Spain Advance to Semifinals
Spain secured a spot in the World Cup semifinals after a 2-1 victory over Belgium, with Mikel Merino scoring a decisive goal in the 88th minute. This late strike propelled Spain into a highly anticipated clash with France in the semifinals, scheduled for Tuesday in Dallas.
Merino’s goal came from a rebound after Belgium‘s backup goalkeeper, Senne Lammens, fumbled a shot from Pau Cubarsi. This marked Merino’s second consecutive match as a late hero for Spain, having previously scored in injury time to secure a 1-0 win against Portugal in the last-16.
The match saw Spain take an aggressive stance early on. Fabian Ruiz opened the scoring for Spain in the 30th minute. His goal followed a save by Belgium’s primary goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, who parried a shot from Dani Olmo. Ruiz capitalised on the rebound, firing the ball into the net.
However, Belgium responded 11 minutes later. Charles De Ketelaere equalised in the 41st minute with a header from a cross by Timothy Castagne. This goal was notable as it was the first conceded by Spain in the entire tournament, ending a record streak of 649 minutes without conceding a goal at the World Cup.
Key Moments and Player Changes
The game was affected by injuries for Belgium. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced to leave the match in the 71st minute due to an apparent thigh injury, leading to Senne Lammens taking his place. Additionally, Belgium‘s captain, Youri Tielemans, was withdrawn from the starting lineup shortly before kickoff after sustaining an injury during the warm-up, with Hans Vanaken stepping in. The team was also without midfielder Amadou Onana, who had torn his ACL in their previous round-of-16 victory.
Despite these setbacks, Belgium pressed for an equaliser in the final minutes, but Aymeric Laporte cleared their best opportunity. Spain’s coach, Luis de la Fuente, made a notable decision by starting Fabian Ruiz instead of Pedri, a move that was justified by Ruiz’s opening goal. Pedri later came on for Ruiz early in the second half.
Merino, an Arsenal forward, made an immediate impact after being introduced in the 86th minute. His winning goal came from his second touch of the match, as he charged into the box to pounce on the spilled shot. The atmosphere at the Los Angeles Stadium was described as electric, with a sold-out crowd largely supporting Spain.
Looking Ahead to the Semifinals
With this victory, Spain has reached the semifinals of the World Cup, a stage they last reached in 2010 when they ultimately won the tournament. They also finished fourth in 1950 when the final round was a group stage. Their next challenge will be against France, who are considered tournament favourites, in Dallas.
The match against France is set to be a significant encounter, with Spain, as the reigning European champions, aiming to continue their strong run in the competition. The late winner by Merino ended Belgium’s spirited challenge in the quarterfinals, setting the stage for Spain’s next crucial match on Tuesday.
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Source: aljazeera.com
