Affable and well-mannered, 65-year-old Luis de la Fuente just isn’t a coach for hyperbole. In want of one other second of magic within the greenhouse of a stadium in Los Angeles, the Spain head coach threw on his ace in his pack. Two minutes later, Mikel Merino was a late-show match-winner as soon as once more, pouncing with a substitute spring in his step to beat Belgium’s resilient exhibiting. But assuming De la Fuente’s phrases of knowledge for the midfielder had been awe-inspiring could be misguided.
“The reality is… he instructed me little or no,” Merino mentioned after his 88th-minute quarter-final winner on Friday, witnessed by his two-month-old son Marco. “He [De la Fuente] instructed me it’s one thing about [being a] quantity 10. After which when the match ended, he instructed me I used to be unimaginable – and people had been the 2 issues he commented to me.”
Merino has a behavior of scoring in important moments for his nation; he scored the winner within the quarter-final win over Germany at Euro 2024. A yr later, he was on the scoresheet within the mesmeric 5-4 Nations League victory in opposition to France and, clearly, he additionally notched the winner in opposition to Portugal final Monday. It speaks to Spain’s depth upon depth of midfield expertise – Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo and Pedri all featured earlier than Merino on Friday – that the Arsenal man is accepting of, with out criticism, his position within the squad.
But Spain, as acknowledged by star participant Lamine Yamal who – disconcertingly but additionally excitingly – is but to completely hearth regardless of flashes of magic, weren’t at their greatest in Inglewood.
“We did not play very properly however hey, we had been proper there with them and we held up properly,” mentioned Yamal, who turns 19 on Monday. “I believe if we had stored the ball a bit higher, we’d have created much more and been extra harmful.”
And so it’s onto Tuesday’s semi-final, the 90,000-seater air-conditioned stadium in Dallas and France. Broadly thought of the 2 strongest groups within the event, Argentina’s final World Cup triumph and dominance in South America (each of their 2024 Copa America triumph and World Cup qualifying) are why these two juggernauts are in the identical half of the draw. It feels seismic; the winner is near-certain to be the favorite within the last on 19 July.
But momentum-wise, such has been their firepower and Kylian Mbappe’s electrifying type, the bookies are with France.
“I believe reaching the World Cup semi-finals, everybody was ready for this match,” Yamal added. “We had been actually wanting ahead to it arriving. For me, they’re the 2 greatest nationwide groups within the World Cup, however now we have no concern. I believe if anybody can go right into a match in opposition to France with confidence, it is us.
“I count on a staff that comes at us, however not for the entire match. I believe there is no such thing as a nationwide staff that’s going to play us man-to-man throughout the entire pitch. However we all know France has gamers of nice high quality up entrance and on the again, and really bodily. We’ll play the way in which we all know how, we’ll attempt to have the ball.”
Spain have stumbled by their final two knockout video games; France have been much more authoritative, significantly of their 2-0 win over a Morocco facet who had been, albeit, disappointing. However latest crunch encounters between these two are the important thing feathers in Spain’s cap; victories that ought to give La Roja bundles of confidence.
In fact, probably the most distinguished was their semi-final match-up at Euro 2024, by which Yamal stole the present along with his beautiful long-range effort, changing into the youngest scorer within the historical past of the European Championships at simply 16. Yamal’s Twenty first-minute objective was the equaliser; Dani Olmo’s strike 4 minutes later was the winner. France are a special beast this summer season, however they do have vulnerabilities.
Whereas France’s ahead line leads the way in which, Spain’s midfield dynamism and flexibility are a reduce above. Defensively, Spain have confirmed themselves superior; Belgium’s equaliser on Friday was the primary objective they’ve conceded all event. Each goalkeepers are evenly matched, too.
There’s one other key facet on which Spain can thrive. Solely 4 of France’s 2026 squad have tasted event success – Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, N’Golo Kante and Lucas Hernandez the one remaining members of the 2018 group. The crux of Spain’s squad, in the meantime, was current on the rostrum in Berlin two years in the past. That know-how of easy methods to get it accomplished on the latter phases can, and does, play an element in high-stakes, latter-stage event soccer.
As referenced beforehand, too, Spain defeated France in a chaotic Nations League semi-final final yr, one thing De la Fuente was all too eager to level out. “I’m positive France are as nervous as we’re – keep in mind we beat them in two consecutive video games.”
And in a thought matched by many, with out even any negligence or complacency with what might come in opposition to England, Norway, Argentina or Switzerland, De la Fuente added of Tuesday’s showdown: “It’s going to be a implausible recreation, the ultimate earlier than the ultimate. Two of the most effective groups on this event.
“We’re able to successful this recreation. I might have mentioned this just a few weeks in the past. I’ve the conviction, the belief and full confidence within the staff and our potential. However we’ll face an enormous of soccer.”
