Spain have sealed their place in the finals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with a 1-0 victory over hosts Japan. The match was fought until extra time, and Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio scored the winning goal five minutes before the two-hour mark to send his country into the finals.
The match was an evenly contested affair, with both teams firing on all fronts to get the better of their opponents. Spain could have had an advantage early, after the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty. However, VAR intervened and asked the ref to have a look at the pitch side monitor. Upon reviewing the challenge, the decision was overturned and the battle continued.
The game looked bound for a spot kick showdown between the two teams until Asensio scored a stunner. After picking the ball up from a pass from Mikel Oyarzabal, the youngster took two touches before curling the ball into the net and leaving very little time for an equaliser.
Brazil defeated Mexico 4-1 to return to the finals of the Olympics and will face Spain on Saturday to determine the winner of the tournament. Japan and Mexico on the other hand, will battle it out for bronze.
“They are a quality side, we know that and we know that if we are going to win the gold medal we are going to have to play the best teams here,” said Spain defender Eric Garcia.
Spain have not won in the competition since 1992 in Barcelona, while Brazil are the defending Champions from when they hosted the tournament in 2016.
