August 02, (THEWILL) – Spain booked their place in the semi-finals of the Paris 2024 Olympics men’s football tournament with a convincing 3-0 win against Japan in Lyon.
Barcelona’s rising star Fermin Lopez was the hero of the match, scoring two spectacular goals. Lopez opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a powerful long-range strike that left Japanese goalkeeper, Leo Kokubo, with no chance. He doubled Spain’s lead midway through the second half with an expertly controlled volley after chesting down the ball.
The match was not without controversy, however. Japan thought they had equalised in the first half when Mao Hosoya found the net, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review showed the forward was marginally offside. This decision proved crucial in shaping the outcome of the quarter-final.
Spain captain Abel Ruiz added a third goal late in the game, tapping in from close range after Japan failed to clear a set piece. The result was a fair reflection of Spain’s dominance, although Japan did hit the crossbar in the closing stages through Kota Takai.
With this victory, Spain will now face Morocco in the semi-finals. Lopez’s performance will have caught the eye of many, with the young midfielder now joint-second in the tournament’s goalscoring charts with three goals, behind only Morocco’s Soufiane Rahimi.
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.
