SPAIN produced a masterclass performance to defeat tournament favourites France 2-0 in the World Cup semi-final at AT&T Stadium on Tuesday, booking their place in Sunday’s final in New Jersey.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute after Lucas Digne brought down Lamine Yamal, before Pedro Porro sealed the victory with a brilliant second goal in the 58th minute.
The victory extends Spain’s remarkable unbeaten run to 37 matches, equalling Italy’s record for the longest unbeaten streak by a European nation in recorded football history.
They will break that record with a win or draw in Sunday’s final against either England or reigning champions Argentina.
Spain’s defensive resilience proved decisive, as they became the first team in World Cup history to keep six clean sheets at a single edition of the tournament. They have conceded just once in seven matches, limiting France’s expected goals figure to a paltry 0.30 – the lowest in a World Cup semi-final since 1994.
France captain Kylian Mbappe, who failed to register a single shot on target, shouldered the blame for his side’s defeat.
“We wanted to go to the final, we didn’t and we have to take what people say to us,” a dejected Mbappe said. “You take all the glory when you win, when you don’t win you have to take responsibility. As captain, I have to take all the responsibility.”
France manager Didier Deschamps, who will take charge of his final game for Les Bleus in Saturday’s third-place play-off, acknowledged his side were below their best. “This Spanish team is a strong one, it is tough and proved their skills today. We were below our standard,” he said.
Deschamps also questioned the performance of referee Ivan Barton, although he stopped short of blaming the official for the defeat. “Let me ask you, do you believe the referee was up to the task to referee a semi-final?” he asked.
Spain will now seek to emulate their 2010 World Cup-winning heroes, with the prospect of adding a second star to their jersey. Dani Olmo’s assist today tied him with Cesc Fabregas for the most by a Spain player at major tournaments since 1980, while 19-year-old Lamine Yamal – who celebrated his birthday yesterday – will get his wish of playing in the final after declaring he wanted “a trip to New York for the final.”
Former Spain stars Carles Puyol, Iker Casillas, Xavi, and Sergio Ramos were among the spectators witnessing their nation’s finest performance since the golden generation of 2010.
France will now face the loser of Wednesday’s semi-final between England and Argentina in Saturday’s consolation match, as Didier Deschamps’ illustrious reign draws to a close.
