Spain secures World Cup final berth
Spain defeated France 2-0 in Dallas to advance to their first World Cup final since 2010. The victory sets up a final match against either England or Argentina, scheduled to take place in New Jersey on Sunday. The semi-final contest saw Spain dominate, with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro.
The opening goal came from a penalty awarded after Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal. Oyarzabal converted the spot-kick, giving Luis De La Fuente‘s side the lead. The decision to award the penalty, however, was met with protests from France, who argued that Yamal had committed a handball offence prior to the foul.
Rules analyst Christina Unkel disagreed with France’s interpretation, supporting the on-field decision made by Salvadoran official Ivan Barton. Unkel stated that the contact on Yamal’s sleeve would not be considered part of the arm, thus not warranting a recall for a handling offence. She compared Digne’s challenge to similar incidents involving Harry Kane against Mexico and Luka Modric against England earlier in the tournament, noting that players have the option to avoid contact.
Gary Neville also criticised Digne’s defending, highlighting a lack of awareness regarding Yamal’s position. Neville suggested that Digne should have been more conscious of Yamal, especially given his skill on the outside. He noted that while Modric and Kane had similar situations, Digne appeared unaware of Yamal’s presence.
Key performances and French struggles
Unai Simon, Spain’s goalkeeper, secured his sixth clean sheet in seven matches, making a crucial clearance before Kylian Mbappe could capitalise. Pedro Porro scored a significant goal to double Spain’s lead, marking his third goal involvement in the tournament. Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte were commanding in defence, effectively neutralising France’s attacking threats including Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Michael Olise. Laporte’s performance was particularly notable, maintaining a passing accuracy of over 90%.
Spain’s captain, Rodri, delivered an outstanding performance, stifling France’s midfield and dominating the game from start to finish. Lamine Yamal, despite struggling to find his form earlier in the World Cup, was instrumental in the semi-final, winning the penalty for Spain’s first goal. He also had a goal disallowed for offside. Dani Olmo contributed with skillful touches, proving to be a persistent nuisance for the French defence, while Oyarzabal’s cool finish from the spot marked his fifth goal of the tournament.
For France, goalkeeper Mike Maignan guessed correctly for the penalty but was beaten by Spain’s pace and power, also exhibiting some poor distribution. Jules Kounde struggled with his passing, and the French defence, which had been solid throughout the tournament, faltered under Spain’s pressure. William Saliba left the field injured after Spain’s second goal, marking a sad end to his World Cup campaign. Lucas Digne conceded the penalty after kicking Yamal.
France’s midfield, including Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot, was outplayed by Spain. Rabiot was fortunate to remain on the pitch after a foul on Fabian Ruiz, having already received a booking. Dembele, the Ballon d’Or winner, was unable to influence the game, and Olise, who had been a key provider of assists, had his poorest performance in the semi-final. Mbappe had limited touches in Spain’s penalty area during the first half and struggled to pose a significant threat. Substitutes like Maxence Lacroix, Manu Kone, Desire Doue, Rayan Cherki, and Theo Hernandez were unable to change the course of the match for France.
Spain’s victory ensures their place in the World Cup final, scheduled for Sunday in New Jersey.
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Source: bbc.com
Lucy Ashby is a Sports Reporter at NewsGB. She reported on the county circuit and Team GB. She focuses on tennis, cricket and athletics and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from Durham University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Durham, she plays club cricket and follows distance running. “The best sport reporting starts by listening.”
