Spain defeated Croatia 5-4 on penalties following a goalless draw after extra time to win the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League title. This is la Furia Roja’s first trophy since the 2012 European Championship.

Both Spain and Croatia got the game off to a strong start, taking shots from early on in order to find an opener. Gavi almost scored for Spain in the 12th minute, dragging his shot inches wide of the goalpost, while Andrej Kramaric threatened the Spanish defense on a counterattack which required Aymeric Laporte to make a last-ditch tackle.

While Mario Pasalic and Josip Juranovic came close for Croatia in the second half, it was Spain that dominated proceedings in the latter stages. Ansu Fati looked certain to win the match for Spain with his close-range shot in the 84th minute, only for defender Ivan Perisic to clear the ball off the goal line.

Although Spain continued to dominate in extra time, it took penalties to decide the contest, with defender Dani Carvajal firing home the winning goal for Spain after goalkeeper Unai Simon saved penalties from both Lovro Majer and Bruno Petkovic.

Luis de la Fuente, who took over the role of Spain’s manager after the 2022 World Cup, told fans to express faith in his young squad of players. “These players are used to winning,” de la Fuente stated after the game. “They have won so much coming through the ranks and this can continue, I think this competitive streak is back and we can look forward to winning more.”

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Spain defeated Norway 3-0 at La Rosaleda stadium in Malaga on Saturday night in the opening game of their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. This was the first game for new Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, who took the reigns from Luis Enrique following La Furia Roja’s Round of 16 exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Dani Olmo handed the home team and took the lead in the 13th minute, sending the ball into the bottom corner of the goal after being set up by left-back Alejandro Balde. Without the strike power of Erling Haaland, Norway attempted to respond two minutes later when martin Odegaard’s shot on goal was blocked by center-back Nacho, who returns to the national squad after a five-year absence.

While the two sides continued to exchange chances, it was only in the 83rd minute that Spain managed to double their lead. 32-year-old striker Joselu scored with a header just three minutes after coming onto the field, thereby sealing a dream international debut for himself. The Espanyol forward struck again just two minutes later to extend his team’s lead to three goals.

“I have to thank [the coach] for the faith he’s shown in me in his first match in charge. I tried to give my all to reward him,” Joselu commented after the game.

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Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets decided to retire from international football following his nation’s 2022 World Cup exit at the hands of Morocco during the Round of 16.

At 34 years old, Busquets was the last remaining active member of the Spanish squad that won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – the country’s only World Cup victory to date. Following that victory, Busquets spoke of his ambition to become the first Spanish player to win two World Cups.

“I’d like to announce that after almost 15 years and 143 games, the moment has come for me to say farewell to the national team,” Busquets announced. “It has been an honor to represent my country and take it to the highest level, to be a world and European champion, to be captain, and to have played so many games, with more or less success but always giving everything and bringing my grain of sand so that everything could go as well as possible.”

Busquets decided to step down from La Roja in order to focus on playing at the club level for the remainder of his career. He is one of the three players who missed a penalty as Spain was defeated by Morocco on penalties following a goalless draw.

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Spanish Football Association president Luis Rubiales confirmed that the decision to dismiss Luis Enrique from his role as national team manager had nothing to do with Enrique’s Twitch streams during the World Cup. The Spanish FA’s decision not to renew Enrique’s contract came as a result of a desire to improve the team’s performance.

After being eliminated in the Round of 16 by Morocco in a penalty shootout, the Spanish FA determined that a new direction would be required in order to improve the team’s performances on the international stage.

This led to the appointment of Luis de la Fuente as Spain’s new coach. A former Spain under-21 coach, de la Fuente was unveiled as Spain’s new manager in Madrid on Monday after the RFEF board gave its approval for his recruitment.

“I’ve read a lot of stories, that [it] was his Twitch, that it was his bicycle [rides], things like that,” Rubiales commented. “But there was nothing like that. The three of us, the outgoing sporting director [Jose Molina], the new sporting director [Albert Luque] and I, we agreed we should start a new project, led by Luis de la Fuente. There’s nothing else.”

Spain will now turn its focus to qualifying for the UEFA Euro 2024 competition. The first round of qualifiers begins in March 2023.

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Spain coach Luis Enrique has expressed his frustration at his team’s 2-1 loss to Japan in their final World Cup group stage game, despite the fact that the team secured progression to the Round of 16.

“In football, you deserve it or not and we didn’t deserve it,” Enrique stated during the post-match press conference. “I’m not happy at all. I would have liked to be on top and win but in five minutes Japan scored two. We were dismantled. I never celebrate defeats so we have nothing to celebrate. We have qualified but I have nothing to celebrate.”

Upon hearing that Spain was eliminated from the competition for three minutes when fellow group members Costa Rica took a 2-1 lead against Germany, Enrique responded that he would have had a “heart attack” had he found out during the game.

While Spain took the lead through an Alvaro Morata header in the 11th minute, Japan stunned the favorite at the start of the second half, drawing level in the 48th minute through a Ritsu Doan screamer before Ao Tanaka snatched the winner three minutes later.

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France was crowned champions of the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League after defeating Spain 2-1 in the final at San Siro stadium on Sunday night.

While the first half of the game was fairly slow-paced, the match sparked to life in the 64th minute when Mikel Oyarzabal slotted the ball past French keeper Hugo Lloris to hand Spain the advantage.

Spain’s lead was short-lived, however, as two minutes later Karim Benzema unleashed a screamer which curled into the far corner of the net and leveled the scoreline. Just as the game looked as though it was headed for extra time, French striker Kylian Mbappe found himself one-on-one with the keeper. After a few stepovers, Mbappe cooly slotted the ball past Unai Simon to hand France a winning goal.

“We showed our character against a very strong team. We never gave up,” Karim Benzema stated after the full-time whistle. “It shows what great teams do. Never panic, be patient, and wait for the right time. We are going to enjoy this trophy and then go get the World Cup.”

France looks to be in a pole position to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They currently lead group D with 12 points; four points clear of second-placed Ukraine.

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Spain showed up to Kyiv on a 15-game undefeated streak as they met Ukraine in Group A4 of the UEFA Nations League action, but the Yellow and Blue surprised everyone by dispatching of the 2010 World Cup winners by a 1-0 final.

Spain dominated the first half of the game, controlling possession and having a couple of clear chances at goal as Ukraine looked to be fighting for their lives.

Sergio Ramos hit the crossbar on a free-kick and Ansu Fati nearly found the net on a breakaway, but despite all of the pressure they withstood, Ukraine went into the locker room at halftime with the game knotted at 0.

After the break, Ukraine began to improve in play and their breakthrough came in the 76th minute of the match.

On a surprise breakaway, Andriy Yarmolenko made a stunning threaded pass to Dynamo Kyiv’s Viktor Tsygankov, who caught Spain keeper David de Gea out of position and far from the net. He fired a shot from outside of the box which found its target, sending the reduced capacity crowd into a frenzy.

Ukraine was able to hold on and secure a 1-0 victory, moving them to within a point of Spain and level with Germany in the Group A4 table.

The Blue and Yellow will look to continue their momentum as they match up with Germany on November 14th, while the Spanish will look to get back on track against Switzerland the same day.

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Spain defeated Croatia 5-4 on penalties following a goalless draw after extra time to win the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League title. This is la Furia Roja’s first trophy since the 2012 European Championship.

Both Spain and Croatia got the game off to a strong start, taking shots from early on in order to find an opener. Gavi almost scored for Spain in the 12th minute, dragging his shot inches wide of the goalpost, while Andrej Kramaric threatened the Spanish defense on a counterattack which required Aymeric Laporte to make a last-ditch tackle.

While Mario Pasalic and Josip Juranovic came close for Croatia in the second half, it was Spain that dominated proceedings in the latter stages. Ansu Fati looked certain to win the match for Spain with his close-range shot in the 84th minute, only for defender Ivan Perisic to clear the ball off the goal line.

Although Spain continued to dominate in extra time, it took penalties to decide the contest, with defender Dani Carvajal firing home the winning goal for Spain after goalkeeper Unai Simon saved penalties from both Lovro Majer and Bruno Petkovic.

Luis de la Fuente, who took over the role of Spain’s manager after the 2022 World Cup, told fans to express faith in his young squad of players. “These players are used to winning,” de la Fuente stated after the game. “They have won so much coming through the ranks and this can continue, I think this competitive streak is back and we can look forward to winning more.”

The post Spain Defeats Croatia on Penalties to Win UEFA Nations League appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Spain defeated Norway 3-0 at La Rosaleda stadium in Malaga on Saturday night in the opening game of their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. This was the first game for new Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, who took the reigns from Luis Enrique following La Furia Roja’s Round of 16 exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Dani Olmo handed the home team and took the lead in the 13th minute, sending the ball into the bottom corner of the goal after being set up by left-back Alejandro Balde. Without the strike power of Erling Haaland, Norway attempted to respond two minutes later when martin Odegaard’s shot on goal was blocked by center-back Nacho, who returns to the national squad after a five-year absence.

While the two sides continued to exchange chances, it was only in the 83rd minute that Spain managed to double their lead. 32-year-old striker Joselu scored with a header just three minutes after coming onto the field, thereby sealing a dream international debut for himself. The Espanyol forward struck again just two minutes later to extend his team’s lead to three goals.

“I have to thank [the coach] for the faith he’s shown in me in his first match in charge. I tried to give my all to reward him,” Joselu commented after the game.

The post Joselu Scores Twice In Spain Euro Debut appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets decided to retire from international football following his nation’s 2022 World Cup exit at the hands of Morocco during the Round of 16.

At 34 years old, Busquets was the last remaining active member of the Spanish squad that won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – the country’s only World Cup victory to date. Following that victory, Busquets spoke of his ambition to become the first Spanish player to win two World Cups.

“I’d like to announce that after almost 15 years and 143 games, the moment has come for me to say farewell to the national team,” Busquets announced. “It has been an honor to represent my country and take it to the highest level, to be a world and European champion, to be captain, and to have played so many games, with more or less success but always giving everything and bringing my grain of sand so that everything could go as well as possible.”

Busquets decided to step down from La Roja in order to focus on playing at the club level for the remainder of his career. He is one of the three players who missed a penalty as Spain was defeated by Morocco on penalties following a goalless draw.

The post Sergio Busquets Announces Retirement From International Soccer appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Spanish Football Association president Luis Rubiales confirmed that the decision to dismiss Luis Enrique from his role as national team manager had nothing to do with Enrique’s Twitch streams during the World Cup. The Spanish FA’s decision not to renew Enrique’s contract came as a result of a desire to improve the team’s performance.

After being eliminated in the Round of 16 by Morocco in a penalty shootout, the Spanish FA determined that a new direction would be required in order to improve the team’s performances on the international stage.

This led to the appointment of Luis de la Fuente as Spain’s new coach. A former Spain under-21 coach, de la Fuente was unveiled as Spain’s new manager in Madrid on Monday after the RFEF board gave its approval for his recruitment.

“I’ve read a lot of stories, that [it] was his Twitch, that it was his bicycle [rides], things like that,” Rubiales commented. “But there was nothing like that. The three of us, the outgoing sporting director [Jose Molina], the new sporting director [Albert Luque] and I, we agreed we should start a new project, led by Luis de la Fuente. There’s nothing else.”

Spain will now turn its focus to qualifying for the UEFA Euro 2024 competition. The first round of qualifiers begins in March 2023.

The post Enrique Not Fired Over Twitch Streams, Spanish FA President Spain Confirms appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Spain coach Luis Enrique has expressed his frustration at his team’s 2-1 loss to Japan in their final World Cup group stage game, despite the fact that the team secured progression to the Round of 16.

“In football, you deserve it or not and we didn’t deserve it,” Enrique stated during the post-match press conference. “I’m not happy at all. I would have liked to be on top and win but in five minutes Japan scored two. We were dismantled. I never celebrate defeats so we have nothing to celebrate. We have qualified but I have nothing to celebrate.”

Upon hearing that Spain was eliminated from the competition for three minutes when fellow group members Costa Rica took a 2-1 lead against Germany, Enrique responded that he would have had a “heart attack” had he found out during the game.

While Spain took the lead through an Alvaro Morata header in the 11th minute, Japan stunned the favorite at the start of the second half, drawing level in the 48th minute through a Ritsu Doan screamer before Ao Tanaka snatched the winner three minutes later.

The post Luis Enrique Expressed Disappointment Despite World Cup Progress for Spain appeared first on SportzBonanza.

France was crowned champions of the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League after defeating Spain 2-1 in the final at San Siro stadium on Sunday night.

While the first half of the game was fairly slow-paced, the match sparked to life in the 64th minute when Mikel Oyarzabal slotted the ball past French keeper Hugo Lloris to hand Spain the advantage.

Spain’s lead was short-lived, however, as two minutes later Karim Benzema unleashed a screamer which curled into the far corner of the net and leveled the scoreline. Just as the game looked as though it was headed for extra time, French striker Kylian Mbappe found himself one-on-one with the keeper. After a few stepovers, Mbappe cooly slotted the ball past Unai Simon to hand France a winning goal.

“We showed our character against a very strong team. We never gave up,” Karim Benzema stated after the full-time whistle. “It shows what great teams do. Never panic, be patient, and wait for the right time. We are going to enjoy this trophy and then go get the World Cup.”

France looks to be in a pole position to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They currently lead group D with 12 points; four points clear of second-placed Ukraine.

The post France Edges Out Spain to Lift Nations League Trophy appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Spain showed up to Kyiv on a 15-game undefeated streak as they met Ukraine in Group A4 of the UEFA Nations League action, but the Yellow and Blue surprised everyone by dispatching of the 2010 World Cup winners by a 1-0 final.

Spain dominated the first half of the game, controlling possession and having a couple of clear chances at goal as Ukraine looked to be fighting for their lives.

Sergio Ramos hit the crossbar on a free-kick and Ansu Fati nearly found the net on a breakaway, but despite all of the pressure they withstood, Ukraine went into the locker room at halftime with the game knotted at 0.

After the break, Ukraine began to improve in play and their breakthrough came in the 76th minute of the match.

On a surprise breakaway, Andriy Yarmolenko made a stunning threaded pass to Dynamo Kyiv’s Viktor Tsygankov, who caught Spain keeper David de Gea out of position and far from the net. He fired a shot from outside of the box which found its target, sending the reduced capacity crowd into a frenzy.

Ukraine was able to hold on and secure a 1-0 victory, moving them to within a point of Spain and level with Germany in the Group A4 table.

The Blue and Yellow will look to continue their momentum as they match up with Germany on November 14th, while the Spanish will look to get back on track against Switzerland the same day.

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