Football: Spain's Hermoso files complaint over Rubiales' kiss

MADRID -- Spain player Jenni Hermoso has filed a criminal complaint over suspended football chief Luis Rubiales's kiss on her lips at the Women's World Cup final, a source at Spain's public prosecutors office said Wednesday.

The complaint, which was filed on Tuesday, is key for a preliminary investigation, which prosecutors at Spain's top criminal court have opened for the alleged crime of "sexual assault", to move forward.

The prosecutor's office of the National Court will formally present its complaint against Rubiales "as soon as possible", the source said.

Spanish football federation (RFEF) president Rubiales sparked a worldwide backlash after forcibly kissing Hermoso during the medal ceremony following Spain's triumph in Sydney on August 20.

Hermoso, 33, later said the unwanted kiss had left her feeling "vulnerable and like the victim of an assault", with a statement on social media describing it as "an impulsive, macho act, out of place and with no type of consent on my part".

Rubiales insists the kiss was consensual.

The National Court said last week it was opening the preliminary probe in light of the "unequivocal nature" of Hermoso's statements, stating it was necessary "to determine their legal significance".

World football governing body FIFA provisionally suspended Rubiales for 90 days after he refused to resign from his post.

Some 81 players went on strike from the women's side in protest after the 46-year-old's fierce defensive speech following the incident, in which he railed against "false feminism". They said they would not return until the RFEF's leadership was changed.

The federation sacked controversial Spain women's coach Jorge Vilda on Tuesday in the wake of the scandal.

Spain's top sports court (TAD) also agreed to investigate Rubiales after the government lodged a complaint.

Rubiales also came under fire for grabbing his crotch with both hands as he celebrated Spain's win while standing next to Spain's Queen Letizia and her 16-year-old daughter, Princess Sofia. He later apologized.

However the suspended chief said he would continue to defend himself "to prove the truth" over his kiss with Hermoso.

In a statement last week Rubiales reiterated that the kiss was "a mutual and consensual act" with "overflowing jubilation on both sides".

- Apology -

The RFEF apologized for the "totally unacceptable behavior" of Rubiales on Tuesday and fired Vilda as part of an overhaul. The apology came more than two weeks after the incident.

In a letter signed by its interim president Pedro Rocha, the RFEF offered its "most sincere apologies... for the totally unacceptable behavior of its highest institutional representative during the final of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 and in the moments that followed".

Vilda's former assistant Montserrat Tome is the new coach -- it is the first time a woman has led the team. The next matches are in Nations League qualifying against Sweden and Switzerland on September 22 and 26 respectively.

Meanwhile men's team defender Dani Carvajal came under fire for comments he made Tuesday night on Spanish radio, in which he said he did not want to position himself on the issue "without knowing what really happened".

Carvajal had said "there are people who must decide if there is a culprit or a victim" and noted Hermoso had not filed a complaint at the time. He clarified his words in a news conference Wednesday.

"In no moment did I say that Jenni was not the victim, I just said that the presumption of innocence (until proven otherwise) has to be maintained," said Real Madrid right-back Carvajal.

"If she's having a tough time we have to show solidarity with her, that's clear, like any person -- I don't think the president is having a good time either.

"I am not here to judge or label anyone."

Agence France-Presse

Football: Spanish football boss apologizes for kissing World Cup star

MADRID, Spain -- Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish Football Federation, apologized on Monday for kissing star player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain won the Women's World Cup.

Rubiales, 45, planted the kiss on Hermoso after she collected her medal following the final in Sydney, provoking outrage in Spain.

"Certainly I made a mistake and I have to acknowledge that," Rubiales said in a video posted on social media by Spanish television.

"It was done without any ill intention in a moment of the highest exuberance. Here we saw it as natural and normal but outside it has caused a commotion.

"I have no choice but to apologize and to learn from this... and when representing the federation take more care," he said, adding that he thought the furor was "idiotic".

Earlier Spain's sports minister on Monday had demanded that Rubiales apologize.

"I think it is unacceptable to kiss a player on the lips to congratulate her," acting minister Miquel Iceta told Spanish public radio.

"The first thing he has to do is to give explanations and make apologies, it is the logical and reasonable thing to do," Iceta said.

The minister added that while the 1-0 victory over England on Sunday in Sydney was "a moment of intense emotions", public officials "have to be extremely careful because we are giving a message to society and the message is equal rights, it is respect".

- 'Spontaneous' -

Rubiales on Monday stressed that he had a "magnificent relationship" with Hermoso.

On Sunday, the player posted a video on Instagram showing the celebrations in the changing room in which she responded to teasing from team-mates by saying: "I didn't like it, eh!" while laughing.

Later on Sunday the federation released their own quotes from Hermoso.

"It was a totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that winning a World Cup brings," Hermoso was quoted as saying.

"The president and I have a great relationship. His behaviour with all of us has been outstanding and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude.

"A gesture of friendship and gratitude cannot be gone over so much, we have won a World Cup and we are not going to deviate from what is important."

Spain's preparations for the World Cup were thrown into disarray last September when 15 players sent an email to the Spanish federation saying they did not want to be considered for selection.

Their protest was aimed chiefly at coach Jorge Vilda and his methods, including complaints that he was too strict.

Rubiales supported Vilda and only three of the 15 were recalled for the World Cup.

Agence France-Presse

Spain tame England to win Women's World Cup for first time

SYDNEY, Australia -- Spain won the Women's World Cup for the first time in their history with skipper Olga Carmona sweeping in the only goal for a deserved 1-0 victory over England in Sunday's final.

In front of a crowd of nearly 76,000 at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Spain were the more accomplished side and had more chances, including missing a second-half penalty.

Spain's triumph is vindication for Jorge Vilda and the Spanish football federation, who stuck with the coach even after 15 players last year said they no longer wanted to represent their country under him.

England coach Sarina Wiegman, who has now suffered back-to-back defeats in the final, and her European champions can have few complaints.

Spain are the fifth team to lift the World Cup since the tournament began in 1991, joining outgoing champions the United States, Germany, Norway and Japan.

In front of Spain's Queen Letizia, defender Carmona scored what turned out to be the winner, rampaging from left-back to thrash the ball in low and hard on 29 minutes.

Wiegman had resisted the temptation to recall Chelsea attacker Lauren James after her two-match ban and kept faith with the team that beat co-hosts Australia 3-1 in the semi-finals.

Playing in their blue second kit, England had the first sniff of a chance in the fifth minute but Lauren Hemp shot weakly at goalkeeper Cata Coll.

There was little to choose between them in the opening exchanges before both teams had golden opportunities on the quarter-hour mark.

First, Manchester City forward Hemp struck the bar with a curler that had Coll well beaten.

Spain went up the other end and should have scored but Salma Paralluelo -- in for Alexia Putellas -- missed the ball in the six-yard box.

Then Alba Redondo hit a first-time strike straight at goalkeeper Mary Earps with the England goal gaping.

Hemp then had another tame effort saved, before the game was momentarily held up in the 24th minute when a spectator darted on to the pitch before being wrestled away by security.

Five minutes later Spain, who had never won a knockout game at the Women's World Cup until this tournament and had lost 4-0 to Japan in the group phase, were ahead.

Mariona Caldentey slid in an inch-perfect pass for Carmona, who came flying unmarked down the left before lashing the ball into the bottom corner.

Vilda, who recalled three of the 15 mutineers for the World Cup, did not even raise a smile on the sidelines.

England looked uncharacteristically rattled and the 19-year-old Barcelona attacker Paralluelo, who was a constant threat, shaved the post with the last kick of the half.

- Hermoso fails from spot -

Wiegman, who suffered agony in the final four years ago when her Netherlands team lost 2-0 to the United States, made a double change at the break.

James and Chloe Kelly replaced Rachel Daly and Alessia Russo as Wiegman switched from a back-five to a flat back-four.

But it was Spain who nearly doubled their lead almost straight after half-time, Caldentey dinking inside and forcing Earps to turn the ball around the post.

Hemp was booked for clipping Laia Codina as England's frustration mounted.

Midfield schemer Aitana Bonmati, who has been one of the players of the tournament and was one of the three refuseniks recalled by Vilda, fired narrowly over Earps's bar.

With 20 minutes left, Spain were awarded a penalty when VAR was called into action and, after a long review, Keira Walsh was judged to have handled the ball in the box.

Jennifer Hermoso stepped up but her penalty was weak and Earps saved comfortably to keep England just about alive.

Officials indicated 13 minutes of injury time at the end, but if anything, it was Spain who looked the more likely to score as England's dreams of a first World Cup melted away.

Agence France-Presse

History beckons with England, Spain one win from World Cup glory

Women's World Cup that has broken records on and off the pitch will reach a suitable climax on Sunday when England or Spain are crowned champions for the first time.

About 75,000 fans will pack Stadium Australia in Sydney for the final of a World Cup that began with 32 teams, compared to 24 four years ago, and saw many of the favorites fall early.

Germany bowed out in the group phase together with Brazil, Italy, and Olympic champions Canada, then holders the United States followed them out the trapdoor in the last 16 -- their earliest exit ever.

South Africa, Jamaica and Morocco all reached the last 16 for the first time, and Colombia made a maiden quarter-final appearance before a 2-1 defeat to England.

The exploits of the lower-ranked sides are evidence that the gap has closed significantly in international women's football, but in the end, it is two of the leading sides who will contest the final.

'FAIRYTALE' FOR WIEGMAN

Sarina Wiegman's England are European champions and came into the World Cup as favorites along with the United States.

But like Spain, England have never reached the World Cup final before.

The two teams met in the quarter-finals of last year's European Championship, with Wiegman's Lionesses winning 2-1 in extra time and going on to beat Germany in the final for their first major title.

On that occasion, England had the backing of fervent home support, a luxury they will not have this time. If anything, Australian fans at the final are likely to cheer for Spain.

The anticipated sell-out crowd at Stadium Australia will bookend a tournament that is the best-attended in Women's World Cup history.

Wiegman has a world-class squad to call upon, but it is the coach herself who is arguably England's biggest asset.

She is the standard-bearer for woman coaches, having won the Euros with her native Netherlands and then repeating the feat with England.

Described by her players as calm but direct, Wiegman took the Dutch to the World Cup final four years ago, where they lost 2-0 to the United States.

"Having the chance as a coach or a player to make it to two finals is really special," the 53-year-old said after her side defied a partisan crowd to defeat co-hosts Australia 3-1 in Wednesday's semi-final.

"I never take anything for granted, but it's like I'm living in a fairytale or something."

Wiegman is already hugely respected in her adopted country but now she is one victory away from joining Alf Ramsey, who took England to the men's title in 1966, in winning a World Cup for England.

TURMOIL 'MADE SPAIN STRONGER'

Spain have defied turmoil off the pitch to make their own history.

Their preparations were clouded by a dispute with 15 players who last year said they no longer wanted to be considered for selection.

Coach Jorge Vilda and his strict personality were chief among a litany of complaints, but here they are, missing 12 of the 15 but on the cusp of world domination.

England have not been perfect in reaching the final and needed penalties to see off Nigeria in the last 16, before more convincing displays in defeating Colombia and Australia.

But Spain have also had their challenges at this tournament.

They were thumped 4-0 by Japan in their final group game, the caveat being that both teams had already qualified for the knockout rounds.

Spain then thrashed Switzerland 5-1 and squeezed past the Netherlands and Sweden by identical 2-1 scorelines, the victory over the Dutch coming in extra time.

Vilda says that the turmoil that once threatened to torpedo their World Cup "made all of us stronger".

"Now we can file it away and put it behind us and think about the future, and think that we deserve to be where we are," he said after Olga Carmona's sumptuous 89th-minute strike propelled them past Sweden in the semi-finals.

It is proof of Spain's depth of resources that they have hardly missed the players who refused to play under Vilda.

On top of that, reigning two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas has been reduced to a bit-part role as she struggles to regain form and fitness after injury.

In her place, Barcelona playmaker Aitana Bonmati -- who had been part of the protesting 15 -- has emerged as Spain's creative force and the player England must stop.

Agence France-Presse

Spain beats Sweden to reach Women's World Cup final

AUCKLAND -- Olga Carmona's stunning late strike gave Spain a 2-1 win over Sweden on Tuesday to propel them into the Women's World Cup final for the first time in their history.

Spain's thrilling victory at Eden Park sets up a showdown in Sydney on Sunday with either Australia or England, who meet in the other semi-final on Wednesday.

The semi-final in Auckland seemed to be drifting towards extra time before suddenly bursting to life when substitute Salma Paralluelo put Spain ahead with nine minutes left.

Rebecka Blomqvist equalized for Sweden in the 88th minute only for full-back Carmona, Spain's captain, to score with a superb shot in off the underside of the crossbar from the edge of the box.

It has been a remarkable run for a nation who had never previously gone beyond the last 16 at a Women's World Cup, and for a team who had been in disarray in the months leading up to the tournament.

Fifteen Spanish players told their federation last September that they no longer wished to be considered for selection, principally out of unhappiness with coach Jorge Vilda, and only three of them returned for this World Cup run.

While its dream of World Cup glory remains alive, Sweden is left with a familiar feeling after going so far at another major tournament before falling short.

This is the third time in four World Cups in which they have reached the semi-finals, only to lose on each occasion.

Peter Gerhardsson's side also lost in the last four at the European Championship last year, having been beaten in the final of the Tokyo Olympics on penalties against Canada in 2021.

Super-sub Paralluelo 

Vilda decided against handing a start to Paralluelo, after she came off the bench to score the winner in the quarter-final against the Netherlands.

Instead he recalled Alexia Putellas and the reigning Ballon d'Or winner started for the first time since Spain was walloped 4-0 by Japan in the group phase.

The plan was clearly to dominate possession and make a more physically imposing Sweden do the chasing.

Spain had far more of the ball in the first half yet neither Putellas nor Aitana Bonmati were allowed the time and space to really influence the game.

The closest they came to breaking the deadlock was from long range, when Jennifer Hermoso laid the ball back to Carmona, whose shot whistled wide.

Sweden had taken the game to Japan in an impressive 2-1 win in the quarter-finals but they offered next to nothing here until suddenly they almost struck three minutes before half-time.

Nathalie Bjorn sent a hanging cross from the right to the back post for Fridolina Rolfo –- facing seven of her Barcelona club colleagues in the Spain starting line-up -– but her side-foot volley was saved by Cata Coll.

Vilda's plan was clearly to save the pacy Paralluelo for when the Swedish defense was beginning to tire, and it was just before the hour mark that he turned to the former athlete.

Paralluelo took the place of Putellas, who has still not completed 90 minutes at this World Cup as she continues to recover full fitness following a serious knee injury.

The substitute's persistence almost brought the opener for Spain with 20 minutes left as she stretched to keep the ball in play following a cross by Hermoso, but Alba Redondo turned her cutback wide.

Paralluelo then struck with nine minutes of normal time remaining, showing a killer instinct to lash a shot low into the corner.

But Sweden did not give up, drawing level in the 88th minute, thanks to two substitutes of their own.

Lina Hurtig had only just come on when she nodded down a cross for Blomqvist to fire home, raising the specter of extra time once again.

But Carmona, the Real Madrid left-back, had other ideas as she clinched victory for Spain in style.

Agence France-Presse

Spain beats Netherlands in extra time to reach Women's World Cup semis

WELLINGTON --  Teenager Salma Paralluelo hit an extra-time winner as Spain beat the Netherlands, 2-1, at the Women's World Cup on Friday to set up a semi-final clash with Japan or Sweden.

Over a tense 90 minutes in Wellington full of incident, Mariona Caldentey scored an 81st-minute penalty for Spain, only for Dutch defender Stefanie van der Gragt to equalize in added time 10 minutes later.

With the quarter-final seemingly headed for penalties, Paralluelo, 19, came off the bench to produce a brilliant solo finish.

The result sets Spain up for a semi-final against Sweden or Japan in Auckland on Tuesday, while the tournament is over for the Dutch, beaten finalists four years ago.

A match largely dominated by Spain -- and some VAR decisions -- burst into life late in normal time.

Paralluelo's winner capped a display of controlled attacking football from the sixth-ranked La Roja, who have regained their swagger after crashing to a 4-0 group-stage loss to Japan, having crushed Switzerland in the round of 16.

Spain hit the post twice and had a goal ruled out for offside, although the Dutch could also consider themselves unlucky to have a penalty awarded but then overruled midway through the second half.

Spain completely dominated the first half, making 11 unanswered attempts on goal.

The Dutch were rescued by the woodwork twice in quick succession when Alba Redondo's header was parried onto the post by goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar and her follow-up nearly hit the same spot low down on the left post.

Spain captain Esther Gonzalez, who was a constant menace, lashed a shot into the net from a Redondo mis-hit but the striker was ruled offside by VAR.

The Netherlands regained a foothold in the second half.

They looked set to go in front when Lineth Beerensteyn tumbled over in the box following contact with Irene Paredes, who was shown a yellow card as French referee Stephanie Frappert pointed to the spot.

Frappert was advised by VAR to review and ruled there wasn't sufficient contact from Paredes, who had her yellow card withdrawn, much to the animated displeasure of Beerensteyn.

Spain went ahead from the spot in the 81st minute through Caldentey after Paralluelo's cross struck Van der Gragt's flailing hand just inside the penalty box.

Inter Milan defender Van der Gragt made amends in the first minute of stoppage time when her surging run was found by Victoria Pelova before blasting past Cata Coll inside the far post of the Spanish goal.

The Netherlands had the better chances in extra time, going close twice through Beerensteyn before conceding the decisive goal.

World player of the year Alexia Putellas, who is recovering from a knee injury, was introduced off the Spanish bench during extra time.

However, they will be without defender Oihane Hernandez for the semi-final after she was shown a yellow card for a foul.

Agence France-Presse

Spain prosecutors call for 8-year sentence for Shakira

BARCELONA -- Prosecutors in Barcelona said Friday that they would seek a prison sentence of more than eight years against global music superstar Shakira, after she rejected a plea deal on accusations of tax evasion.

Prosecutors are demanding a fine of nearly 24 million euros on the 45-year-old "Hips Don't Lie" songstress, who is accused of defrauding the Spanish tax office out of 14.5 million euros ($14.7 million) on income earned between 2012 and 2014.

The court will now need to decide on holding a trial and set a date. 

Prosecutors say Shakira moved to Spain in 2011 when her relationship with FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique became public but maintained official tax residency in the Bahamas until 2015.

Shakira has slammed the "complete violation of her rights" and "abusive methods" by the prosecutors and say they were "insisting on claiming money earned during my international tours and the show 'The Voice'" on which she was a judge in the United States, when she was "not yet resident in Spain."

Shakira was on the singing competition show between 2013 and 2014.

Shakira's defense team argues she moved to Spain full time only in 2015 and has met all tax obligations.

She says she has paid 17.2 million euros to the Spanish tax authorities and she has "no debt to the treasury for many years."

Agence France-Presse

Football: Germany see off Spain to reach Euro quarters

BRENTFORD, United Kingdom -- Germany booked their place in the Euro 2022 quarter-finals as Klara Buhl and Alexandra Popp sealed a 2-0 win against Spain on Tuesday.

Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's side crushed Denmark 4-0 in their opening fixture, but had to show their more gritty side to see off Spain.

Germany had only two shots on target and just 30 percent of the possession, but their opportunistic finishing proved the difference at Brentford's Community Stadium.

Buhl gave Germany the perfect start with her third minute opener and Popp doubled the lead eight minutes before half-time.

Germany sit top of Group B with maximum points after two successive victories, while Spain are in second place with three points.

"We started by pressing very high which immediately brought us a goal at a very important moment in the match," Voss-Tecklenburg said.

"We put together a team ready to suffer who showed their resilience. We knew we wouldn't have possession but we wanted to make the best use of transitions and it's great that it worked so well tactically."

In the last eight, Group B winners Germany play the runners-up in Group A, which will be either Austria or Norway.

Bottom of the group Finland, beaten 1-0 by Denmark earlier on Tuesday, were eliminated by the result from the day's late game.

Spain were one of the pre-tournament favourites, but now sit level on points with Denmark, who they face on Saturday in a shoot-out to decide who will advance along with Germany.

"There were two big mistakes that we paid for, but we know how it is against Germany. We created more chances but didn't know how to take them," Spain boss Jorge Vilda said.

- Flying start -

Germany, eight-time European champions, were gifted the lead when Spain goalkeeper Sandra Panos tried to make a clearance from a routine back-pass but the ball struck Buhl, who turned inside Irene Paredes to drill a low shot into the bottom corner.

Spain were suddenly presented with a golden chance to score themselves when Lucia Garcia was played clear of a high German backline.

The Athletic Bilbao forward raced into the penalty area and took the ball wide of goalkeeper Merle Frohms, but sent her angled shot into the side netting.

Spain continued to press for an equaliser as Mariona Caldentey fired a dipping effort from the edge of the box just wide.

It was Germany, though, who were on target again seven minutes before half-time.

A corner was floated over into the six-yard box, where captain Alexandra Popp got up to flick in a backward header via a slight deflection.

Spain looked to regroup once more and went close again just before the break when Aitana Bonmati's chipped effort dropped just wide.

Wolfsburg forward Popp almost had a third for Germany soon after the restart when she headed wide at the back post from a corner.

Popp was centre stage again as the hour mark approached, going down under what looked like a tug on the front of her shirt from Spain captain Paredes as she aimed to run clear on goal.

French referee Stephanie Frappart waved play on and VAR did not overturn the decision.

Spain almost pulled a goal back with 18 minutes left when a deep ball was floated into the penalty area and Caldentey sent a volley goalwards, which was brilliantly tipped over by Frohms.

Agence France-Presse

Spain to adopt mask-wearing outdoors amid record virus surge

MADRID (AP) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is convening a special Cabinet meeting Thursday to pass a law by decree that makes it mandatory to wear masks outdoors, amid a record surge in COVID-19 cases.

Sánchez announced at a meeting with the leaders of regional governments Wednesday that he was consenting to their appeals to extend mask-wearing rules, his office said. A decree-law does not require a debate and vote in parliament before taking effect.

He also announced a raft of other measures, including an offer to deploy the armed forces to help the regions step up their vaccination rollout and put military hospital beds at their disposal if they are needed.

Sánchez said he is targeting 80% of the 60-69 age group to have received booster shots by the end of next week, among other goals.

Also, COVID-19 tests for professional use will temporarily be placed on sale at pharmacies, amid a reported shortage of tests, and medical teams will be reinforced with retired staff and specialists who earned their qualifications outside the European Union.

Furthermore, fully vaccinated people won’t need to quarantine if they have been in contact with an infected person - a measure that seemed to be aimed at avoiding the shortages of essential personnel.

Spain on Tuesday officially recorded almost 50,000 new cases of coronavirus. That’s higher than last January, when a surge placed the national health system under severe strain.

Spain is reporting almost 700 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over 14 days, more than double the accumulated cases before last year’s Christmas holidays. The omicron strain has soared from 5% of new cases in Spain to 47% within one week.

Still, vaccinations are credited with sparing many people from the virus’s worst effects. While last January some 30,000 COVID-19 patients were in the hospital in Spain, now it’s fewer than 8,000.

Sánchez told the Spanish parliament Wednesday that 90% of the target population 12 and over is fully vaccinated.

He told lawmakers: “Don’t worry, families will be able to celebrate Christmas. Spain has prevailed.”

-Associated Press-

Greece, Spain advance to water polo semifinals

TOKYO (AP) — Greece is one win away from its first men’s water polo medal at the Olympics.

Konstantinos Genidounias scored five goals to lead Greece to a 10-4 victory over Montenegro in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Games, and Spain also advanced with a 12-8 win against the United States on Wednesday.

Greece is making its first appearance in the semis since it finished fourth at the 2004 Athens Olympics. It finished sixth at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016.

Next up is the winner of the Croatia-Hungary quarterfinal. Genidounias said winning a medal for Greece “means absolutely everything.”

“We’re not fighting for just the 13 of us and the coaching staff,” he said. “We’re fighting for (the) entire county. It would mean everything for us.”

Backed by a noticeable cheering section comprised of people from the country’s Olympic party, Greece limited Montenegro to one goal in the first half. Genidounias then scored three times in the third quarter to help his team open a 6-1 lead.

“We brought the good defense from the preliminary round, which was our goal,” Genidounias said. “One hundred percent it’s what gave us the win.”

Spain improved to 6-0 in Tokyo, outscoring its opponents 73-39, but it was pushed into the second half in the United States’ best performance of the tournament.

Spain was clinging to a 7-6 lead in the fourth quarter when a video review showed U.S. attacker Luca Cupido entered too early after an exclusion. Alberto Munarriz Egana buried the ensuing penalty shot, and Blai Mallarach Guell and Roger Tahull Compte added big goals down the stretch.

“It was not easy. It’s Olympic Games, it’s like that,” Spain captain Felipe Perrone said. “But it was important that we keep playing our way of playing.”

Daniel Lopez Pinedo, who turned 41 on July 16, made 11 saves for Spain, which will play the Italy-Serbia winner in the next round.

Hannes Daube scored three times for the U.S., which has dropped four straight. Alex Obert had two goals, and Alex Wolf finished with eight stops.

“We were great. I’m proud of my guys,” said U.S. coach Dejan Udovicic, who declined comment when asked about the video review that led to the penalty shot.

The 6-foot-4 Daube, the youngest player on the U.S. roster at 21, is considered a rising star, but he has struggled with inconsistency in his first Olympics. He scored five goals in five games during group play.

“Every game’s different,” Daube said. “So I try to go out there, do my best, stay confident, and my teammates have my back and I have their back.”

-Associated Press-

Football: Italy beat Spain on penalties in epic Euro 2020 semi-final

LONDON -- Italy beat Spain 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in a magnificent Euro 2020 semi-final at Wembley on Tuesday, as Jorginho converted the decisive kick to take the Azzurri through to the final of a tournament in which they have been the outstanding side.

They were not always on top in this game though, with Spain the better team for long spells of an epic contest before Federico Chiesa, the Juventus forward, gave Italy the lead with a fabulous finish an hour into a match watched by a crowd of almost 58,000.

The much-maligned Alvaro Morata, who was dropped from the starting line-up, came off the bench to equalise with 10 minutes of normal time left.

No further scoring in extra time meant penalties again for Spain, who had beaten Switzerland in a shoot-out in the quarter-finals.

They had also beaten Italy on penalties at Euro 2008, but this time misses from Dani Olmo and then Morata saw Spain give up the advantage they had been handed when Manuel Locatelli failed with the first kick in the shoot-out.

The Italians celebrated at the end with a large contingent of their UK-based supporters, and a team that has been rejuvenated under Roberto Mancini continues to dream of winning a first European Championship since 1968.

Now unbeaten in 33 games, they go through to Sunday's final to face either England or Denmark, who meet in Wednesday's second last-four tie.

"I have to thank the players because they believed right from day one that we could do something incredible," said Mancini.

"We haven't yet done everything we need to though, there is still one step to go."

It is nine years since Spain mauled Italy 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final in Kiev to win a third consecutive major tournament, and this was the fourth consecutive Euro in which these powerhouses had met.

Spain won the first two of those meetings, but the last two have now gone to Italy.

"It is not a sad night for me by any means," said Spain coach Luis Enrique.

"We can go home knowing we competed and were among the best teams."

- Wembley comes to life -

This meeting took place in the chill of a damp July evening in London, but the atmosphere at Wembley was no damp squib.

There were no travelling supporters, given the obligatory quarantine for all visitors to the United Kingdom.

However, the large Spanish and Italian communities already in Britain meant a combined 20,000 fans of the two teams were in the 57,811-crowd allowed inside Wembley.

They added a noise and colour so sadly lacking at major sporting events since the pandemic began, and that provided the perfect stage.

The football itself was absorbing and of the highest quality, particularly in midfield where Italy's outstanding trio of Jorginho, Marco Verratti and Nicolo Barella met their match in Spain's Sergio Busquets, Koke and the brilliant Pedri, a frightening talent at just 18.

- Morata from hero to villain -

What the game lacked in the first half was drama in front of goal, although Italy's Gianluigi Donnarumma made one crucial save to deny Olmo in the 25th minute.

Italy missed Leonardo Spinazzola, their outstanding left-back who suffered a torn Achilles tendon against Belgium in the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile Luis Enrique dropped Morata and selected Mikel Oyarzabal to start on their right flank.

Spain had enjoyed the better of the game before Italy went ahead thanks to a goal of the highest quality.

A move that started with Donnarumma's throw out saw Lorenzo Insigne play Ciro Immobile in behind.

Immobile was thwarted by Aymeric Laporte's tackle but the ball fell to Chiesa and he picked his spot in the far corner of Unai Simon's goal on his right foot.

The Italian fans, gathered en masse at that end of Wembley, erupted in celebration.

Spain reacted by sending on Morata and Gerard Moreno, and just as Italy looked to be seeing out the victory, Morata was the man who got the leveller.

After collecting the ball midway inside the opposition half, Morata played a one-two with Olmo as he cut through the defence and slotted in.

It was a deserved equaliser, and Spain had a spring in their step going into extra time, but they could not take that into the decisive shoot-out.

Agence France-Presse

Spain's COVID-19 death toll rises by over 500; hospitals under pressure

MADRID — Spain's death toll from COVID-19 rose by 513 on Friday to 58,319, in one of the highest one-day increases since the first wave of the pandemic, health ministry data showed.

It said 38,118 new infections had also been detected, off last week's record of 44,357.

And pressure on hospitals continued to rise, with 44% of all intensive care beds occupied by COVID-19 patients.

In another alarming sign, the Madrid region reported on Friday an outbreak in a nursing home that has caused 11 deaths and infected all its 48 residents, as well as 17 staff.

El Pais newspaper said the home, in the mountains near the capital, had escaped the deadly first wave that tore through care homes across Spain in March and April last year.

Meanwhile, doctors complained about recent delays in vaccine deliveries that forced several regions, including Madrid, to stop vaccinating new people from priority groups, such as medics, and only administer second shots to those who have already received a first dose.

"The inability...to deliver the necessary doses at the required speed has been a crushing blow, at least for health workers," said Javier Marco, medical director of Madrid's Isabel Zendal hospital, adding they again felt unprotected and "at the mercy of the pandemic for an unknown length of time".

European countries are grappling with broad vaccine delays, at least temporarily, as all Western vaccine makers with approved shots - Moderna, Pfizer and its German partner BioNtech, and AstraZeneca - fall behind their initial delivery targets.

"We have been under tremendous pressure since March, with very bad living conditions, fearing that we might infect our families at any moment," Marco said. "What keeps us going is the need society has for us."

-reuters-

Spain brings military discipline to COVID-19 contact tracing

MADRID - Various European countries have used their armies for logistical support in tackling COVID-19, but hard-hit Spain is now bringing military discipline to a process that health experts say is key in stemming the spread of the pandemic: contact tracing.

At five army bases in Madrid, 150 volunteer soldiers spend their days calling people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, mapping recent social interactions, and asking those potentially infected to stay at home.

"We try to impress upon them the idea that their help is vital to bringing an end to the chaos we are living through this year as soon as possible," Lt. Hector Sanchez said at the Goloso military base on the outskirts of Madrid, where he is in charge of 30 tracers.

"We can't check whether people are doing their bit and isolating. We want to think so, but obviously we can't control people," he said.

With 741 COVID-19 infections per 100,000 people, Madrid is the epicentre of one of the worst national caseloads in western Europe. Spain has reported nearly 836,000 cumulative infections and 32,562 deaths since the start of the pandemic in March.

Of the 2,000 troops the national government has offered to bolster local tracing efforts, 1,783 have been assigned across 15 of Spain's 17 regions, Health Minister Salvador Illa told a news conference on Thursday.

Spain has performed more than 10 million swab tests, but public health experts say testing alone is not enough, and emphasise the importance of contact tracing, a strategy used to interrupt the transmission of infectious diseases for decades.

Nationally, an average of three contacts is being identified for every person who tests positive, the Madrid-based Carlos III Institute of Health says.

It is difficult to identify the origin of an outbreak in a populous area like Madrid, Sanchez said, and one infected person could infect two or three more, so his team had to move fast.

"Our job is to prevent it spreading to three more people, because then it is a never-ending chain." 

-reuters-

Spain, India crash through coronavirus milestones

Spain passed the landmark figure of 500,000 coronavirus infections on Monday as India reopened some metro lines despite becoming the world's second most affected country.

Spain had largely gained control over its outbreak by imposing one of the world's toughest lockdowns, but infections have surged since the restrictions were fully removed at the end of June.

The country became the first in western Europe to hit the 500,000 mark -- albeit with a far lower death rate and many more asymptomatic cases than were recorded during its previous peak in late March and early April.

"The situation is much more favourable but we remain in an upwards phase," said health official Fernando Simon.

But the overall caseloads in European countries are dwarfed by India's 4.2 million confirmed infections.

Nevertheless, economic necessity pushed the South Asian nation to risk reopening transport lines on Monday -- metros began running again in the capital New Delhi after a five-month shutdown and 12 other cities also restarted subway services.

"For our lives to move on, we have to get out of our homes... so this is a good move by the government," on commuter Deepak Kumar on the Delhi subway told AFP.

Passengers are obliged to wear masks, keep their distance and undergo temperature checks.

- 'Like guinea pigs' -

India leapfrogged Brazil to become the world's second-hardest hit nation after the United States, with the virus having caused almost 890,000 deaths and more than 27 million infections worldwide.

As governments around the world have moved away from the idea of blanket lockdowns, countries in all continents have been experimenting with targeted measures to deal with infection spikes.

England fiddled with its overseas quarantine rules again on Monday, imposing restrictions on travellers from seven Greek islands popular with holidaymakers.

Morocco imposed a lockdown on Casablanca and shut schools on the day they were supposed to reopen after a surge in cases in the city.

Officials said the virus risked overwhelming the country if it was not controlled, but some parents were left fuming.

"They were on cloud nine over returning to school tomorrow," wrote one father on Twitter. "How do you explain this to a six-year-old and an eight-year-old?" 

In Spain, parental anger flowed in the other direction, with fears rising that schools were opening too soon with millions of pupils returning on Monday.

"Going back to school is being treated like an experiment, we're like guinea pigs," said Aroa Miranda, a 37-year-old mother-of-two.

France put seven more regions on a red list on Sunday after regularly recording daily infection rates of between 7,000 and 9,000 -- although the figure fell dramatically on Monday.

Israel announced a "nightly closure" of 40 cities and towns with the highest infection rates with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepting the measures were not ideal but saying there was "no way to avoid them".

- Olympic hope -

The coronavirus fallout continues to ricochet around the sporting world, with French footballer Kylian Mbappe the latest in a long line of footballers to test positive.

Many tennis players have also been infected, galvanising organisers of the French Open later this month to impose strict guidelines.

All players will be housed in two designated hotels "without exception" to reduce the risk, said tournament director Guy Forget, who also said far fewer spectators would be allowed to watch than initially planned.

Both tennis and football have seen their calendars ripped to shreds by the virus, but the biggest single casualty has been the Tokyo Olympics, which were due to take place this summer.

International Olympic Committee vice president John Coates offered a note of hope on Monday, saying the rescheduled Games would go ahead next year regardless of the pandemic.

"These will be the Games that conquered Covid, the light at the end of the tunnel," Coates told AFP in an exclusive interview.

Agence France-Presse 

Spain porn star arrested after man dies in toad venom ritual

A porn star has been arrested on manslaughter charges following a man's death during a mystic ritual in which he inhaled psychedelic toad venom, Spanish police said Wednesday. 

Nacho Vidal was detained last week in the southeastern Valencia region in connection with the death of a man in July 2019.

Media identified the victim as fashion photographer Jose Luis Abad. 

"The police operation began following the victim's death during the celebration of a mystic ritual based on the inhalation of venom of the bufo alvarius toad," a police statement said. 

The toad, a rare species which is native to the Sonoran Desert, stretching from northern Mexico into California and Arizona, secretes venom containing a very powerful natural psychedelic substance known as 5-MeO-DMT. 

Its effects have been compared to ayahuasca, a powerful hallucinogenic concoction from the Amazon consumed as part of a shamanic ritual. 

Following an 11-month inquiry, police arrested Vidal, one of his relatives and an employee on suspicion of manslaughter and crimes against public health. 

Investigators said they had discovered such rituals were being carried regularly on grounds they offered medicinal benefits.

But in reality, this "apparently harmless ancestral ritual" posed a "serious health risk", luring people who were "easily influenced, vulnerable or who were seeking help for illnesses or addictions using alternative methods".

Local press said the ceremony took place in the country residence of Vidal, a media-savvy porn star in his mid-40s whose Twitter feed is full of ads for his 25-centimetre aromatic candles of the male genitalia, available in black, white or cerise. 

Agence France-Presse

Spain to welcome foreign tourists back from July

MADRID - Spain urged foreign tourists on Monday to return from July as one of Europe's strictest lockdowns eased, with streets gradually filling again and some pupils returning to school.

The world's second-most visited nation closed its doors and beaches in March to handle the COVID-19 pandemic, but has seen out the worst and plans to lift a 14-day quarantine requirement on overseas arrivals within weeks.

"It is perfectly coherent to plan summer vacations to come to Spain in July," Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto told radio station Onda Cero as Spain geared up to salvage a tourism industry that normally draws 80 million people a year.

The hard-hit capital Madrid was coming back to life on Monday, with people allowed back into its main Retiro park and a few bars and restaurant terraces reopening.

"This is great, I was really looking forward to it. And so was my dog!" said interior designer Anna Pardo, walking her pet in the sunshine in the Retiro.

Strolling, jogging and chatting, Madrilenos passed through the park's shaded alleys or stopped for a moment to enjoy its small lake, still devoid of the usual rowing boats.

TOURISM STOCKS GAIN

More cars buzzed through streets.

Though bars and restaurants are now allowed to open terraces at 50 percent capacity but cannot welcome clients indoors, few restarted in Madrid on Monday morning, as businesses weighed the value of catering to just a few customers.

While most pupils in Spain still need to stay home and study online, some schools reopened in the northern Basque region.

Spain has recorded 28,752 coronavirus deaths and 235,772 cases, but has seen daily fatalities drop to fewer than 100 for the last week.

The tourism minister's comments, after similar remarks by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, lifted shares of tourism-related stocks, including hotel operator Melia Hotels which rose 14 percent in early trading.

In half of the country, including the popular Canary and Balearic Islands, even more restrictions have been lifted as lockdown has moved one notch ahead to a phase 2. 

-reuters-

First Spanish beaches to reopen as lockdown eases

MADRID - Coronavirus lockdown measures will finally be eased for people in Madrid and Barcelona from Monday, while elsewhere in Spain the first beaches are due to reopen.

Residents in the two cities can now meet in groups of up to 10 people in their homes or on the terraces of bars and restaurants.

The gates of the capital's parks will also be reopened, and major museums will be able to receive a limited number of visitors.

The Madrid and Barcelona regions, the most populated in the country, and a large part of Castile-Leon in the northwest are moving into the first phase of Spain's four-phase deconfinement program, following what has been one of the strictest lockdowns in the world.

These regions have been on a slower deconfinement track as they bore the brunt of the pandemic in Spain, which has killed more than 28,700 people to date, one of the world's highest tolls.

Everyone must continue to wear a mask, which is already compulsory in buildings and on public streets when it is not possible to keep a distance of two meters (six feet).

The rest of the country meanwhile -- 22 million out of Spain's 47 million inhabitants -- is moving on to the second phase, which is expected to last until the end of June.

Restaurants may then reopen to a limited number of customers, and outings for walks or sports will no longer be limited to certain hours of the day.

As the summer heat arrives, beaches on the Atlantic Ocean coast and in much of Andalusia, as well as on the Balearic and Canary Islands, are open for swimming, subject to safety measures.

The health ministry recommends limiting the number of visitors to the beaches, creating boundaries and spacing umbrellas four metres apart.

Only locals will benefit for the time being. Travel between regions is still forbidden and foreigners arriving in Spain must quarantine for 14 days.

But the government plans to reopen the borders to foreign tourists in July.

The lockdown, in force since mid-March, has been among the most severe in the world.

In the first few weeks, Spaniards could hardly set foot outside and their children were kept indoors.

Many residents have become impatient over the government's slow and cautious process of lifting the restrictions.

Thousands of people protested on Saturday by car in major Spanish cities at the call of the far-right Vox party. 

Drivers honked their horns, waved Spanish flags and banged on pots and pans to denounce the management of the coronavirus crisis by the left-wing government of Pedro Sanchez.

dbh/erc/jj/har

Agence France-Presse

Spain eases lockdown after more than a month

A man, wearing a face mask, walks his dog in Madrid, Spain on Saturday, during the hours allowed by the government to exercise, for the first time since the beginning of a national lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19. After allowing children under 14 to go out since April 26, the government has again eased the conditions of the confinement imposed on March 14, which was one of the strictest in the world. 

AFP

Why has Spain been hit so hard by the coronavirus pandemic?

In Spain, one of the hardest-hit countries in the pandemic, the coronavirus spread quickly and widely without being detected, especially among the elderly, experts told AFP.

While they stressed it was too early to carry out a detailed analysis, the experts pointed to the country's sociable lifestyle and close ties between young and older family members as significant factors in the virus's spread.

LOW MORTALITY, HIGH SPREAD

While Spain has the world's highest coronavirus death toll per capita after Belgium, its mortality rate -- the percentage of infected patients who die -- stands at 10.4 percent, below other hard-hit nations like Italy, France and Britain.

"The problem here is the size of the epidemic, the great quantity of infections which we had at the epidemic peak," said Fernando Rodriguez, a public health professor at Madrid's Autonomous University.

Only the United States has more confirmed COVID-19 cases than Spain, although national variations depend greatly on the number of tests that are carried out.

A study carried out by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia estimated that more than two million of Spain's 47 million people are infected.

LATE DETECTION

The virus "circulated under the radar a lot" before the government ordered a near total nationwide lockdown on March 14, said the head of epidemiology at Barcelona's Hospital Clinic, Antoni Trilla.

Unusually warm weather helped spread the virus.

"The weather was fantastic during the last weeks of February and the first week of March and people were out on the streets, very close to one another," said Rodriguez.

This sped up the spread of the virus and "in very little time there was community transmission," he added.

KISSES AND HUGS

Lifestyle could also have played a role in a country where people spend a lot of time outside in groups eating out, having drinks, attending religious processions, protesting or just going for a walk.

In Spain, as in Italy, "people hug and touch each other a lot, here people are constantly kissing, even at work," said Ildefonso Hernandez, a professor of public health at the Miguel Hernandez University in Alicante.

In addition, Spain has the most people living in flats of any European Union country, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat.

"Our cities are built vertically, there is a lot of density and this can also facilitate the transmission of the epidemic," Rodriguez said.

CLOSE CONTACT WITH SENIORS

While Spaniards have a long average lifespan and the country has a high number of seniors who are more vulnerable to the virus, its share of the population over 65 is lower than other nations that have suffered fewer COVID-19 deaths, such as Germany.

But older people in Spain have more contact with younger family members who can pass on the virus to them, Ildefonso Hernandez said.

"Older people in northern Europe are more secluded and there is more family distance," he said.

In Spain, families "are much tighter, the interaction between youths and seniors is very high," he added.

It is common for several generations to live under the same roof in Spain. The average age a young adult moves out of the home in Spain is 29.5, compared to 18.5 in Sweden and 21.1 in Denmark, according to Eurostat.

NURSING HOMES

Families also frequently visit relatives who live in nursing homes, which became tragic focal points of the pandemic in Spain, Hernandez said.

The health ministry does not provide figures for the number of deaths from COVID-19 at nursing homes.

But the governments of the two hardest-hit regions, Madrid and Catalonia, reported a combined total of around 8,000 confirmed and suspected deaths from the disease at retirement homes.

Residents of nursing homes are "very old, very fragile," said Trilla.

"They are not healthcare establishments and were not prepared for this. That caused a fire of colossal proportions," he added.

STRAINED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

Spain's public healthcare system is ranked in the top 10 in the world by the World Health Organization (WHO), but it has suffered deep spending cuts since the global financial crisis more than a decade ago.

While it has a strong primary care network, hospitals have fewer beds than the European average, which forced them to improvise during the pandemic.

Like banks with little solvency "they did not pass the stress test," said Guillem Lopez-Casasnovas, an economist and expert on healthcare systems at Barcelona's Pompeu Fabra University who has worked as an advisor to the WHO.

"When you live day to day, you get the most out of what you have, but you don't have enough muscle to respond to a major stressor like now," he added.

Agence France-Presse

Spain hits 14,500 coronavirus deaths, big economic slump forecast

Despite rising toll, officials say epidemic in slowdown phase

MADRID - Spain's overnight death toll from the coronavirus edged higher again on Wednesday while the main business lobby warned the economy could slump up to 9 percent this year if lockdown restrictions remain beyond May.

The health ministry said 757 people died over the past 24 hours, up from 743 people the previous day, marking the second daily rise in a row and bringing the total death toll to 14,555 - the world's second-highest after Italy.

However, Health Minister Salvador Illa said the numbers were still consistent with a slowdown. The daily percentage pace of increases has roughly halved from the end of March to about 5 percent.

"There are no good numbers when it comes to deaths ... (but) we are now in the slowdown phase," he said.

Bruce Aylward, senior adviser to the World Health Organization (WHO) director-general, said Spain's outbreak was "definitely slowing" but he cautioned against over-optimism.

Overall, cases rose to 146,690 from 140,510 on Tuesday.

At the Sur de Madrid cemetery, Reuters TV footage showed local priest Eduard Batubenga giving a short funeral prayer next to a hearse carrying the body of an elderly woman who died at a nursing home from the COVID-19.

Shortly after, a 37-year-old victim was buried.

"Now, sometimes, at a set time, you get two services. While you are doing one, the other is waiting in line," Batubenga said, explaining that daily funerals had shot up to around 40 from 10-15 "on a bad day" before the epidemic.

The surging death toll is forcing families to wait up to a week to bury loved ones, and only a maximum of three relatives can attend the burial.

RECESSION COMING

In a report, the CEOE business association expected the economy to shrink between 5 percent and 9 percent this year, sending up to 800,000 people into unemployment, depending on when the restrictions are going to be lifted.

It called on the government to declare a tax moratorium for companies to prevent further damage and allow a speedy recovery, saying that under its most optimistic forecast the economy, would rebound 5.2 percent next year.

The government has so far only said that it expects the virus to bring a recession, without more precise forecasts.

After the European Union failed to agree on more support for their reeling economies, Spanish officials warned the bloc's future was in jeopardy if it cannot come up with a joint financial response to combat the new coronavirus.

Government spokeswoman Maria Jesus Montero said Europeans will begin to lose trust in the EU if it does not act together in the crisis, which she compared to the Second World War.

Spain, along with other southern European countries, has called for joint debt issuance, an idea opposed by the fiscally-frugal north, led by Germany and the Netherlands. 

-Reuters-