Mikel Oyarzabal scored from the penalty spot after a heady play by teenager Lamine Yamal. Pedro Porro added another goal and Spain advanced to its first World Cup final since winning in 2010 with a 2-0 victory over France yesterday.A day after his 19th birthday, Yamal was denied a goal on a close offside call that came soon after Porro’s give-and-go with Dani Olmo in the 58th minute had put Spain up 2-0. But it was Yamal’s smart play against a veteran defender that put Spain in the lead.
IT’S IN: Oyarzabal scores from the penalty spot past France goalkeeper Mike Maignan. —Photos: AP
“They were facing the best team in the world,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said.Spain, which will play in the final for only the second time, will face either defending champion Argentina or England on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
DISAPPOINTED: France’s Kylian Mbappe reacts during their World Cup semifinal match against Spain in Arlington, Texas yesterday. —Photos: AP
“So difficult to get to this moment, but we want more,” midfielder Rodri said. “We want to win this World Cup.”Kylian Mbappé and France, FIFA’s top-ranked team, were trying to become only the third team to reach three consecutive World Cup finals. They instead will play in the third-place game in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday, the day before the final at MetLife Stadium across the river from New York City. Argentina and England face each other today in Atlanta in the second semifinal match.
