Vietnamese football expert: 'Spain reaches semifinals thanks to grit'

According to analysts, despite controlling the game for the majority of the time against Belgium, Spain's path to the World Cup 2026 semifinals was greatly aided by some fortunate turning points.

The thrilling 2-1 victory over Belgium officially secured Spain's place in the semifinals, setting up a blockbuster clash with France. In this match, the Spanish players executed an aggressive and dominant style, constantly pressing their opponents.

However, from a professional perspective, coach Nguyễn Ngọc Dũng (of Hanoi FC U17) analyzed that besides sound tactics, luck smiled on Luis de la Fuente's team at the most critical moments: "Belgium started better, taking the initiative with short and medium-range passing to attack directly, while also escaping pressure impressively.

After trailing for the first 10 minutes, Spain regained control thanks to the excellent rhythm and tempo management of Rodri and Fabián Ruiz. When direct attacks through the middle proved ineffective against Belgium's dense defense, Spain immediately changed their approach by switching play to the wings, attacking down the flanks, and then cutting the ball back.

Fabián Ruiz's opening goal was a textbook product of this well-rehearsed tactic. Conversely, Belgium showed their threat by accelerating at the end of the first half, pressing high, and shifting the ball wide before delivering an early cross for Charles De Ketelaere to cut in and head home the equalizer.

This was a highly tactical match, with both teams constantly calculating the right moments to punish each other's mistakes. In the second half, the deadlock continued. Spain had more possession, but Belgium lurked, waiting for a chance to strike.

In that tense situation, Spain was clearly luckier. They escaped a penalty when Rodri inadvertently handled the ball in the box. The biggest turning point came when goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois suffered an injury and had to leave the field. His replacement, Senne Lammens, failed to hold onto Pau Cubarsí's thunderous shot, which was obscured from his view, creating a golden opportunity for Mikel Merino to pounce and slot home the 2-1 winner." Sharing the same view, former Vietnamese women's national team player Nguyễn Thị Hòa also stated that La Roja's advancement was fully deserved due to their squad depth, even if they had a slight edge in luck: "Both teams delivered a thrilling match, but Spain was more composed in the decisive moments.

Merino's winning goal came from a very chaotic situation, where the replacement goalkeeper was screened by the defender's awkward curving shot. The difference was that Spain had a deeper squad and knew how to capitalize on even the smallest opponent mistakes to decide the game."

The dream semifinal between Spain and France will take place at 2:00 AM on July 15. This is not only a tactical battle of the highest level but also a stage for a classic showdown between two generations of stars: Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé.