Hierro has ‘no doubts’ about De Gea despite the latest blunder by Spain’s goalkeeper
Spain players are rallying behind goalkeeper David de Gea as they prepare for their second group game at the World Cup against Iran in Kazan today.
De Gea endured an evening to forget in Spain’s opening match against Portugal on Friday, committing a disastrous error to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to score his second goal on the way to a hat-trick in the 3-3 thriller in Sochi.
Ronaldo scored from all three of Portugal’s attempts on target against De Gea and suddenly new manager Fernando Hierro has found himself having to defend the 27-year-old Manchester United goalkeeper, who has established himself as one of the world’s finest goalkeepers.
“We don’t doubt him and he doesn’t doubt himself either,” said Hierro. “I embraced him. We know goalkeeper is a special position, with a special psychology, and we have no doubts.”
De Gea’s form, though, has to be a concern for the Spaniards. It was his error that gifted Switzerland a goal in a 1-1 friendly draw just before Spain departed for Russia, and now – after one game – they have already conceded one goal more than in the whole of their triumphant 2010 World Cup campaign, when Iker Casillas was between the posts.
“Only those of us who put on the gloves and go out on the field know how difficult it is,” the man himself said. “The coach is with me, it was an error and these things can happen.”
Iran kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 win against Morocco, thanks to a late own goal by Aziz Bouhaddouz. They sit top of the pile as the only Group B team with a win so far, an achievement that sparked incredible celebrations in the streets of Tehran.
Manager Carlos Queiroz concedes Iran now face one of the biggest challenges in their World Cup history, but he insists: “It was not a miracle that we won. What can happen once in a while is a group of people, when they are united, can create super stories and super things.
“Our attitude is to try and make the impossible possible.”