Mikel Merino probably expected to be given an opportunity earlier in the quarter-final match against Belgium after an impressive performance from the bench against Portugal. In fact, coach Luis de la Fuente only put him on the field in the 86th minute. But once again, Merino scored the decisive goal.
The 30-year-old midfielder became the first player in World Cup history to score a decisive goal in 2 different knockout matches after coming on as a substitute. It is worth mentioning that he only played for a mere 9 minutes plus added time in those 2 matches.
After the shot that defeated Portugal, thereby ending Cristiano Ronaldo's last World Cup dream, Merino continued to play the hero when taking advantage of goalkeeper Senne Lammens' mistake to score the winning goal 2-1 against Belgium. Although he has only started one match at the tournament, he almost single-handedly brought Spain to the semi-finals.
Few people expected that Merino could create such a big impact. In January, when he was still wearing the Arsenal shirt, he broke a bone due to an overloaded foot injury. The serious injury was so severe that the midfielder could not walk for two months and had to use an electric wheelchair to move.
I have two options, either collapse and cry until I'm exhausted, or stay optimistic and take advantage of that time to improve other aspects of myself" - Merino once shared after returning to training in May.
His recovery speed shows strong will and admirable professional spirit. However, Merino's most outstanding quality is still the ability to appear at the right time to score decisive goals.
At the club level, Merino has also proven his worth many times since joining Arsenal from Real Sociedad. Being used flexibly by Mikel Arteta in many positions, from central midfielder to striker, he continuously scored important goals against Liverpool, Real Madrid, Chelsea or Newcastle.
The statistics also clearly reflect Merino's influence. In 11 Premier League goals for Arsenal, only one of his goals did not help his team equalize or take the lead. As for the Spanish national team, he has scored 12 goals in 49 appearances.
That is why Merino always receives absolute trust from Luis de la Fuente, who used to work with him in the Spanish youth teams.
I love all the players, but with Merino there is something more special because we have been together for a long time. If necessary, I will come to his house to pick him up" - De la Fuente shared.
That belief was once again rewarded. Although only brought on in the final minutes, Merino still read the situation extremely quickly to rush in to rebound after Pau Cubarsi's finish, scoring the decisive goal against Belgium.
In front of Spain is a big challenge named France in the semi-finals. De la Fuente's team will definitely have to play better if they want to win a ticket to the final. But even when the game becomes deadlocked, they still have Merino - a player who always knows how to make a difference in the most important moments.
