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PARIS – Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez led Spain to a convincing 3-0 win against Japan in the Olympic men’s football quarter-finals on Friday. The victory secures Spain’s spot in the semi-finals, where they will face Morocco, who decisively defeated the United States 4-0.
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Lopez, fresh from Spain’s recent Euro triumph, opened the scoring with a powerful left-footed strike from distance in the 11th minute of the match in Lyon. The 21-year-old doubled Spain’s lead in the 73rd minute, showcasing his versatility with a right-footed volley from the edge of the box after controlling a corner from Sergio Gomez.
Abel Ruiz sealed the win for Spain late in the game, capitalizing on Japan’s failure to clear another Gomez corner. Spain, the 1992 Olympic champions and 2021 silver medalists, will now proceed to Marseille for their semi-final clash with Morocco on Monday.
In Paris, Morocco put on an impressive display against the USA at the Parc des Princes, buoyed by strong support from a packed stadium. Soufiane Rahimi initiated the scoring with a penalty, followed by second-half goals from Ilias Akhomach and captain Achraf Hakimi. Mehdi Maouhoub converted another penalty to complete the 4-0 rout.
Morocco, who topped their group ahead of Argentina, are emerging as serious contenders for the gold medal. Their success at the Games follows their victory in last year’s U-23 Africa Cup of Nations.
The article concludes with an updated Olympics medals table, listing the top-performing countries as of 11:10 PM PST.
