Spain Beats France 2-0 in World Cup Semifinal as Porro Caps 17-Pass Move
Updated
Updated · Defector · Jul 15
Spain Beats France 2-0 in World Cup Semifinal as Porro Caps 17-Pass Move
3 articles · Updated · Defector · Jul 15
Summary
Pedro Porro's second-half finish sealed Spain's 2-0 semifinal win over France in Arlington, turning the match with a 17-pass team move into a statement performance rather than a narrow result.
Spain had gone ahead from an early penalty won by Lamine Yamal, but Porro's goal better captured a game in which Spain controlled possession and repeatedly played through France's press.
France entered as one of the tournament's most dangerous attacking sides, yet Spain largely nullified Kylian Mbappe and company and kept the semifinal from becoming competitive.
The result sends Spain into the World Cup final after a tournament in which they had conceded only one goal in six matches, underlining the strength of a semifinal field that set a record-low combined FIFA ranking of 10.