Quarterfinal Showdown in Los Angeles
Quarterfinal Showdown in Los Angeles
Spain is set to face Belgium in the second 2026 World Cup quarterfinal match in Los Angeles. The winner of this encounter will advance to the semi-finals to play France on Tuesday in Dallas. Spain enters the match as the European champions and has maintained a clean sheet throughout the tournament. They are aiming for their first quarterfinal victory since 2010, the year they won the tournament.
Belgium, despite a more inconsistent form, secured a significant win against co-hosts United States in the last 16. The team also reached the semi-finals in 2018. The match is scheduled for a 3 PM ET kick-off.
Team News and Tactical Decisions
Spain‘s coach, Luis de la Fuente, has made a notable change to his starting lineup, opting to replace Pedri with Fabian Ruiz. This decision addresses a perceived spacing issue between Rodri and Pedri, who tend to occupy similar areas on the pitch. De la Fuente had previously praised Pedri, but the midfielder had expressed dissatisfaction with his performance against Austria.
Lamine Yamal is confirmed to start for Spain. De la Fuente highlighted Yamal‘s motivation as a potential threat to opponents but emphasized the need to keep him calm to prevent anxiety. Yamal has shown glimpses of brilliance and strong link-up play with right-back Pedro Porro. Porro retains his position in a defense that has yet to concede a goal in the tournament.
For Belgium, key players Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku return to the starting XI. De Bruyne was not in the squad for the victory over the United States, and his return is partly due to the injury of Amadou Onana. Doku, who was a substitute against the United States, replaces Dodi Lukebakio on the wing. These are the only two changes from the team that started against the United States.
Belgium‘s coach, Rudi Garcia, has consistently trusted his judgment throughout the tournament. He has also spoken about having a group of ‘finishers’, with Romelu Lukaku serving as a prime example. Belgium has scored goals after the 85th minute in their last three matches.
Injury Concerns and Historical Context
Belgium will be without Amadou Onana, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture in his right knee during the victory against the United States. Onana has remained with the team for today’s game before returning to Aston Villa for rehabilitation. Additionally, Zeno Debast is unavailable after his club, Sporting CP, deemed him unfit to play.
The match brings back memories of the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal between Spain and Belgium. In that game, Spain, then strong favorites, lost to Belgium in a penalty shootout. Jan Ceulemans scored for Belgium, and Juan Senor equalized for Spain. The decisive moment came when Belgium goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff saved Eloy Olaya’s penalty kick. This historical encounter is considered a significant moment in Spain‘s World Cup history, marking the beginning of their challenging penalty-shootout record, with only one victory in five attempts.
Both teams have shown a propensity for creating chances from wide positions, with both Spain and Belgium having created chances from low crosses, a joint-highest in the tournament. Belgium leads in first-time shots with 58, while Spain is third with 46.
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Source: nytimes.com
