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Spain dismantled a heavily favored France side 2-0 on Tuesday night at AT&T Stadium, booking a place in the FIFA World Cup final with a controlled, clinical performance that exposed the fragility behind Les Bleus' tournament-best attacking reputation.
Mikel Oyarzabal converted a first-half penalty and Pedro Porro headed Spain's advantage into double figures shortly after the hour mark, ending France's bid to become the first European nation other than Germany to reach three successive World Cup finals.
The result sends Spain, the reigning European champions, into Sunday's final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where they will face the winner of Wednesday's second semifinal between Argentina and England in Atlanta.
The opening goal arrived in the 22nd minute and came via a moment of youthful audacity.
Lamine Yamal, the 18-year-old Barcelona winger who has been among the most electric players at this tournament, drove into the penalty area and was brought down by left back Lucas Digne.
Referee Ivan Arcides Barton Cisneros pointed to the spot without hesitation, and Oyarzabal stepped up to drive the ball into the top right corner, giving goalkeeper Mike Maignan no chance.
France's evening was further complicated in the 30th minute when center back William Saliba limped off with an injury, forcing Didier Deschamps to burn a substitution and introduce Maxence Lacroix earlier than any coach would have chosen.
The disruption to France's defensive structure was visible, and Spain wasted little time exploiting the disorganization.
Adrien Rabiot, who had already been cautioned in the ninth minute, was replaced at halftime by Manu Kone, a change that underlined the pressure Deschamps was under to stabilize his midfield before the second period.
Any hope France carried into the second half evaporated in the 58th minute. Dani Olmo threaded a precise ball into the box and Porro, arriving unmarked at the far post, drove a right-footed finish to the bottom right corner.
It was a moment of miserable defensive organization from France, with no one tracking the right back's run, and it effectively ended the match as a contest.
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente had warned before the match that his team could not afford complacency.
"We have to be careful not to make any mistakes," he told reporters. "We need to try to have the game under control as much as possible. We need to be sharp and clinical in the boxes." His players delivered exactly that.
Kylian Mbappe, who entered the match as the tournament's leading scorer with eight goals, was largely kept quiet by a disciplined Spanish rearguard.
The French captain was caught offside twice in quick succession in the 40th and 41st minutes, and saw a direct free kick sail high over the bar in the 89th minute.
He was shown a yellow card in the 86th minute for a foul on goalkeeper Unai Simon, adding a moment of indiscipline to what was, by his exceptional standards, a frustrating evening.
France made urgent changes in the second half, including the introduction of Desire Doue for Bradley Barcola and Rayan Cherki for Michael Olise, but the substitute Doue could not convert a well-struck effort in the 81st minute that Simon pushed away comfortably.
Despite generating a flurry of corners and set pieces in the final stages, France were unable to threaten a comeback.
Spain also rotated heavily, bringing on Pedri, Mikel Merino, Ferran Torres, Nico Williams and Marcos Llorente in a cluster of late substitutions that reflected their comfort on the ball and depth of squad.
Spain's victory underlines what has made them formidable throughout the tournament, namely patience in possession, pressing intensity, and an ability to punish errors at precisely the right moment.
The squad features a remarkable blend of youth and experience, from the teenage brilliance of Yamal to the veteran composure of Rodri in midfield and Simon's assurance in goal.
France, for all the dazzling attacking talent at Deschamps' disposal, including Mbappe, Dembele and Olise, were undone by a penalty, an injury, and an inability to unsettle a Spain side that has looked like a potential champion since before the tournament began.
A nation that last lifted the World Cup trophy in 2010 in South Africa will now have another chance to do so on Sunday in New Jersey.
The match at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys and one of the most recognizable arenas in American sport, drew to a close with Spanish fans celebrating and Les Bleus left to reflect on a semifinal defeat that, given the pre-match billing, will sting deeply.
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