Spain’s Mikel Merino scored the go-ahead goal in the 88th minute Friday to beat Belgium and push Spain into a World Cup semifinal.
Spain is set to face France in Dallas on Tuesday with a shot at the World Cup final on the line.
Both of Spain’s goals were scored after its initial shot was saved, only for the deflection to bounce toward a Spanish player who did not miss a second time. Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring in the 30th minute when Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois couldn’t control the rebound of the initial save.
When Courtois left the match due to an apparent injury in the 73rd minute, Belgium replaced him with Senne Lammens, who immediately stepped in to stop a Spanish attack that continued to pepper Belgium with shots and attacks; Spain finished with 16 shot attempts on goal, to Belgium’s five.
When Lammens stopped a shot in the 88th minute by Pau Cubarsi, Merino got to the ball fast enough to get his boot on the ball to create the go-ahead goal. It was his second consecutive game-winner for Spain after coming on late as a substitute, after beating Portugal in the same fashion four days earlier.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente was happy his team advanced past Belgium but has been serious during his post-match press conference.
“Let me be clear we are not finished,” de la Fuente said, through a translator. “… We are here for more.”
Up next is France in the semifinal. The French have been perhaps the most dominant team of this tournament.
“The game will be very demanding, it will be energetic,” de la Fuente said. “We’ll need the best version of ourselves.”
After scoring a go-ahead goal for Spain in a second consecutive match, Mikel Merino credited Belgium’s defense for being difficult to play against but felt confident he could make a play.
“I trust myself and I know what to do whenever I have the chance,” Merino said after the match via an interpreter. “This time I had an opportunity to do something for the team but we need to trust that the opponent’s goalkeeper will make a mistake.”
That’s just what happened, when Senne Lammens saved a shot in the 88th minute but the ball bounced away from him, and Merino fired in the rebound for a goal.
Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente “didn’t say much” by way of instructions when Merino checked in, according to the player “He just said that I was going to be No. 10 and at the end of the match he said, ‘You’re incredible!’ Those are the two things he said.”
