Spain beat Argentina in extra time and retain the World Cup title | OneFootball

What was the match between Argentina and Spain like in the World Cup final?

The World Cup came to an end this Sunday (19). In New Jersey, United States, Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time and, as a result, became the tournament’s newest champion. With this trophy, the Spaniards won their second World Cup title. Ferran Torres was the hero of the triumph.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST HALF BETWEEN ARGENTINA AND SPAIN LIKE IN THE WORLD CUP FINAL?

Just four minutes into the first half, Lamine Yamal had the chance to open the scoring for Spain, but he was denied by Dibu Martínez. Right after that, the Argentinians had their first dangerous chance, which was stopped by the Spanish goalkeeper coming off his line.

As the first half went on, the game became scrappy and fiercely contested. As a result, both teams created very little over the next 20 minutes. Spain only threatened again in the 39th minute, when Oyarzabal shot and Dibu Martínez made the save. In the 42nd minute, Cucurella tried his luck from outside the box, and the ball went just wide of the left post of the Argentine goal.

WHAT WAS THE SECOND HALF BETWEEN ARGENTINA AND SPAIN LIKE IN THE WORLD CUP FINAL?

Before the first minute of the second half had even passed, Spain forced Dibu Martínez into making a save from a shot. In the opening ten minutes, the Spaniards put Argentina under pressure, but Argentina held firm at the back.

In the 18th minute, Dibu Martínez spilled a long-range shot from Daniel Olmo. After that, Spain launched a blitz, including a dangerous header from Ferran Torres, but they could not turn it into goals before the cooling break.

Spain’s “bombardment” continued after the pause, forcing Dibu Martínez into more good saves, while Argentina struggled to play. Even so, the Spaniards could not find the net, and the match went to extra time. For the final 30 minutes, the Argentinians played with one man less after Enzo Fernández was sent off.

AND EXTRA TIME?

Just two minutes in, Williams nearly scored with a header, but Dibu made a great save. Then, in the seventh minute, Williams found the net, but the referee spotted a questionable foul in the build-up, frustrating the Spaniards.

Before the first minute of the second half had even passed, Spain scored the title-winning goal. Williams, who completely changed the match after coming on in the second half, provided a headed assist for Torres, who smashed the ball into the back of the net.

WHAT WAS ARGENTINA’S WORLD CUP RUN LIKE?

Argentina’s run included three wins in the group stage against Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. In the round of 32, the team got past Cape Verde with a 3-2 extra-time win. In the round of 16, the Argentinians beat Egypt 3-2 in a comeback, while in the quarterfinals they got past Switzerland in extra time. Finally, Argentina overcame England in the semifinal.

WHAT WAS SPAIN’S WORLD CUP RUN LIKE?

Spain finished top of Group H with wins over Saudi Arabia and Spain, while drawing with Cape Verde. Then, in the round of 32, the Spaniards beat Austria, and in the round of 16 they got past Portugal. In the quarterfinals, La Furia overcame Belgium and then defeated France in the semifinal.

HOW DID THIAGO ALMADA, A FLAMENGO TARGET, PERFORM IN THE WORLD CUP?

Thiago Almada was among Argentina’s call-ups for this World Cup. At the start of the tournament, the midfielder was a starter, but as the competition went on, he became an option off the bench. In the final itself, the player started among the substitutes.

It is important to point out that during the World Cup, Thiago Almada’s name gained momentum behind the scenes at Flamengo. According to information gathered by Coluna do Fla, the midfielder has already given the green light to Rubro-Negro, but the negotiation has several layers to be completed.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.