Spain have done it. They have knocked Belgium out of the World Cup in an entertaining game that went down to the wire. The 88th minute goal from the substitute Mike Merino was the difference between the two sides.
The game saw fantastic pieces of attacking play, unrelenting defensive workrate and a boat load of skill and flair from both teams. Belgium went toe-to-toe against one of the tournament’s favorites and held their own despite being shown very little of the ball by Rodri and his accompanying
Spanish midfielders.
But Spain pulled its socks up when it came down to the wire and captialized on the advantage of an injured Thibaut Courtois to emerge victorious and secure their spot in the first semifinal against France. Here are the observations from the second quarterfinal bout.
Spain masters possession
The way Spain exerted control over the ball with and without possession of it was simply beautiful. They made the pressing look so effortless and before you know it they dominated possession over their opponent. Belgium are a quality side but Spain hardly let them hold on to the ball long enough to make anything from it. It wasn’t until the final minutes of the first half that Belgium could actually make a meaningful attack.
The spatial awareness, technical ability on the ball and the vision to pick off the best passes is a sublime nature of the Spaniards’ playstyle honed over a long time. It all came together to give Luis de la Fuente’s team a constant in road into the opposition penalty box with 42 touches. If not for the industrious defensive show by the Belgians, the score could have run into double figures for Spain.
The counterpress from Spain needs a special shoutout of its own. Despite bossing 68 percent of possession, La Roja had more tackles than their opponents. They excelled in regaining possession and let only a handful of Belgium’s attacks to fully play out.
Lamine Yamal the driver and the diver
The 18-year-old showed why he is the highest rated teenager in the game right now. Lamine Yamal was Spain’s get out of jail card every time they needed solutions to unlock the Belgian defense. He had the highest dribbles (4) in the game along with Jeremy Doku. The vision coupled with his silky movement made Yamal a total menace for the opposition.
But, the kid was flying around at the slightest of contact which made it look almost disrespectful to his skill level. There were instances where he could have continued duels but Yamal decided to throw in the towel and just flop to the floor instead. Bearing in mind that he is still a kid, some of his antics might be understandable but definitely not justifiable.
Belgium is a solid side despite some weaknesses
While not the same as the Spain or the France, Belgium are one of the top sides in the World Cup. Jeremy Doku was often the out-ball for his side to counter-attack. His dribbling skill and hold up play are remarkable as is his stocky build that he puts to great use in outmuscling is markers.
The Belgian striker Charles De Ketelaere was crucial for the Red Devils. His presence and power prevented the Spanish backline from getting too deep into the Belgian half and get involved in building attacks. His goal came as a result of him imposing himself and heading the ball before his marker could. It was clean shot away from the goalkeeper and came at a perfect moment to swing momentum back in his team’s favor.
The biggest weapon for Belgium was their ability to create genuine goal scoring chances. But, Spain excelled at starving them any time on the ball. With just 32 percent of possession, De Bruyne struggled to find the sufficient time to string together attacks along with his teammates.
The dynamic attack is built on a solid backline, bridged in between by a top notch midfield. All of which is supported from Thibaut Courtois in goal. Nathan Ngoy was constantly in Yamal and the Spanish attackers way as he made 14 defensive contributions and led his side’s defense.
However, Rudi Garcia’s side is not without its shortcomings. This side fell short of spatial awareness compared to Spain. The duels lost were due to because of lack of support from a nearby Belgian. Whereas, the Spaniards would constantly look up and monitor the situation and position of other players.
This gave them an edge in information to Spain which was vital to play out of the Belgian press. The first goal came due to Garcia’s men getting caught ball watching instead of cutting off space for a charging Fabian Ruiz who was very visible in the bright red jersey. The second goal too was a result of quicker anticipation from Merio to follow up his teammate’s shot all the way through.
Injury to Thibaut Courtois leaves its mark on the game
The big Belgian went down with a thigh injury in the 67th minute. Thibaut Courtois was a huge rock of strength for his side. He made 4 saves and was a vital cog in absorbing the Spanish armada that often parked itself in front of him.
His injury brought on Manchester United’s Senne Lammens to guard his nation’s goal. The 24 year-old was decent until spilling the ball from Pau Cubarsí‘s shot. Mikel Merino who had just come on lapped up the loose ball and scored the winning goal for Spain.
Had Courtois not been injured it is highly unlikely that he would have spilt the ball and not recovered before Merino’s shot. Having stopped Yamal in a one-on-one situation already, the Real Madrid shot-stopper was his country’s best shot in taking this game to extra time and perhaps even secure a win. His injury was ultimately the difference between the sides.
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