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Spain

It’s All About Spain

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EAST RUTHERFORD – (Wire Service Report) – Ferran Torres believed it was Spain’s destiny to win this World Cup. And he struck his decisive finish like a man certain of his convictions.

Torres powered home an emphatic half-volley from nine yards out in the 106th minute to lift Spain to their second World Cup title with a 1-0 win over gutsy, 10-man Argentina in Sunday’s final.

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“I think that in the end, the goal belonged to 47 million people, not to me or the 26 players here,” Torres said via an interpreter. “I believe that today destiny was written. It was meant for us to win, far from our fans, but we tried to make them feel as close as possible.”

Torres’ deserved decider came 16 years and eight days after Andres Iniesta also scored in extra time to lift the Spaniards to their first World Cup with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands.

The winning goal came on La Roja’s 20th shot of the contest against the defending champions, who failed to manage any to that point and struggled to wrest possession away from their superior Iberian opponents.

That was true at even strength and became more difficult when the Albiceleste’s numbers were reduced when Enzo Fernandez’s late challenge of Pau Cubarsi left referee Slavko Vincic no choice but to produce a second caution just before the end of normal time.

Spain remain the only nation ever to win the European Championship and World Cup in successive tournaments, having now done so a second time after their Euro 2024 title. They are also the first World Cup champion ever to concede only once across an entire tournament. And they are the first winner of the UEFA Nations League to capture a world title, having triumphed at the eight-year-old competition in 2023.

“We’ve won everything, everything,” Spain manager Luis de la Fuente said through an interpreter. “And that’s wonderful, with a generation of footballers, I’ll say it again and again, who are an example for Spanish  sport, for Spanish youth, for Spain. Together we are stronger, let there be no doubt about that.”

Lionel Messi’s Argentina failed to earn another title after winning their last three major tournaments, having also captured the 2021 and 2024 Copa Americas on either side of their 2022 World Cup triumph.

The 39-year-old, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi finished the competition with eight goals and four assists, but had little time on the ball until Spain finally took the lead. Even in some nervy late moments for Spain, he never seriously looked like lifting his side to another great moment as he has so many times in the last two World Cup cycles.

“Well, in the end, all finals are difficult, and when you have Messi on the opposing team, you always get nervous,” Torres said. “But ultimately, we’ve always depended on ourselves, on playing our style of football, and I think we demonstrated that once again today.”

Spanish midfielder Rodri won the FIFA Golden Ball for his efforts throughout the tournament, including his help in containing Messi Sunday, despite not tallying a single goal or assist himself.

Emi Martinez made 11 saves for the Albiceleste, who fell short in their bid to be the first consecutive World Cup champions since Brazil won the 1958 and 1962 titles.

“Yes, I think the game should have been decided much earlier,” de la Fuente said. “Dibu’s great saves prevented us from winning the game sooner. We could have taken a more comfortable lead. But this is a world championship final, and even with 10 men, you have to suffer at the end. But since we like to suffer, we’ve shown once again that we’re ready for anything.”

What had felt so difficult for the first 105 minutes suddenly looked easy after 37 seconds of play in the second period of extra time.

Pedro Porro curled in an outswinging cross from the left to the back post. Nico Williams won the header and nodded it back into space, and Torres hammered a half-volley at last past the flailing Martinez. It was his only goal of the tournament, making him the seventh player to score during a tournament in which his side never trailed.

An Argentina side that literally hadn’t managed a shot somehow found its way forward in the dying stages.

Messi curled a speculative effort just over the top left corner of Unai Simon’s goal, and after consecutive corners, Giuliano Simeone fired high from just beyond the top of the six-yard box. But for once this tournament, there was no miracle late drama in the Albiceleste’s favor.

Simon, who took home the Golden Glove award, notched his seventh clean sheet in eight matches this tournament and has nine clean sheets in his World Cup career, one away from tying the all-time mark.

–Field Level Media

 

USA Fights Way to Olympic Semifinals

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TOKYO – (Source: USA Basketball Official News) – It was a battle of basketball titans, playing on the biggest of international stages, and during the first half of Tuesday’s semifinal at the Tokyo Olympic Games, the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team (3-1) and Spain (2-2) danced with each other, felt each other out and landed significant blows each way.

Like a lengthy prize fight, it was the top-ranked Americans who quickly landed the haymaker in the third quarter. There was no standing eight count, but the second-ranked Spaniards were staggered. By hitting five 3-pointers and not allowing Spain to make a field goal for almost six minutes to begin the second half, the U.S. advanced to the Olympic semifinals with a 95-81 victory on Tuesday at Saitama Super Arena.

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The U.S., three-time defending gold medalist and winner of 15 golds in 18 trips to the Olympics leading up to Tokyo, will face either Australia or Argentina in Thursday’s semifinals. The U.S. is 8-0 against Australia and 7-1 vs. Argentina in Olympic play.

Kevin Durant scored 13 of his 29 points in the third quarter, hitting two early 3-pointers to open the second half, and he lead five Americans in double figures. Jayson Tatum had 10 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter to help put Spain away, while Jrue Holiday added 12 points, Damian Lillard 11 and Zach LaVine 10 points. The Americans improved to 13-0 versus Spain in Olympic action.

“The game is about buckets,” Durant said. “When you see the ball go in the rim, everybody’s got more energy — coaches, players, trainers, everybody. We started making shots, made some 3s, and guys calmed down and made some stops.”

Ricky Rubio dazzled for Spain, scoring 38 points for the 2019 FIBA World Cup champions and the team the U.S. has beaten in two of the past three Olympic gold-medal games. Sergio Rodriguez added 16 points, and Willy Hernangomez 10 points and 10 rebounds for Spain.

“I didn’t expect anything less,” said Holiday, a premier defender often tasked with trying to slow Rubio down. “Ever since he (Ricky) was, what, like 12, he’s been doing this. So for him to come out here and just display the type of talent that he has is really cool to be a part of and to see.”

For part of the second quarter, it looked like Rubio and Spain — which featured two five-time Olympians — might have the right formula to take down the Americans, who have repeatedly started slow in these Olympics.

Seven straight U.S. misses sparked a 10-0 Spain run that made it 39-29 with 3:25 left in the half. But Durant, a two-time gold medalist who passed Carmelo Anthony to become the top American scorer in men’s Olympic history on Sunday, triggered a 14-4 run to close the half and tie the game 43-43. The U.S. was just 4-for-17 from 3-point range in the first half.

“They played with extreme energy to start the game, and we were a little sluggish,” Durant said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well, and that kind of affected our defense a bit. But we got into it at the end of the second quarter and were able to get stops, get some scores and battle and try to get some momentum. In that third quarter, we knew exactly what we needed to do.”

And that was landing a decisive blow.

Durant hit a pair of quick 3-pointers and the Americans connected on five of their first six shots from deep in the third period. Meanwhile, the U.S. defense kept Spain from a field goal for the opening 5:44 of the half. The result was a 22-6 run that turned a tied game into a 65-49 U.S. advantage. Combined with the closing run of the first half, it was a 36-10 burst to take control.

Following a rare Olympic loss to France (3-0) to begin the tournament, the U.S. has steadily looked better and better in its last three games. The team might be finding the right elements needed to create chemistry at just the right time for a sqaud that expects nothing less than gold.

“I think the potential of this team is endless,” said U.S. forward Draymond Green, who had four points and two assists. “Unfortunately, we (only) got two games left. So, we need to make sure that we’re continuing to get better each and every time we step on the floor, and I think that’s why we’ve done it.”