluency against Uruguay's press.
"Today was a very difficult match. It was almost impossible to put together three or four passes. That's something we need to work on. We need to improve how we move the ball and create chances through different areas, not only down the wings."
Despite completing 637 passes to Uruguay's 305, Spain managed just one shot on target from six attempts. Uruguay had five shots, with Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon forced to make two saves.
De la Fuente said his team had shown its ability to find a way to win, regardless of the opponent's style of play.
"Every match is different. Every opponent tries to maximize its strengths," De la Fuente said. "Uruguay has outstanding players when it comes to one-on-one duels. That's what defines the team. We have different virtues. You have to know how to win these kinds of matches.
"Perhaps we weren't as brilliant as we've been on other occasions, but you can't always be. It was an extremely demanding game. We kept our composure and tried not to be provoked."
De la Fuente said his players would need to be ready for the higher stakes of their round-of-32 match against a still-unknown opponent in Los Angeles on July 2.
"I'm very happy with the result," he said. "I think this squad has done outstanding work and deserves a lot of credit. That's why we finished top of the group.
"The pressure will only increase from here. We've been building this team for three and a half years. It's a side that doesn't concede many goals and is also dangerous in attack."
Before the game, De la Fuente had lavished praise on Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa, describing the Argentine as an "innovator".
He said his opinion of the 70-year-old remained intact despite the feisty nature of the match, which included a late red card for Agustin Canobbio after a studs-up challenge on Pau Cubarsi.
"I continue to admire Marcelo Bielsa. We said before the match that it would demand the very highest level from us. In other matches we may have felt more comfortable. The referees are there to ensure the rules are respected. Today everything was taken to the limit, but we were equal to the challenge."
The result was soured for Spain by injuries to wingers Yeremy Pino and Nico Williams. Pino has a shoulder problem while Williams is suffering from a muscle complaint.
"We'll know more about Nico tomorrow because he's still in pain," De la Fuente said. "Yeremy's injury is quite serious. We're afraid he may not be able to play again in this tournament." ■
