A great performance by Fermin Lopez propelled Spain to the semi-finals of the Olympic tournament. He scored two goals and dominated with enormous authority in a remarkable second half for the team. His influence was decisive in all the good things that Santi Denia’s team did. He opened the gap in a first half in which La Rojita was in decline and cooked up the clear progress after the break. Spain’s most lucid minutes in its itinerant life in France were illuminated by the Barça player, one of only two players (along with Alex Baena) who have played the Euro Cup and the Games twice. A secondary player in the European title in Germany, the Andalusian is asking for his turn in the Olympics to score the double.
0
Leo Kokubo, Seiji Kimura, Ayumu Ohata, Hiroki Sekine, Kota Takai, Joel Chima Fujita, Rihito Yamamoto (Ryotaro Araki, min. 83), Shunsuke Mito (Asahi Uenaka, min. 73), Mao Hosoya, Fuki Yamada (Shota Fujio, min. 45) and Koki Saito (Kein Sato, min. 66)
3
Arnau Tenas, Marc Pubill, Juan Miranda, Pau Cubarsí, Eric García, Álex Baena (Adrián Bernabé, min. 69), Aimar Oroz (Beñat Turrientes, min. 83), Pablo Barrios, Fermín López (Diego López, min. 83) , Sergio Gómez (Miguel Gutiérrez, min. 88) and Abel Ruiz (Samu Omorodion, min. 88)
Goals
0-1 min. 10: Fermin Lopez. 0-2 min. 72: Fermin Lopez. 0-3 min. 85: Abel Ruiz
Referee Dahane Beida
Yellow cards
Eric Garcia (min. 0), Alex Baena (min. 51), Rihito Yamamoto (min. 70), Fermin Lopez (min. 77)
The next stop on Spain’s journey is Marseille, where they will face Achraf Hakimi’s Morocco on Monday at 18:00 (TVE and Eurosport), who beat the United States 4-0 on Friday. After the silver medal in Tokyo three years ago, the final will be in the Velodrome. There is no doubt that Spain will be the clear visitors in the stands. The other semi-final is France (defeated Argentina 1-0) – Egypt (won on penalties against Paraguay).
Santi Denia is not one of those coaches who goes off track. Since his debut nine days ago in Paris against Uzbekistan, he made clear what his starting eleven was and he has not deviated from that in the decisive matches. Fermín is not missing from that main menu.
Spain showed up in Lyon as determined as they were sparse. The Barça player’s powerful left-footed shot from outside the area capped the good start of a promising team that came out to press and attack. That happened in the 11th minute, but that was the end of the team’s best start. The good ideas gradually evaporated in a scorching stadium (there was a hydration break halfway through the first half) and cold in the stands, with a large part of the amphitheater empty.
Goal disallowed
With the advantage, Santi Denia’s team went from playing to managing the match, as if victory were a matter of time. The pace dropped, the verticality disappeared and Japan happily accepted the new scenario to go on top of the Rojita. Yamamoto took advantage of the open space he found on the right flank and shortly after Hosoya scored on the half-turn against a Cubarsi lacking in forcefulness. It was the equaliser, except for the VAR, which detected an advanced phalanx of the Asian foot in an action in which it was difficult to see the advantage he could have taken. He received the ball with his back turned, tried to occupy as much space as possible with his body against the defence behind the Barça player and in that manoeuvre half of his foot was caught in the microscope of the video referee.
The referee’s pardon did not, however, hide Spain’s decline as the minutes passed. It was a hypotense, slow team, lacking depth or control in the centre and with its attackers out of focus. A header against the post in stoppage time by Mito, with a shot that was a bit angled and with Arnau Tenas protecting the woodwork, confirmed the team’s difficulties. The flashes of brilliance in a graceful start had given way to a blackout.
The sentence of Arnau Tenas
The light was turned on by Fermin, and quickly. After the break, it was his moment in the match and in the tournament. His activity across the entire attacking front symbolised the intention to amend the situation of a squad that woke up in time from the lethargy into which it had fallen. Everything revolved around the culé, who gave a warning with another great left-footed shot from the edge of the box. He shot with his right, with his left, connected with his teammates and launched nutmegs at the opponent. The Andalusian became the owner of the pitch and, in his wake, Spain recovered its pulse and energy. A team with more spirit that wanted to take the match by the chest and not let it go. The footsteps of Aimar Oroz were also found again.
In a setting with more space, Japan launched themselves into the open field. A rebelliousness that, of course, was cut short by Fermin. He received a corner on the edge of the box and scored a three-finger right-footed shot that ended in a categorical goal. The link to a personal performance of weight to open the way and then revive his team.
Tenas still needed confirmation, winning a one-on-one with Hosuya, who stole the ball from Eric García after a pass that could have been improved by Pablo Barrios. Abel Ruiz caught an Asian defensive error to close the afternoon before Takai headed the ball into the crossbar. The epilogue of an afternoon session produced, directed and packaged by Fermín López.
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