USA beat spirited Spain thanks to two penalties
Spain vs USA: Women's World Cup as it happened!
GAME OVER!
Last chance is right.
Last chance for Spain.
Spain have run out of gas.
Rapinoe down injured. USA trying to kill the clock.
Spain pushing again. Hermoso down the right. She cuts it back and it's cleared.
Spain putting on some pressure.
Falcon takes it down the left. Throw. She gets it again and crosses but it's cleared.
Ball whipped in and chested down by Naeher before she picks it up.
Can Spain create a chance?
We have seven minutes of added time.
Horan replaces Lavelle.
Lucky ball down to Heath and she tries to shoot. Blocked and Leila tries to keep it in! Corner. Heath taking her time over this one.
Lloyd offside. Spain need a goal in a hurry.
Paredes booked for a foul Rapinoe.
Carli Lloys coming on for USA.
We think it's Terrecilla anyway. Hermoso was supposed to be off but Torrecilla is down injured. And it is indeed Torrecilla.
Spain change. Mariona is coming on for Torrecilla.
Ball out over the line for a goalkick. US hanging on here.
Jenni with the corner but it's cleared at the front post.
Corner for Spain.
Hermoso with the free and Naeher sends it clear with her fists. She's down injured.
A change for Spain. Falcon comes on for Alexia Putellas.
Rapinoe to take. Referee tells her to put it on the penalty spot. Longest penatly ever.
PENALTY! After a very close look by VAR, the referee returns and gives the penalty.
Morgan to take. We have a slight delay though as the referee gets direction from VAR.
PENALTY! Lavelle clipped by Virginia up around the knee. We might have VAR but it did look like she caught her.
Dunn launches down to Morgan. She heads on and as Leila clears for a throw to the USA.
Spain the team on the up here. Crossed in from the right and Naeher catches. She kicks it all the way up the field to Sandra Paños in Spain's goals.
Offside for US. Sloppy again.
Morgan cross is deflected into Sandra's hands. She catches and restarts.
Us pressuring Spain's goal now. Mewis looks for Rapinoe but they're on different pages. Runs out for a goalkick for Spain.
Mewis takes it on her right and curls one just wide.
US in no way comfortable here.
Another great chance. Patri with the shot. Lovely move and she had a teammate behind her. She should have cut it back and instead shot herself.
Ertz sends it out for a throw for Spain after a nice ball across the penalty area by first half sub, Garcia.
Dunn stays strong to fend off two defenders and she crosses. It's cleared. Falls to Lavelle and she shoots but it's well over the bar.
Foul on Mewis. She's pulled down and so is Ertz as the referee blows the whistle late. Rapinoe set to take.
Spain the better side here to start this second half. They're growing in confidence too.
Paredes slides in on O'Hara. Goalkick. A crunching tackle.
Lavelle out wide to Heath and she blasts over.
Corner comes to nothing and Lucia Garcia a little overzealous as she pushes a defender in the back.
Corner for Spain. Naeher can't keep it in as they break. A nice 2-on-2 situation as Lucia Garcia strikes and sees her shot blocked.
Paredes caught her with a push in the back but Morgan really milking that one. Nothing in it.
Morgan down injured now as she grabs her face.
Cleared by Sandra as Heath lies on the groubnd injured. Slide came in from Virginia and it looks to be her ankle.
Great tackle by Maria Leon as she slides in on Heath.
Lovely pass out to the right and it's crossed in but the US clear it. Nice spell from Spain.
Free for the US. Sent into the box and headed clear by Spain.
We are back underway for the second half!
Changes for the USA here.
Teams making their way back onto the field.
Spain being quite aggressive, especially with Morgan, but they're hanging in there and causing US problems too. You wonder if, the longer this goes on, the more Spain will grow in confidence. Or will they just get worn down by the States?
The tale of the first half.
- 0
- 15
- 30
- 45
- 60
- 75
- 90
- 35%64%
- 30%70%
- 38%61%
- 30%70%
- 25%75%
- 52%47%
- 21%78%
- 53%46%
- 52%47%
HALF-TIME! Very good first half.
Nice move by Spain down the right and the pass inside by Lucia is picked off. USA dodge another potential bullet.
We are approaching the break now as US get the ball under control.
Ball crossed in and Lavelle is there. But not quite! She can't reach it and it bounces to safety for Spain.
Free for US in a dangerous spot. Rapinoe stands over it.
Morgan fouled again. "Three fouls in the first half," she says as Paredes bundles her over again.
We will have three minutes of added time.
Dunn blocks a pass out wide and prevents a dangerous-looking counter by Spain. Throw.
she's on the sideline but looks like she is ready to continue. Corner comes in and Sandra gets a hand to it. Lavelle runs it over the sideline.
Virginia reaches to block a cross by Rapinoe and it's out for a corner. But the Spanish midfielder has injured herself.
There's a through ball to Rapinoe but it asks too much of the winger and captain. Straight to Sandra in goals. Spain will be delighted with this so far.
Rapinoe tries a pass down to Morgan but Sandra is off her line.
Another cross in and this is a very nice spell for Spain.
Hermoso with a nice ball across the box. Cleared by the US but that was dangerous. Spain have looked dangerous when they attack. US not used to being under pressure.
Rapinoe booked for catching Corredera on the face. That is really tame, in fairness,
Mewis the latest to shoot now but that's even further wide than Rapinoe's effort.
Rapinoe strikes after linking up with Mewis but she drills that shot well wide.
Rapinoe picked off by Corredera as Spain win a throw in the end.
Morgan taken out of it by Paredes and a free or the USA.
But it's Losada that needs to be replaced. Her black eye means she can't carry on. Nahikari Garcia on for her.
Alex Morgan is down injured.
Cross comes in from Lucia Garcia and Naeher catches it.
Long ball down to Lucia Garcia. Naeher off her line and she is outside her penalty area. Heads it out for a throw.
Dunn put under serious pressure by Lucia Garcia after getting it from Naeher. Throw for Spain.
Rapinoe with a nice free. A set-piece straight off the training ground. Ertz strikes from the cross. A mile over the bar.
US enjoying 59% possession so far in this one.
Cross from deep as Morgan stretches for it. She can't get there though. US threatening again.
Hermoso looks for a pass down to Lucia Garcia put US win it back.
Rapinoe somehow plays out to Dunn and he cross has venom on it. Straight across goal and nobody can get anything on it.
Ertz battling with Losada again. She wins anther free. USA on the attack and the cross in from the left is straight to Rapinoe. Blocked! Spain clear. Great start to this one.
Paredes back to Sandra and she clears. A real battle in the middle playing out. as Ertz gets thrown on the ground.
Spain have settled nicely here. USA rattled after taking the lead and conceding that equaliser through their own msistake.
Corner. It's out for a goalkick. Ertz wants another one but ref says nay.
Rapinoe with another chance. At the back post, she slices it wide but Sandra is taking no chances and turns it around the post.
We have an injury now as Losada gets a black eye for herself.
GOAL! GOAL! GOAL! Hermoso. Naeher with the pass out and Spain jump it. Hermoso curls it into the top corner.
There's a foul by Heath now in the middle and Spain have a chance to attack.
PENALTY! Leon whistled for a foul on Heath as she catches her foot after rounding the defender. Looks like VAR will agree too.
Leila fouled by Heath.
USA now dominating the ball. Out wide to Heath and she recycles.
Rapinoe attacks now and Corredera puts it out for a throw.
Spain attacking down the left. They have found space in behind and it's cut back to Patri. She strikes and it catches a US head. Cleared and Morgan is fouled. Good start by Spain.
We are underway!
Paredes and Rapinoe up for the coin toss.
The star-spangled banner blares around the stadium now. Some very, very serious faces as they span down through the team.
They emerge onto the field and there's applause for the crowds who have shown up to watch this historic tie for the Spanish.
Teams in the tunnel and we are approaching action!
Teams out warming up now ahead of the game and a nice crowd building too.
If you hadn't seen these, they're pretty cool drawings from Google ahead of the game. World Cup fever spreading across the internet.
This is Spain's first ever knockout game in the Women's World Cup. They drew the US... no easing them into life in knockout competition.
The last time the United States conceded a goal at the World Cup was in 2015 against Japan. Nine games in a row where they have kept clean sheets.
No Horan in United States' line-up. She has been their best player so far and is going to be a huge loss for them. Her presence in the penalty area is what makes the US so dynamic and dangerous from set-pieces too.
Spain's starting XI.
Morgan starts for the US!
Having scored a staggering 18 times on their way to sealing a 100% record in the group stage - and, what's more, conceding no goals in the process - three-time world champions the United States are the overwhelming favourites to progress to the quarter-finals this evening, at the expense of a side they have only faced once before. That meeting came this year, in an Alicante friendly in January that was won by the Americans courtesy of a second-half Christen Press effort.
Star striker Alex Morgan is expected to be fit to start for the US in Reims, despite limping off at half time of the Stars and Stripes' 2-0 victory over Sweden in their final group game.
Spanish club football has come a long way in recent seasons, the Metropolitano playing host to a capacity crowd for Atlético vs Barcelona with the latter reaching the Champions League final, the first Liga Iberdrola side to do so.
At international level though La Roja have a long way to go until they reach the imposing strength of the United States, although the foundations are there: Jorge Vilda’s side reached the last eight at the Euros in 2017 and won their first ever World Cup match in France, beating South Africa 3-1. A Narrow loss to Germany and a draw with China saw them through the group stage but the USA will be the biggest test they have faced in their major tournament history.
The magician in the side, Jenni Hermoso, has been drawing plaudits for her performances and the US back line, and particularly keeper Alyssa Naeher, have yet to be properly tested. If Spain can match the US tactic of coming out all guns blazing and take advantage of the Stars and Stripes’ tendency to leave space behind the full backs, they could cause an upset and they do not lack top-level experience with players of the quality of Nahikari, Amanda Sampedro, Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes and Vicky Losada in the side.
However, the main goal for Vilda’s team will be keeping the US attack quiet, Alex Morgan and co having scored 18 goals without reply in the group stage.