Spain advances to semi-finals
Spain has secured a place in the World Cup semi-finals, defeating Belgium in a match held in Inglewood. The decisive goal came late in the game from Mikel Merino, marking his second match-winner in the knockout stages of the tournament. His previous winning goal was against Portugal in Dallas.
The match saw a significant turn of events when Belgium’s goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, was forced to leave the field due to a thigh injury. His replacement, Senne Lammens, subsequently made an error that led to Spain’s winning goal. Lammens was unable to hold onto a long-range shot from Pau Cubarsi, spilling the ball directly into Merino’s path, who then scored two minutes from time.
This victory means Spain, the reigning European champions, will now face France in the semi-finals. The upcoming match is scheduled to take place in Dallas. Spain’s progression continues their impressive run, extending their unbeaten streak in competitive matches to 36 games.
Match details and key moments
The quarter-final encounter between Spain and Belgium was a closely contested affair. The two teams had not played each other for a decade, and Spain held an 11-game unbeaten record against Belgium, dating back to a World Cup quarter-final shootout defeat 40 years ago in Puebla City, Mexico.
Belgium faced an early setback before kick-off when captain Youri Tielemans sustained a hamstring injury during the warm-up. Despite this, Belgium started strongly, with Jeremy Doku, who had been a surprise omission from the previous starting lineup, posing a constant threat on the break.
Spain took the lead after approximately half an hour. Pedro Porro and Lamine Yamal combined on the right, setting up Dani Olmo, whose shot was saved by Courtois. However, Courtois could only parry the ball into the path of Fabian Ruiz, who tapped it in. This marked Ruiz’s contribution while deputising for Pedri in midfield. Spain had not lost any of the 48 games in which the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder had previously played.
Yamal continued to impress, creating several opportunities and going close with a free-kick that Courtois again saved. However, Spain’s defence, which had maintained a clean sheet for 650 World Cup minutes, was breached four minutes before half-time.
Charles De Ketelaere scored for Belgium, with Timothy Castagne providing the cross. The goal was orchestrated by Kevin De Bruyne, who delivered a first-time pass to Castagne. De Ketelaere then glanced the ball past Spain’s goalkeeper, Unai Simon, ending his clean sheet record.
Second half and decisive moments
The second half saw both teams creating chances. Maxim De Cuyper had an opportunity for Belgium, while Yamal had a shot that went wide. Spain’s coach, Luis de la Fuente, made a double substitution around 55 minutes into the game, bringing on Ferran Torres and Pedri to change the dynamic.
As the half progressed, Belgium, with Romelu Lukaku introduced upfront, looked dangerous on the counterattack. A moment of controversy arose when a cross appeared to brush Rodri’s hand, but no penalty was awarded.
The pivotal moment arrived when Thibaut Courtois went down with a left thigh injury, visibly distressed as he realised he could not continue. Senne Lammens entered the game as his replacement. Shortly after, De Bruyne had a long-range shot blocked by Rodri.
As extra time loomed, Belgium began to drop deeper. This allowed Pau Cubarsi an unchallenged shot on goal. Lammens’ subsequent error, where he inexplicably spilled the ball, allowed Mikel Merino to score the winning goal, sending Spain to the semi-finals.
The match was broadcast by the BBC, with Kelly Cates presenting. Pundits included Wayne Rooney, Micah Richards, and former Spain international Cesar Azpilicueta. Steve Wilson was the main commentator, joined by Stephen Warnock as co-commentator for the quarter-final showdown.
The atmosphere in Los Angeles was electric, with a crowd of 70,000 predominantly made up of Spain supporters. This victory marks another step for Spain towards potentially securing their nation’s second World Cup triumph, nearly 16 years after their 2010 generation’s success in South Africa. The semi-final against France will be held on Tuesday.
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Source: independent.co.uk
Niamh Pendlebury is the Sports Reporter at NewsGB.org, covering tennis, cricket and athletics with seven years of reporting experience. She reported on Team GB and the county circuit. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from the University of Central Lancashire and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Preston, she plays club tennis and follows road running. “The best interviews come from patience, not pressure.”