Spain coach Fernando Hierro was left frustrated by the late Cristiano Ronaldo goal which denied his side a win against Portugal, but on the whole it was a positive evening for him in his first game in charge.
Bearing in mind the events of the three days prior to kick-off, it was a positive result for Spain on Friday and they still have an excellent chance of topping their group, reports Xinhua news agency.
“I am proud of them, there is commitment. It’s great to have players like this, who all know what they want,” Hierro commented to the press.
The only negative on the night was another error from goalkeeper David de Gea, who allowed Ronaldo’s tame long range shot to squirm past him for Portugal’s second goal of the game.
De Gea has been outstanding for Manchester United, but it was his second bad error in three games this summer (the other was against Switzerland on June 3) and there are some calls for him to be dropped.
De Gea was philosophical about his mistake after the game, telling the press there was nothing that could be done to change the past and that now he has to prepare to face Iran.