Merino: Spain's Late-Game Hero

Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino has developed a remarkable habit of delivering for Spain when it matters most. After coming off the bench, he scored the decisive goal in Spain's last two World Cup matches, marking the nation's first knockout wins since their 2010 championship victory.

Coach Luis de la Fuente expressed confidence in Merino's ability to deliver in clutch moments. "I look behind me and I see Mikel Merino and I think: 'I'm calm as can be,'" De la Fuente said after Spain's dramatic victories. The midfielder's late strikes have broken Spain's quarter-final curse, having been eliminated at this stage in 1986, 1994, and 2002. chickenroadslot.pro