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Spain stun France 2-0
Spain reached the World Cup final by beating France 2-0 in a semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring from the spot after Lucas Digne brought down Lamine Yamal in the box.
“Spain dominated France in Dallas to win 2-0 and reach their first World Cup final since 2010, and will face either England or Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday”
Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the spot in the 22nd minute, and Pedro Porro made it 2-0 with a 58th-minute goal as Spain controlled the game from start to finish.
France’s defeat came despite a World Cup semifinal featuring Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, and Ousmane Dembélé, and USA Today said Les Bleus finished with 0.30 expected goals and created zero big chances.
France midfielder Rayan Cherki called the loss “We lost against ourselves,” while Spain manager Luis de la Fuente said, “We did it with discipline, organised, commitment, effort.”
Quotes and match framing
After Spain advanced, Luis de la Fuente told reporters he had “no preference” between a final opponent of England or Argentina, saying, “Right now, we don’t prefer one or the other.”
The New York Times also noted that Spain will face either England or reigning champions Argentina, while France will contest Saturday’s third-place play-off.
In the match narrative, USA Today said Spain extended its lead to 2-0 with a 58th-minute strike from right back Pedro Porro, and it described Spain as having started Fabián Ruiz over Pedri.
BBC Sport’s player ratings reflected the same outcome, with Kylian Mbappe assessed as “Had just two touches in Spain’s penalty area in the first half and struggled to cause much of a threat.”
What’s next for both
Spain’s semifinal win sent it to Sunday’s final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it will face the winner of Wednesday’s second semifinal between Argentina and England, while France will play the third-place game.
“ARLINGTON Defense prevailed in the final Spain stifled rival France 2-0 in the semifinals Tuesday at AT&T Stadium”
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram said Spain will face the winner of England-Argentina in the World Cup final at 2 p.m. Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and it described the semifinal as defense prevailing in a 2-0 win.
NBC News reported that Spain will play in its first World Cup final since 2010, and it quoted Pedro Porro saying, “It’s a dream come true. I couldn’t even dream of this.”
CBS News added that the loss means France failed in its effort to reach its third consecutive final, and it placed France in the third-place game in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday, the day before the final at MetLife Stadium across the river from New York City.
