Spain registered their spot in the semifinals of the ongoing FIFA World Cup after defeating Belgium in the quarterfinals with a 2-1 scoreline on Friday (local time) in a match that saw Mikel Merino again emerging as the unlikely hero for the side.
Only four days after his clutch goal, which he scored as a substitute in the round of 16 match against Portugal, Merino found himself in the right time at the right place when the backup goalkeeper of Spain spilled the ball into his path, which he booted in home, sealing Belgium's road back home.
“I’ve done this again, and it’s happened to me again, so it would seem that coincidence exists,” a smiling Merino said at the end of the match, Associated Press reported. “If you’re ready and you try, I guess it can happen for you.”
Merino has been a versatile contributor in the depth for both his country and club Arsenal, with which he won the Premier League this season.
“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.”
Belgium keeper Senne Lammens will try to forget his performance in this edition of the World Cup as fast as he can - his only appearance was in this match when he came on in the 71st minute after Thibaut Courtois suffered an injury, and it was him losing control of a cross by Pau Cubarsi that led to Spain scoring the winning goal 17 minutes later.
Unceremonious exit for Courtois
Thibaut Courtois made four saves in the match before his substitution. In the second half, he went down after a long kick, and despite receiving treatment during the hydration break, was taken out by coach Rudi Garcia only moments later. A tearful Courtois, Real Madrid's main man between the goalposts, was applauded by Spain fans as well as he took his seat on the sidelines.
“We were on equal footing with Spain, and we have nothing to feel bad about,” Garcia said at the end of the match. “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 did look for an equaliser in the last few minutes of the match with the effort being led by Romelu Lukaku, who came on as a substitute.
“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 have now remained unbeaten in 37 matches on the trot, beginning March 2023, and in this fixture ended Belgium's unbeaten run of 18 matches across all competitions.
This was also the first match in the entire tournament where Spain conceded a goal, having kept a clear sheet in their five earlier outings. It was also past 650 minutes since Unai Simon conceded a goal in the World Cup, stretching back to the 2022 edition in Qatar.
