Tag Archives: Fabian Ruiz

Mikel Merino Scores Late Goal to Lead Spain Into FIFA World Cup Semifinals

Posted on by
Reply

Mikel Merino is once again Spain’s FIFA World Cup hero.

Four days after the 30-year-old Spanish professional footballer scored a clutch goal as substitute in injury time to beat Portugal, he found himself in the right spot again in the quarterfinals when Belgium’s backup goalkeeper spilled the ball into his path.

Mikel MerinoMerino booted it home in the 88th minute, sending Spain to a 2-1 victory on Friday and into a titanic semifinal showdown with tournament favorite France.

“I’ve done this again, and it’s happened to me again, so it would seem that coincidence exists,” a smiling Merino said. “If you’re ready and you try, I guess it can happen for you.”

Already a versatile contributor in any role he can get as a depth player for his country or English club Arsenal, the multi-positional Merino has transformed into the ultimate super-sub while providing exactly what Spain needed to survive two knockout matches against top opponents.

Merino has scored two goals in his first World Cup — and they’re both historic.

“Honestly, it’s crazy to be able to help the team once again,” he said. “This time in a different way, but at the same time to believe and trust that the opposing goalkeeper could make a mistake and to stay alert. … I prepare for when the moment comes, and hopefully they keep coming.”

Merino is the first to admit he also needed luck, and Belgium keeper Senne Lammens provided it after he was forced into his first World Cup match in the 71st minute by an injury to starter Thibaut Courtois.

Merino came on in the 86th minute and scored on his second touch of the match, charging into the box and pouncing after Lammens lost control of Pau Cubarsí’s long shot.

Fabián Ruiz scored a rebound goal in the 30th minute for Spain, but Belgium forward Charles De Ketelaere evened it with the first goal allowed by the Spanish team in the entire World Cup in the 41st minute.

Merino’s clutch goal against an upset-minded Belgium sent La Roja to the semifinals for the first time since they won the World Cup in 2010. A powerhouse matchup with France has been anticipated since the draw was announced late last year, and Spain was grateful to secure its spot.

“We came here for this, to play against the best teams in the world,” Merino said. “We are confident in our possibilities, at the same time respecting the opposition. This is one of those games that you dream of when you’re a kid, and now we have the chance to compete against a massive rival. Hopefully we’ll get the win.”

Spain and France will meet on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas, in a matchup anticipated for years. Neither team has lost at this year’s World Cup.

“It will be a clash of giants,” Spain coach Luis De La Fuente said through a translator. “We are capable of winning this game — and not just now, but I would have said this a few weeks ago as well. They are a great giant of football, but I trust our team.”

Courtois made four saves, but the Real Madrid keeper went down to the grass in the second half after a long kick. He received treatment during the hydration break, but broke down in tears when coach Rudi Garcia removed him moments later.

Only Germany’s Manuel Neuer has played more World Cup matches than Courtois’ 21. Lammens, the capable Manchester United keeper, was forced to become the first goalkeeper other than Courtois to play for Belgium in the last four World Cup tournaments — and he wasn’t able to make the play that would have kept it level.

“We were on equal footing with Spain, and we have nothing to feel bad about,” Garcia said. “In the first half, they only had one chance, but they were very efficient. Unfortunately, to beat a team of this caliber, you need luck on your side as well, and it was too much for us to get into the semifinals.”

Belgium desperately pressed for an equalizer in the final minutes with substitute forward Romelu Lukaku leading the effort, but Aymeric Laporte acrobatically volleyed the best chance out of the box in the second minute of injury time.

“We knew how we could hurt them, and I think we did this today,” Belgium defender Brandon Mechele said. “It’s a pity that it ended like this, but I think we can be proud of the tournament we played.”

Spain remained unbeaten in 37 straight competitive matches since March 2023, while Belgium’s streak of 18 consecutive unbeaten matches across all competitions ended.

Spain didn’t allow a goal in its first five matches at this year’s tournament, and goalkeeper Unai Simón hadn’t conceded in a World Cup-record 650 minutes dating to Qatar.

The streaks abruptly ended when De Ketelaere muscled past Cubarsí and headed home a cross from Timothy Castagne for Belgium’s tying goal.

Belgium hadn’t generated anything close to a strong scoring chance before the latest big moment for De Ketelaere, the Atalanta forward who scored two goals in Belgium’s 4-1 rout of the co-host U.S. on Monday.

Belgium captain Youri Tielemans was removed from the starting lineup after getting injured during warmups. He joined injured defender Amadou Onana on the sidelines.

Rodri Helps Lead Spain to Victory Over Georgia to Advance to Euro 2024 Quarterfinals

Posted on by
Reply

Rodri helps Spain continue its winnings ways…

The 28-year-old Spanish professional footballer scored a goal as three-time champions Spain survived an early scare to beat a spirited Georgia 4-1 on Sunday and reach the Euro 2024 quarterfinals, bringing an end to their opponent’s fairytale run.

Spain, Euro 2024La Roja will meet hosts Germany in the quarterfinals after a polished performance, with goals from Rodri, Fabián Ruiz, Nico Williams and Dani Olmo in Cologne.

They had gone behind in the 18th minute when Robin Le Normand turned Otar Kakabadze‘s bouncing cross into his own net.

“We are very happy to get through to the quarterfinals, very excited,” Williams said after the match. “Step-by-step we have shown that we are a great team and if we continue at this level we can do great things. Their goal was a mistake, it was unintentional, we all cheered Robin on and in the end we are all pleased and happy.

“[Germany will be] very difficult, they’re a tough nut to crack, but we have a wonderful, well-structured team and if we play at this level we can win.”

Spain had a perfect record in the group stage with three wins and no goals conceded, their best start since 2008, when they went on to win the tournament.

Coach Luis de la Fuente brought his first choices back into the starting lineup having made 10 changes in the final group game, while Georgia kept faith with a side that included the tournament’s joint top scorer, Georges Mikautadze, and its leading shot-stopper, Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Playing in their maiden Euros, Georgia were riding a wave of euphoria and seeking an unlikely Iberian double after last week’s staggering 2-0 win over Portugal sent them into the knockout rounds.

Spain were dominant from the outset and almost went ahead five minutes in, when Dani Carvajal‘s cross from the right found Pedri, who forced an early save from Mamardashvili.

Williams came close soon after when his goal-bound shot was deflected wide of the target.

But Georgia stunned Spain when they went ahead as Mikautadze found Kakabadze on the right and he whipped in an early cross that struck Le Normand and bounced into the net.

Spain kept their cool and equalized after 39 minutes when Williams picked out Rodri, who fired a low shot into the corner.

They made it 2-1 six minutes after the break when a magnificent Lamine Yamal curling cross was headed home by Fabian Ruiz.

Williams killed off any hope of a Georgia comeback with a superbly taken strike in the 75th before substitute Olmo completed the rout with seven minutes left.

Georgia’s French coach Willy Sagnol said his team now had time to sit back and reflect on the amazing feat they had achieved.

“The squad has been absolutely fantastic. I’m very proud of that,” he said. “I’m very proud of what the players have done in the last months. Now it’s the end of a journey, but I’m sure the next one will also be very exciting.”

Spain’s Lamine Yamal Becomes Youngest Player to Ever Feature at European Championship

Posted on by
Reply

Lamine Yamal has etched his name in the European soccer history books…

The 16-year-old Spanish soccer player became the youngest player to ever feature at the European Championship on Saturday in Spain‘s Group B win against Croatia in Berlin.

Lamine YamalAt 16 years and 338 days old, Yamal takes the record from Poland midfielder Kacper Kozłowski, who was 17 years and 246 days old when he came off at the bench at Euro 2020 (which was played in 2021 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic) against Spain.

That was the second time in the tournament the record had fallen, with England‘s Jude Bellingham having previously bettered the mark set by Netherlands left-back Jetro Willems at Euro 2012.

“He just keeps on breaking records,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said of Yamal in his post-game news conference. “He’s growing, maturing and getting better every day.

“He’s on the path to be a great player, but he’s very young and we have to be patient with him.”

Yamal set up Spain’s third goal in the 3-0 win over Croatia, providing an excellent cross for Dani Carvajal as the three-time champions got their tournament off to the best possible start.

“I’m very happy for the win, for the debut and now we change our focus to the next game,” Yamal said afterward. “In the end, the team wants to play inside and I’m here to help the team, to defend, whatever it takes.

“We are a very efficient team because the work we’ve put in over the last few months has shown today.”

While Yamal became the youngest ever player in Euros history, Carvajal’s goal made him Spain’s oldest ever goal scorer in the tournament at 32-years-old.

Captain Álvaro Morata and Fabián Ruiz also scored as Spain cruised in the first half, but were frustrated in a largely uneventful second period.

It is the latest in a string of age-related records broken by Yamal and more could follow at Euro 2024 in Germany.

A goal at any stage of the finals would see him surpass Johan Vonlanthen as the competition’s youngest ever scorer.

Switzerland‘s Vonlanthen was 18 years and 141 days old when he netted at Euro 2004, just four days after England’s Wayne Rooney had briefly become the youngest scorer ever in the European Championship.

Meanwhile, Bellingham is the youngest player to have ever played a knockout game at 18 years and four days, slightly younger than Spain’s Pedri and Germany‘s Jamal Musiala were at the same tournament, Euro 2020.

Portugal‘s Renato Sanches is the youngest player to have played in the final at 18 years and 328 days old — Yamal will turn 17 the day before the final in Berlin.

Barcelona winger Yamal is already the youngest player to start and score in LaLiga, while he also became the youngest player to appear in a Champions League knockout game earlier this year against Napoli.

Despite his age, he is a regular for club and country. He made 50 appearances for Barça in all competitions in the 2023-2024 season, scoring seven goals and setting up 10 more.

He made his senior debut for Spain last September, becoming the youngest player to play and score for La Roja in a win against Georgia, and earned his eighth cap for his country in Saturday’s game against Croatia.