Spain battle past 10-man Argentina 1-0 in extra time

Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the game on Sunday as Spain beat 10-man Argentina 1-0 after extra-time to win their second World Cup. The European champions dominated the match at MetLife Stadium but struggled to find a breakthrough against the streetwise defending champions. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a string of saves to deny Spain. Still, the match changed complexion in second-half stoppage time when midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a second yellow card after a reckless tackle on Pau Cubarsi. Extra-time followed a familiar pattern, with Spain probing for the opening goal against a deep-lying Argentina. The breakthrough eventually came in the early moments of the second period of extra-time when substitute Torres finished crisply following a brilliant knock-back by Nico Williams. Luis de la Fuente’s Spain conceded just one goal in seven matches on their way to the final, suffocating opponents with their slick possession game. Lionel Messi’s Argentina battled their way through the knockout rounds, coming back from the dead against Egypt and recovering from a goal down to beat England in the semi-finals. HIGHLIGHTS Torres broke the deadlock early ​in the second half of extra ⁠time, firing home on the ​rebound to give the European ​champions their second World Cup title. Argentina were down to 10 men when Enzo Fernandez ​was dismissed with a second ​booking in second-half stoppage time. The Argentines were ‌toothless ⁠in attack and did not have a shot on or off target for 115 minutes. At 65 ​years old, ​Spain’s Luis ⁠de la Fuente became the oldest World Cup-winning ​coach. Argentina’s 39-year-old captain Lionel Messi ​became ⁠only the second player to feature in three World Cup finals ⁠and ​also the oldest ​outfield player to feature in a final. Follow for more. ..

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