Spain 2-1 Belgium - Merino made the rebound matter
Spain reached the World Cup semi-finals by beating Belgium 2-1, with Mikel Merino pouncing on a late rebound after Thibaut Courtois had left injured.
Spain did not so much unlock Belgium as wait for Belgium's last mistake. Then Mikel Merino arrived on cue again.
Merino came off the bench and scored in the 88th minute as Spain beat Belgium 2-1 in Friday's World Cup quarter-final at Los Angeles Stadium, a noon local kickoff in Inglewood that was also 3 p.m. ET and 12 p.m. PT. Spain now get France in Tuesday's semi-final at Dallas Stadium. 1
Timeline
- 30' - Fabian Ruiz, starting instead of Pedri, reacts first after Thibaut Courtois saves Dani Olmo's shot. Spain lead 1-0. 1
- 41' - Charles De Ketelaere beats Pau Cubarsi to Timothy Castagne's cross and heads Belgium level. 2
- 71' - Courtois leaves injured and in tears, replaced by Senne Lammens. That became the match's hinge. 2
- 88' - Pau Cubarsi shoots from distance, Lammens spills it, and Merino lifts in the rebound for 2-1. 1
- Full time - Spain reach the semi-finals and Belgium's tournament ends with a brutal what-if. 3
The sharpest stat was not Spanish possession. De Ketelaere ended Unai Simon's 650-minute run without conceding, a streak that had already passed Walter Zenga's old World Cup record of 517 minutes. Spain still stretched their unbeaten run to 36 matches, one short of Italy's 2018-21 mark. 1
One-line verdict: Spain were wasteful enough to worry you, calm enough to survive you, and deep enough to keep finding a different late hero.
Quote of the Day
"We're two matches away from winning a World Cup. It's a dream come true. Hopefully we can achieve it." - Mikel Merino 1
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