World Cup score: Spain eliminated as Morocco advance to quarterfinal thanks to

Morocco are into the FIFA 2022 World Cup quarterfinals after a 3-0 penalty shootout win over Spain at Education City Stadium on Tuesday. After 120 minutes of pretty dire soccer, the Atlas Lions triumphed from the spot thanks to Yassin Bounou’s heroics. Substitute pair Pablo Sarabia and Carlos Soler were both thwarted from the spot as was captain. Sergio Busquets at the end of a draining encounter.

The first half started in a raucous atmosphere created by a majority Moroccan crowd at Education City Stadium and Walid Regragui’s men were motivated and straight into La Roja. Achraf Hakimi curled a free kick narrowly over despite the Spanish enjoying around 80% of the ball in the early stages.

The closest there was to a first half goal in Al Rayyan came when Gavi’s effort was deflected onto the woodwork and Ferran Torres was unable to follow up. However, the flag was up and it would not have counted anyway and Marco Asensio wasted another chance minutes later.

Nayef Aguerd and Noussair Mazraoui tried to break the deadlock before the break but were unable to find a way past Unai Simon. Bounou was also alert as he kept out Dani Olmo just before the game went to half time.

Alvaro Morata was sent on for the final 30 minutes in search of a goal but he and his Spanish teammates were unable to muster up much in AL Rayyan. Aguerd was forced off and replaced by Jawad El Yamiq but it did not make the Moroccans any less solid at the back.

Hakimi and Sofyan Amrabat helped the North Africans to hold on at the end of 90 minutes before Olmo wasted a good late chance after Pedri set him up. Nothing could separate the two sides so it went to extra time.

Simon came close to gifting Morocco a goal which would have been decisive at that moment but he atoned for it with a brilliant save which effectively sent the game to penalties. Pablo Sarabia came on and hit the post at the death, but it was not enough and it went down to the spot.

This is when Bounou wrote himself into Moroccan soccer history with three saves to deny Sarabia, Carlos Soler, and Sergio Busquets just the day after Dominik Livakovic made a trio of saves to help Croatia advance. Simon did deny Badr Benoun but it did not matter and it was fitting that Hakimi stepped up to score against his birth nation.

Lus Enrique’s Spain only have themselves to blame after following up their fast start against Costa Rica with a draw against Germany and a loss to Japan which put a swift end to their prolific promise and leaves them exiting in underwhelming fashion.