Spain’s Strategic Win Over Belgium
ENGLEWOOD, Calif. — It almost felt like the play was scripted.
Luis de la Fuente, Spain’s coach, made a surprising call by sidelining Pedri in favor of Mikel Merino as a late-game substitute during Friday’s World Cup quarterfinal against Belgium. Initially, many questioned this choice, but it proved to be a brilliant move.
Pedri had been a key player for Spain throughout the tournament, consistently showing up in every match. His replacement, Fabian Ruiz, had only played in Spain’s opener against Cape Verde prior to this match.
Luis opened the scoring, while Merino ultimately netted the winning goal, allowing Spain to edge out Belgium 2-1. The match took place in front of a packed crowd in Los Angeles, setting the stage for an exciting semi-final against France in Dallas.
This match also marked the end of Los Angeles’ involvement in the tournament.
The quarterfinals held at SoFi Stadium were the eighth and final games in Southern California, wrapping up an unforgettable month before the focus shifts to Dallas and Atlanta for the semifinals, culminating at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Spain was still finding their footing when their risk-taking strategy quickly bore fruit.
Dani Olmo made a dash into the penalty area, forcing a critical save from Thibaut Courtois. The rebound fortuitously found its way to Ruiz, who calmly slotted it into an open net, granting Spain an early lead.
This goal underscored de la Fuente’s bold decision before the half-time break.
However, Belgium was undeterred.
Just ten minutes later, Timothy Castagne sent a menacing cross that Charles de Quetelaele managed to capitalize on, heading it over Unai Simon. This goal was significant because it marked the end of Spain’s streak of five consecutive matches without conceding.
De Quetelaele’s third goal of the tournament successfully penetrated what had been the tournament’s most formidable defense.
Belgium, counter to expectations, came into the match brimming with confidence.
The Red Devils looked almost unrecognizable compared to their earlier matches against Egypt and Iran. They seemed revitalized after notable victories, including a remarkable comeback against Senegal and a decisive 4-1 win over the United States.
This victory, alongside the news of FIFA suspending Folarin Balogun just before the knockout rounds, likely fueled their eagerness.
With Kevin De Bruyne returning to the lineup and captaining the team following an injury to Youri Tielemans in warm-ups, Belgium appeared organized and ready, showing no fear against favorites Spain.
But then, the match took a twist.
In a critical moment during the 70th minute, Courtois, often viewed as one of the elite goalkeepers, went down with an injury, forcing him to exit. Reserve keeper Senne Lamence entered under immense pressure and while he had some tough moments, he unfortunately made a costly error.
De la Fuente made another impactful decision, subbing Merino in for Olmo in the 86th minute. Just two minutes later, Spain kept pushing.
A strong shot from defender Pau Kvarusi was not handled well by Lamence, who let it spill right to Merino. The substitute seized the opportunity, smashing the rebound into the net, much to the delight of the Spanish fans.
It was a crucial finish characterized by persistence and quick thinking—both of Spain’s goals arose from second chances after saves from the Belgian goalkeeper.
For de la Fuente, every critical decision played out perfectly.
Merino, making the most of his unexpected opportunity, scored arguably the biggest goal of the tournament to date. A sell-out crowd of 70,492 celebrated Spain’s passage to the semifinals.
Now, the highly anticipated clash is set to unfold.
Spain, reigning European champions and arguably the most balanced team in the tournament, will face France—winners of the 2018 World Cup and runners-up in 2022. This semifinal should be nothing short of spectacular.
