Pass-masters Spain face identity crisis

Spain arrived in Qatar with grand dreams of winning a second World Cup, fully convinced in their style of play, but departed early Wednesday, ruminating on an identity crisis.

La Roja last lifted a major trophy a decade ago at Euro 2012, while they have not won a single knockout game at the World Cup since triumphing in South Africa in 2010.

They attempted over 1,000 passes against Morocco but ended up with nothing to show for it, forcing Yassine Bounou into only one save before the shootout.

There he made two more and Spain were eliminated in the last 16 again, just as they were in Russia four years ago.

When Xavi and Andres Iniesta ruled the world, opponents were largely still too naive to know to stop them, and they had too much quality to be fended off for long.

Now only truly elite club sides like Pep Guardiola's Manchester City can succeed by dominating the ball entirely -- with perhaps the world's best striker, Erling Haaland, as the spearhead.

Against Morocco, Luis Enrique left his top scorer Alvaro Morata on the bench, opting instead for Marco Asensio, whom he trusts more not to lose the ball. The coach buys "the complete pack" when it comes to possession football, for better or for worse.

That means there is no Plan B, with Nico Williams's pace and directness on the right flank as much of a nod as Luis Enrique will give to other ideas. Players he left at home like strikers Iago Aspas and Borja Iglesias might have been able to offer more of a challenge to Morocco's excellent rearguard.

Should he depart, Spain might start looking at other strategies, at least against opponents savvy enough to keep from being enveloped by La Roja's passing web.