India, July 18 -- A little over 24 hours remain before Spain stand on the edge of an afternoon that could change how a football team is remembered forever. Strange, then, to think that their journey began with a scoreless draw against Cape Verde, 27 shots ricocheting into frustration and a creeping sense that perhaps beauty alone would not be enough. Weeks later, that evening feels less like a warning and more a footnote.

Spain have spent the rest of this World Cup doing what the finest teams invariably do -making complexity appear effortless, control feel inevitable and victory seem less like an event and rather the consequence of playing the game better than everyone else. Also instructive was the way Spain stuck to their guns despite ...