ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Lamine Yamal sensed an opportunity, taking off toward Lucas Digne as the France defender was trying to clear a ball he had just headed awkwardly in his own penalty area.Digne didn’t even see Yamal coming when he raised a leg for a clearing kick. His foot crashed into the Spain forward’s thigh, and the penalty call that followed put La Roja in position to take the lead for good.Yamal has scored only one goal on Spain’s run to the World Cup final, ensured by a 2-0 victory over France in the semifinals on Tuesday. Coach Luis de la Fuente tried to say there were other things besides scoring when he was asked about the teen sensation the day before the match, on the Barcelona star’s 19th birthday.At 19 and 1 day old, Yamal offered his coach an example in what has been his debut on soccer’s biggest stage.“This team interprets to perfection every play of the game,” de la Fuente said through a translator after Spain advanced to final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday against either defending champion Argentina or England.Yamal’s heady play led to the penalty kick, but Mikel Oyarzabal was the choice for that. His perfectly placed shot into the upper right corner in the 22nd minute was his team-leading fifth goal of the tournament.
Lamine Yamal didn't score, but a sneaky play helped Spain beat France in the World Cup semifinals
Lamine Yamal has scored only one goal in Spain's run to the World Cup final. But the teen star found a sneaky way to help La Roja in a 2-0 victory over France in the semifinals.










