READ MORE:<\/strong> Firebrand in hot water as Sharks' slump worsens<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> 'Stuff that': Why Inglis turned down NFL heavyweights<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI knew that there was very little time left and that it was one of the last attacks we would have,\u201d Merino said. "I didn\u2019t believe that it had gone in until a couple of seconds later. When you get 30 slaps on your back it sinks in real quick.<\/p>\n \u201cI am very happy for me and the entire team. It all comes down to one moment (the goal), but there is so much work behind it, all the training, the hope, the faith, and the belief in ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n Spain defender Dani Carvajal was sent off late in extra time for a second yellow card and will be suspended from Tuesday\u2019s semifinal against Portugal or France. Fellow defender Robin le Normand will also miss that match after picking up another booking.<\/p>\n It was the first time Spain had eliminated the host of a major tournament in 10 attempts.<\/p>\n Germany players walked over to their fans morosely as coach Julian Nagelsmann looked on with his hands on hips and his face etched with disappointment.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were so close, that\u2019s what makes it so bitter,\u201d Germany midfielder Toni Kroos said after the final match of his distiniguished career. The 2014 World Cup winner earlier announced he was retiring when Germany's campaign ended.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be honest, right now the main feeling is that the tournament is over, because we all had a big goal that we wanted to achieve together,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd this dream we all had has been simply shattered now.\u201d<\/p>\n Teammates who might also have played their last international included captain \u0130lkay G\u00fcndo\u011fan, Thomas M\u00fcller and Manuel Neuer.<\/p>\n Despite the disappointment and the \u201churt,\u201d Nagelsmann managed to crack a joke during his news conference: \u201cIt\u2019s hurting also that we have to wait two years to become world champion."<\/p>\n The quarterfinal pitted the Euros' only three-time champions, the teams who have played the best soccer at Euro 2024, and it didn't disappoint.<\/p>\n There was a blistering pace from the start with crunching tackles and end-to-end action.<\/p>\n Kroos was lucky not to be booked for a mistimed challenge that upended Spain midfielder Pedri. Pedri suffered another hefty challenge moments later and left the field injured and in tears. He was replaced by Olmo in the eighth minute, the fastest replacement in Euros history.<\/p>\n \u201cPedri is in pain. It deserved a red card," De la Fuente said. He added it was too early to know if the young Barcelona midfielder would recover for the semifinal.<\/p>\n From the resulting free kick, Lamine Yamal almost became the youngest ever goal-scorer at the tournament but the 16-year-old\u2019s effort flashed past the right post.<\/p>\n Yamal did have a hand in the opener as he cut inside from the right and rolled the ball across for Olmo to hit it first time into the bottom left corner.<\/p>\n It was Yamal\u2019s third assist of the tournament, the most by a teenager at a Euros.<\/p>\n Substitute Nico F\u00fcllkrug hit the post in a late desperate onslaught by Germany, which was rewarded just in the nick of time.<\/p>\n Joshua Kimmich nodded Maximilian Mittelst\u00e4dt\u2019s cross back to Wirtz, whose effort went in off the far post.<\/p>\n The teams had more chances to win in extra time and Germany was incensed in the first period when referee Anthony Taylor didn\u2019t give a penalty after Jamal Musiala\u2019s shot smashed against Marc Cucurella\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n https:\/\/twitter.com\/EiFSoccer\/status\/1809291332311040079?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw<\/a>https:\/\/twitter.com\/DaleJohnsonESPN\/status\/1809291649110982704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw<\/a><\/p>\n Nagelsmann called for a change in rules for handball so that a penalty would be given if the shot was on target, removing the interpretation of intent.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are 50 robots that bring us coffee, so there must be an AI that calculates where the ball will go,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Just as a shootout was looming, Merino leapt high to head in Olmo's cross and send the Spanish fans behind the goal into a frenzy.<\/p>\n \u201cThey always tell you to enjoy the moment, but when you get to minute 105 it is impossible not to think about the penalties," Spain goalkeeper Unai Sim\u00f3n said. "And as the minutes ticked down, I couldn\u2019t help but think that (Kai) Havertz, F\u00fcllkrug, and Toni were out there. Mikel saved us from a real bind.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n
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