July 02, (THEWILL) – While questions about the red card issued by referee Michael Oliver against Swiss player Remo Freuler, will continue Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon proved the hero with two saves in the determining penalty shoot-out to send Spain to the semi-finals of the European Championships after the game ended 1-1.
The Luis Enrique-coached side had the kind of start they wanted with the lead goal in only the eighth minute. Jordi Alba volleyed a clearance from Spain’s corner kick and the ball deflected off defensive midfielder Denis Zakaria to wrong-foot Yann Sommer, in goal for Switzerland.
The midfielder could have had no intention to change the flight path of the shot but, in for the suspended Granit Xhaka, the Borussia Mönchengladbach player was credited with the goal, as an own goal.
The task To mount a comeback for the Swiss was made all the harder when Breel Embolo went off midway in the first half with a suspected hamstring injury and had to be replaced by Ruben Vargas in a forced substitution in just the 23rd minute.
The Vladimir Petković-managed side were not short of chances to level the scores. Centre back Manuel Akanji put the ball over the bar from a Swiss corner kick while Zakaria, trying to make amends for his “goal”, nodded the ball inches wide in the second half advance of the Swiss.
Their efforts to get back into the game paid off as they found the goal to equalise after a mix-up between Pau Torres and Aymeric Laporte in the Spanish backline. Liverpool’s Xherdan Shaqiri seized on the chance to find the net from close range eight minutes after the hour.
Then came the moment that will be debated in the review of the quarter-final when things took another twist as Freuler was shown a straight red for hacking down Spanish forward Gerard Moreno in the closing stages of regulation time. The video assistant referee VAR agreed with the red card.
The numerical advantage this presented to the Spanish team did not matter because no more goals were scored. It was not for want of opportunities because Moreno spurned three scoring chances in extra time, the most glaring being a chance to score from around six yards out for the win.
Penalties were then called for to resolve the encounter. It began well for Switzerland when Sergio Busquets missed first for Spain, making it six in a row, before Dani Olmo scored his team’s second to level it up the general scoreline.
However, Simon changed Spain’s fortunes by saving Fabian Schar’s effort to make it one miss each. The two goalkeepers, Sommer and Simon, earned their stripes by each making another save before the tide turned with Moreno sending a thumping effort into the top corner and then Vargas, who came in for Embolo, striking over the bar.
Mikel Oyarzabal, had the chance to send Spain through and the Real Sociedad left winger made no mistake, slotting the ball into the bottom right corner, while sending Sommer they other way.
Spain therefore goes into the semi-finals as the first team to make it that far and will wait for the result of the second quarter-finals fixture on Friday between Belgium and Italy to know who their opponents will be.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
