Spain Has A Banner Day In Sports After Carlos Alcaraz, Men's Soccer Team Pull Off Gutsy Victories

Spain is on top of the sports world right now thanks to a pair of gritty performances by its countrymen.

Carlos Alcaraz went into the day ranked No. 3 in the world in men’s tennis, and faced off against No. 29 Francis Tiafoe of the United States in the third round of Wimbledon. Despite the gaping rank disparity, it was Tiafoe that looked like the higher seed for most of the match.

Jul 5, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates winning his match against Frances Tiafoe of the United States (not shown) on day five of The Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

The American held a 2-1 set advantage after the first three ended with scores of 7-5, 2-6, and 6-4. Additionally, Tiafoe was superb with his service game (especially in the fourth set), and forced a tiebreaker in the fourth set.

But all of that was rendered null in the tiebreaker. Alcaraz played his most inspired tennis of the match in this tiebreaker, breezing to a 7-6 (2) victory to force a decisive final set.

The fifth set was easier for the Spainiard, who won 6-2 and finished the day on this textbook drop shot.

After today’s triumph, Alcaraz now sits 12-1 in five setters in his career. These are the early signs of a legend in the making.

But he did not revel in his victory. He had other things on his mind.

During his post-game interview, he interrupted the reporter to ask what the score of the Spain vs. Germany Euro 2024 quarterfinal was. To his relief, no one had scored when he asked.

But that’s not how that match would end.

Spain Pulls Out The Victory Over Germany

Spain and Germany were both vying for a spot in the Euro semifinals, and from the get-go, the game was in full attack mode, with both sides generating dangerous chances. Nevertheless, they were scoreless after the first half. 

Then in the 51st, substitute Dani Olmo slotted home the icebreaker to give Spain a 1-0 lead.

Germany was able to generate a lot more dangerous chances, but could not score until the 89th minute, when Floria Wirtz struck the ball off the far post after an odd deflection.

You would think both teams would score rather quickly in the extra 30 minutes, but both teams dialed it back to avoid making the big, costly mistake. The wildly entertaining match appeared to be heading to a dramatic penalty shootout.

But Mikel Merino had other ideas.

In the 119th minute, Merino  put on a sensational display of aerial technique, heading home an Olmo cross to stun the Germans and eventually send the Spaniards through.

Both Alvaro Morata and Dani Carvajal (two of Spain’s best players) will miss the semifinal match due to an accumulation of yellow cards. But right now, that’s the last of their worries. They men’s national team and Alcaraz have both made their country proud with gutsy victories.

¡Viva España!